Actor Idris Elba hosts the Brave New Voices National Youth Poetry Grand Slam Championship in Washington, D.C.; the fierce competition produces a surprise outcome.

Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices

The Finals

The surviving teams square off in two five-team semifinals; the top four teams are awarded a place in the finals.

Forty-five teams go to the National Slam Poetry quarterfinals; Ericka unveils a controversial poem; the Ft. Lauderdale team counts on Jasmine to rise above her illness.

Ray, the Ft. Lauderdale coach, faces a difficult choice; coaches and team members work to help Britney overcome her lingering insecurities; the teams prepare for the trip to the finals.

B. Yung faces his emotions; Aimee, Carolyn and Fiona share personal stories; Josh delivers an emotional Father's Day poem; Jasmine's health problems make it hard for her to compete.

Work begins for poetry teams in Philadelphia, Honolulu and Ann Arbor, Mich., a few weeks before the Washington finals; B. Yung's spot is jeopardized when he fails a teamwork test given by his coach.

Young poets compete in qualifying events in New York, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and San Francisco for a chance to represent their city at the Brave New Voices 2008 National Slam Championship.

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E7 | The Finals

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