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The Great Debater Slam a Poetry Slam with regional winners ($500) determined by official PSi slam rules at the EchoVerse Poetry & Slam Series. The regional winner’s videotape will be viewed and judged by UMCA and The Weinstein Company to select the national winner ($1,000). Local winners will be awarded by EchoVerse Entertainment with the national winner being awarded and acknowledged when selected. Poets participating at the Java Exchange Cafe must register with the Resident Host at 8:30 p.m.

The competition will focus on who can write and deliver the best poem about “activism today” relative to their life experience and/or the African American historical experience. We are also offering free promotional products in exchange for advertising to your patrons through your website, newsletters and email blasts.

From two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and an ensemble cast lead by Washington that includes Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, comes THE GREAT DEBATERS. Inspired by a true story, THE GREAT DEBATERS chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington), a brilliant but volatile debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small African American college in the deep south into a historically elite debate team.

The movie opens in theaters on December 21st.

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The winners of The Great Debaters Poetry Slams have been decided!  The competitions were fierce. The poets were excellent. Your winners are…

 
Local Winner - $100
Omari Barksdale, EchoVerse Poetry @ Java Exchange Cafe – Detroit, MI

Regional Winners - $500 each
Paul Mabon, Flypoet @The Savoy – Inglewood, CA
D Black, Poetic Essentials @ The Hip Hop Cultural Center (Magic Johnson Theater) – New York, NY
 
National Winner - $1,000
Paul Mabon, Flypoet @The Savoy – Inglewood, CA

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