Over the past 13 years, Louder than a Bomb, Chicago’s youth poetry competition, has grown from humble roots in the basement of a Division Street theater to selling out the Cadillac Palace Theater. In this hour, we explore the lasting effects of the program on the students and teachers who are a part of it. How has this spoken word program changed their trajectories?

Featuring: Jamila Woods, Malcolm London, Dominique James, Nate Marshall, David Gilmer, Demetrius Amparan, Eve Ewing, David Stieber, Missy Hughes, and Jocelyn Hathaway. 

Hosted by Kevin Coval, and produced by WBEZ’s Bill Healy.

Founded in 2001, Louder Than a Bomb is an annual youth poetry slam which engages schools and community organizations from throughout the Chicago region. Aiming to bring teens together across racial, gang, and socio-economic lines, LTAB is a friendly competition that emphasizes self-expression and community via poetry, oral story-telling, and hip-hop spoken word.

Each year since 2005, WBEZ has invited competition Finalists into our studios to record their work, presented here.

This special broadcasts Sunday, April 28, from 8-9pm on WBEZ 91.5FM.