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Kevin Powell
GRAMMY-Nominated Poet; Human & Civil Rights Activist; Filmmaker; Author of 16 Books
Kevin Powell
GRAMMY-Nominated Poet; Human & Civil Rights Activist; Filmmaker; Author of 16 Books
Biography
“I love people, all people. Few things give me the joy I get from helping others, as a servant, and from telling the stories of all kinds of people, especially people who have been ignored, hurt, or forgotten.” — Kevin on his life calling
Kevin Powell is one of the most celebrated political, cultural, literary, and hip-hop voices in America. He is a prolific writer and a GRAMMY-nominated poet; Kevin is a heavily sought-after public speaker who has lectured in all 50 states and on five continents. A native son of Jersey City, New Jersey, the human and civil rights activist has been engaged with nearly every democratic movement of the latter 20th and early 21st centuries, either as a servant-leader, a behind-the-scenes advocate, or in a leadership position with fellow writers, artists, and change agents. In 2008 and 2010, Kevin ran for the United States Congress in his adopted hometown of Brooklyn, New York.
Kevin was raised by a single mother in abject poverty. At the tender age of three, his mom introduced him to the importance of reading and that persistent encouragement propelled Kevin beyond his violent and impoverished surroundings. He enrolled at Rutgers University through the Educational Opportunity Fund, an initiative created during the Civil Rights Movement to benefit youth who otherwise lacked access to higher learning. At Rutgers, Kevin’s political education and activism blossomed. He reflects: “Just to be able to get to college, to be exposed to a new world, a new way, changed my life forever, and I am forever grateful.” It was at Rutgers that Kevin found his voice and his purpose, and since then Kevin’s writings, ranging from interviews, celebrity features, social commentary, poems, and blogs, have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Amsterdam News, CNN, NPR, ESPN, Essence, Ebony, Rolling Stone, Esquire, HuffPost, Utne Reader, The Guardian, Politico, The Progressive, Complex, British GQ, and other outlets.
As an author, Kevin has written 16 books, including Grocery Shopping with My Mother, his third volume of poetry; The Education of Kevin Powell, his critically acclaimed autobiography, which is being adapted for the screen; and his most recent title, The Kevin Powell Reader, which collects over 30 years of Kevin’s literary output. Currently, he is working on a biography of the iconic rapper and actor Tupac Shakur, who he interviewed several times as a founding senior writer for Quincy Jones’ groundbreaking Vibe magazine.
As a truth-seeker, bridge-builder, hip-hop authority, and pop culture curator Kevin has been at the center of several watershed moments. He was a cast member on the very first season of MTV’s The Real World, which launched the reality TV genre. He produced, in partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Brooklyn Museum, the very first history of hip-hop exhibit in America. And he has worked with, or interviewed, or both, pioneering icons such as Chris Rock, Tommy Hilfiger, Stacey Abrams, Gloria Steinem, bell hooks, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Chadwick Boseman, Samuel L. Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Marlon Wayans, Common, and Kerry Washington.
In the worlds of film and theater, Kevin has directed, co-written, and co-produced his debut feature-length documentary, When We Free The World. It is a never-before-seen deep dive about healthy manhood versus toxic manhood, inclusive of Black males of all kinds—straight, gay, transgender, disabled, short-statured, formerly incarcerated, college-educated, while also representing five generations of Black men and boys. Kevin is also creating a stage play that will be based on Grocery Shopping with My Mother, his moving collection of poems that he transformed into a musical project. That music project was GRAMMY-nominated in 2024 for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.
And Kevin has long been focused on using his talents, resources, and network of friends and business partners to improve the lives of people everywhere. Through the years he established a highly successful annual clothing drive for youth who are un-housed in New York City; he spearheaded many national and international relief efforts including for survivors of Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, and the storm that devastated Puerto Rico. Equally important, Kevin, a visionary thought leader, has played an invaluable role in the movement to re-define manhood away from sexism and violence; he maintains a selfless focus on mentoring people of all ages, and he is passionately committed to uplifting justice in multiple arenas, be it the fields of education, the #MeToo movement, immigrant rights, gun violence, intimate partner violence, marriage equality, mental health, voting rights, or quality healthcare for all.
A vegan, two-time New York City Marathon runner, bicyclist, skateboarder, student of yoga, avid hiker, and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Kevin is a proud and long-time resident of Brooklyn, New York, and happily married to Evangeline Lawson, photographer, filmmaker, writer, and his equal partner in every way.
