Kevin Powell

Kevin Powell is one of the most celebrated political, cultural, literary, and hip-hop voices in America. A native of Jersey City, Powell was raised by a single mother in a community stricken with extreme poverty and violence. His life transformed after studying at Rutgers University in New Brunswick thanks to the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund, a program created during the Civil Rights Movement to benefit poor youth. Today, he has lectured, worked, and traveled in all 50 American states and five of the world’s seven continents.

Powell has become a highly regarded poet, journalist, and author of 15 books, including “When We Free The World,” his new short essay collection about freedom, justice, and equality in America. His other titles include: “In The Tradition: An Anthology of Young Black Writers;” “recognize; Keepin’ It Real: Post-MTV Reflections On Race, Sex, and Politics;” “Step into a World: A Global Anthology of the New Black Literature;” “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight: Manhood, Race, and Power in America;” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn: New and Selected Poems;”; “Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and The Ghost of Dr. King;” and his critically acclaimed autobiography, “The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy’s Journey into Manhood,” which is being adapted for the screen. His newest poetry collection, “Grocery Shopping with My Mother,” will soon be published by Soft Skull/Penguin Random House.

Powell has penned articles, essays, and blogs for a wide range of newspapers and magazines and major websites. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, CNN.com, The Nation, NPR, ESPN, Essence, Esquire, Ebony, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Complex, British GQ, The Guardian, and ESPN.com. Powell worked at Vibe Magazine as a senior writer for many years, interviewing such diverse public figures as Tupac Shakur and General Colin Powell.

Powell’s forthcoming books include The Kevin Powell Reader, a collection of his writings, interviews, and speeches covering 30 years of his work, and a long-awaited biography of Tupac Shakur.

Powell is directing, writing, and producing his first documentary film, “When We Free The World,” about healthy manhood versus toxic manhood, about fathers and sons. He is also the playwright of an upcoming stage play based on his newest poetry collection, titled Grocery Shopping with My Mother.

As a civil and human rights activist, Powell is starting an advocacy organization focused on voter education, voter empowerment, and bringing people together for humanitarian causes.

Powell denounces sexism and violence and espouses mentorship and development of people of every age as agents for change; He continues to demonstrate a commitment to democracy, justice, diversity, inclusion, and equality for the American people, be it education, #MeToo, immigrant rights, gun violence prevention, marriage equality, economic opportunity, health care access, and an end to racial profiling through service to his community. In 2008 and 2010, Powell ran for Congress in his adopted hometown of New York City.

Powell is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He is a long-time resident of Brooklyn, New York.