Lee Mokobe is a 20-year-old South African slam poet and co-founder of Vocal Revolutionaries.

Why you should listen

The volunteer-run organization empowers youth in South Africa to fid their voice through poetry and art, offering free workshops, motivational talks, seasonal slams, national/local performances and mentoring. In his own poetry, Mokobe tackles tough social justice and LGBTQ issues. He has performed across three continents and was the youngest and first African coach at the Brave New Voices Festival, which he won in 2015.

Lee Mokobe’s TED talk

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Live from TED

The music of sign language, a computer of water drops: 21 TED Fellows share ideas that swim against the tide

August 28, 2015

Tides are strong. They move swiftly, sweeping all toward the shore. But TED Fellows refuse to simply drift with the water. They are innovators, advocates and artists who challenge the status quo and work in the spaces between disciplines. At the second TED Fellows Retreat — held from August 25-28, 2015, and themed “Swimming Against the Tide” — about […]

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