On Friday, February 1st, UC Berkeley's "Activism Right There" festival will culminate with an event that aims to catalyze a student community dedicated to cross-cultural organizing, political engagement and service. The board at Youth Speaks, SPOKES, will hold a reception from 5:30-6:30pm at the Heller Lounge at UC Berkeley featuring Youth Speaks poets, Cal reps, and bay area youth activists and organizations; along with a live DJ and free food.The festival will involve over thirty different student organizations and communities, as well as youth and community organizations from throughout the Bay Area.

The reception will serve as the gateway for a concert in the Zellerbach Auditorium that is taking place at 7pm. The evening will feature socially-conscious spoken word and hip-hop artists from around the nation, as well as student artists and a panel on the history of activism at Cal. Panelists will include Bettina Aptheker of the Free Speech Movement and Jeff Chang, the author of Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, and activist in the anti-apartheid movement of the 1980s. The concert will feature artists including: Zion I, Ammo (champions of the 2007 Youth and Collegiate National Poetry Slams), Siren's Echo, and others. Marc Bamuthi Joseph will host. Youth Speaks asks that youth who plan to attend this free event send an email RSVP'ing to hold a spot for them and their friends.

Youth Speaks's annual series of youth poetry slams will begin in February.

Activism Right There | Youth Speaks ||Performers: Zion I | Kate Wirsing | Andrea Gibson | Gabriel Teodros | iLL-Literacy | Host: Marc Bamuthi Joseph