Speaker Videos
Re-defining Manhood: A Message to Men, to Boys, to Us All
Weekend Edition Saturday With Scott Simon | NPR (December 10, 2022)
Michael B Jordan on Black Panther, race and power | British GQ
History is a People’s Memory
Hope and Resilience
Speech Topics
When We Free the World: Making the Case for Love, Real Diversity & Inclusion, and A New Kind of Leadership
In a world where violence, fear, division, and hate are the norm, Kevin offers hope and a different way to view ourselves, to view each other. Inspired by his 14th and newest book of the same title, WHEN WE FREE THE WORLD is as an interactive townhall meeting where we confront what is in front of us, including our history and our times and ourselves, in a way that moves us forward, toward healing, toward action, for the good of us all.
READ Kevin’s New York Times excerpt “A Letter From Father to Child”: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/parenting/talk-to-kids-racism.html
What is a Man?: A Message to Men, to Boys, to Us All
In this brutally honest and provocative talk Kevin plainly offers his own life story to show how we can transform our given definitions of manhood. He breaks down healthy manhood versus toxic manhood, discusses the impact of women on his life, and he challenges homophobia, transphobia, and violence in all forms. Kevin also probes pop culture, hip-hop, sports, film, television, family structures, and even what we were taught and not taught in our educations about manhood, about humanity.
READ Kevin’s Ms. Magazine excerpt "Between Russell Simmons and The World and Oprah”: https://msmagazine.com/2020/06/26/between-russell-simmons-and-the-world-and-oprah/
Looking for Martin: Why Dr. King & His “Dream” Still Matter
As we celebrate the Dr. King annual national holiday, and given all happening in America with Black Lives Matter, #Metoo, and so much more, Kevin takes us back to Dr. King’s life and times, how he became the leader he was, what the Civil Rights Movement was truly about and who made it happen, and how the lessons of the past can be learned and re-learned in new ways in this 21st century.
READ Kevin’s CNN article on Dr. King: https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/15/living/martin-luther-king-dream-feat/index.html
Why Juneteenth Is For All People: An Intimate & Interactive Conversation with Kevin Powell
Civil and Human Rights Activist, Author of 16 books, Former 2-time candidate for Congress, Filmmaker and Tupac Shakur biographer Kevin will speak on the meaning and magic of Juneteenth, how and why it was started, why this celebration ultimately benefits all of America, and how it can help us to understand ourselves, and things like democracy, diversity, equity, and inclusion. And Kevin will lead your company/community in a conversation/question and answer period immediately following his remarks, then sign copies of his newest books.
History is a People’s Memory: Celebrating Ourselves, Celebrating Diversity
Inspired by a famous Malcolm X quote, this talk looks at American history through the lens of the Black experience and Black contributions to every part of our society, with Kevin looping in his own journey from un-woke to woke, from a very limited knowledge of our nation, of himself, to one that includes all people, all identities.
Kevin’s article on John Lewis in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/18/to-john-lewis-with-love-kevin-powell-civil-rights-leader
Know. Vote. Organize: The Leadership We are Waiting for is Us
Whether it is a presidential election year or not, Kevin discusses the importance of knowing history, current events, voting in every single election, voter education, and why all leadership is ultimately local, no matter who we are, no matter where we are. Drawing upon his 30 plus years as a leader, as an activist, Kevin also shares what he has learned about leadership, be it from his two runs for Congress, to his 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina relief work, to his efforts on the ground around the COVID pandemic as both an activist and journalist, to his years of work serving the homeless and poor, to how he now uses technology and social media to help others.
READ Kevin Powell’s Washington Post Magazine cover story on Stacey Abrams: https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/05/14/stacey-abrams-political-power/?arc404=true
Hope Wanted: Surviving & Healing During COVID
A very necessary and very honest talk about this global pandemic, about COVID, and how it has impacted our lives now, and likely forever. This is a healing session, emotionally, spiritually, as Kevin talks about people he has lost to this virus, why he decided to travel all of New York when it was the epicenter for COVID, and what we can learn about ourselves, and do differently as we move through these very uncertain times.
READ Kevin’s Utne Reader article about COVID and his beloved New York City: https://www.utne.com/community/new-yorkers-on-covid-19-zm0z2005zhoe
Testimonials
Books & Media
Books
Grocery Shopping with My Mother
When We Free The World (Essays)
The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy's Journey into Manhood (Autobiography)
No Sleep Till Brooklyn: New and Selected Poems (Poetry)
The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life (Self-Help)
Who Shot Ya?: Three Decades of HipHop Photography (Photojournalism)
In The News
Articles
"A Letter From Father to Child”…The New York Times
"Between Russell Simmons and The World and Oprah”…Utne Reader
"To be young, gifted and Chadwick Boseman”…CNN.com
"To John Lewis, with love”…The Guardian
"The Power of Stacey Abrams”…The Washington Post Magazine
"A letter to my 9-year-old friend during the coronavirus pandemic”…ABC News/“Good Morning America”