Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices (HBO)

Brave New Voices shows how poetry/spoken word is helping young people overcome a variety of challenges by giving them a chance to express themselves honestly and openly in a forum that both respects and celebrates their point of view. As they work on their craft, they're encoured to think beyond their personal obstacles and focus their attention on something greater. Their work with poetry slam mentors and teammates also helps them build life skills and gives them a chance to reclaim their identity and empower themselves to find new directions.

The series' overall message is extremely positive, but there's some pretty edgy stuff here, too. Many of the poems -- which are based on personal experiences -- deal with tough issues like incest, abuse, and other violence. And the young poets often swear and use racial epithets as a form of expression. But taken in context, this series shows how poetry, performance, and passion are giving a generation of young people the chance to be heard and make a difference.