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instagram It's been an exciting year for Sejahari Saulter-Villegas (@amaru_ler). The 18-year-old, who travels to NYU this fall to study dramatic writing, was recognized by Chicago's young playwrights competition, and made his Broadway performance debut after winning a separate competition. "I was born into this community of arts and activism," says Sejahari. "I started at Kuumba Lynx, which is a hip-hop arts and education program housed in the Uptown area of Chicago. We take elements of rap, poetry, theater, dance, and we put it into a production, so the world of poetry and theater were always intertwined." This week, Sejahari joined other young creatives at the International Youth Poetry Slam Festival @bravenewvoices for its 20th annual gathering. "People think that poetry is this café, after-midnight thing, when the culture that it's become is a place for youth to speak their truth and express themselves in a way that informs the entire world of what's going on." The multi-day festival, which includes workshops, competitions, showcases, community service and civic participation, is an energizing moment for Sejahari. "I love this slam community. I have people in Philly, New York, Twin Cities, Miami — we haven't seen these people for a whole year, some two years, but we come back and we're best friends. Social media plays a big part in that because it's sort of how we constantly stay updated on each other's lives." Check out our story to meet more poets from this year's @bravenewvoices festival. Photo by @amaru_ler
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