HBO Presents Brave New Voices[edit]

James Kass, Marc Bamuthi Joseph and others had worked with Stan Lathan for several years to make sure that young people were booked on HBO's Def Poetry Jam. Before Russell Simmons and Lathan launched Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, they tried it out in San Francisco, finding appreciative audiences and new talents there. Kass, Bamuthi and others pitched the idea of the Brave New Voices series to Hollywood, and Lathan agreed to make it happen. He brought it to HBO, where young poets could tell their stories without fear of censorship.


Youth Speaks had collaborated with HBO's Def Poetry in previous years, but their 2008 docuseries was their first direct partnership with HBO and the Simmons Lathan Media Group. HBO additionally provided corporate support for the 2008 and 2010 Brave New Voices Festivals.