Writer and Activist KEVIN POWELL;one of his most hard-fought causes, ending violence against women and girls

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2009

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THIS THURSDAY, WRITER AND ACTIVIST KEVIN POWELL TO APPEAR ON THE OPRAH SHOW

A Momentous Achievement for His Career and Dedication to Serving America, This is Powell's Debut on "Oprah"

Kevin Powell

New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - This Thursday, March 19th, Kevin Powell will be stepping onto the most globally influential platform as a guest on the Oprah Show. Beginning almost 2 decades back as a pop culture icon and influencer, Kevin Powell, now an accomplished writer, activist, public speaker, and music aficionado, will have the honor to speak with Oprah Winfrey on one of his most hard-fought causes, ending violence against women and girls. On the heels of one of the most-watched episodes this year, dedicated to Chris Brown, Rihanna, and young adults in abusive relationships, Kevin Powell leads this follow-up episode to give his insight into this gravely serious issue affecting people worldwide.

Alongside Oprah Winfrey as a prominent guest, this Thursday, Powell says "It's an incredible honor to be called upon by America's foremost talk-show to discuss how we can stop violent assaults against women and girls. Because of my own experiences, nearly 20 years ago, as a former abuser, and because of my commitment to therapy, healing, and doing the work to not only help women and girls, but also with men and boys of all ages and backgrounds, this program is especially important to me. From the sadness of the Rihanna/Chris Brown matter has come a necessary national conversation on gender violence, and who better to do it than Oprah Winfrey?"

Indeed Powell has relentlessly been working to help mentor and enlighten others about this issue through his writings such as his essay "Ending Violence Against Women and Girls," and his 2009 N.A.A.C.P. Image-Award nominated book, The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life (Atria Books/Simon and Schuster), and in his monthly empowerment and development workshops for men and boys here in New York City. Powell has been invited across the country to speak about domestic violence, and has just recently appeared on CNN, FOX 5 NY, NBC CH.4 NY, Hot 97 radio, and BET's 106 & Park. In addition, look for the May issue of Ebony magazine which will be featuring Kevin's new short essay, "Men Can Stop Domestic Violence."

Powell, a committed public servant, is widely considered one of America's leading political, cultural, and social voices, and is a highly sought after media commentator and college lecturer on today's issues, bringing a remarkably fresh and honest approach to topical issues be it at an Ivy League university, CNN, NY Post, BET or huffingtonpost.com. Moreover, after a hard-fought run for Congress in New York City in 2008, Powell has become a respected Democratic leader and brings his thoughts on our nation's politics to a variety of local and national news outlets such as Fox News and CNN. He is also sought after for his relevance in the fabric of America's popular culture and has appeared as a contributor on VH1, MTV, and Vibe magazine, where he was a founding staff writer for several years. Now invited to speak on Oprah, Powell has reached a new milestone in his career asserting the impact his teachings have given and his service he will continue to provide to people on an even greater scale.

About Kevin Powell
Kevin Powell is a Writer, Activist, Public Speaker, and Author of the forthcoming essay collection Open Letters to America. Born and raised in Jersey City, NJ, Powell is the product of a single mother led household, extreme poverty, and violence. But he survived those difficult conditions to author or edit 9 books, and Powell has been, among other things, an acclaimed national speaker and activist, a founding staff member at Vibe magazine, a cast member on the very first season of MTV's "The Real World," and, in 2008, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, New York, where he has been a long-time resident. Besides his work around redefining manhood away from sexism and violence, Powell is also deeply committed to fighting poverty, environmental injustices, and educational inequities. Powell will be running for Congress again in 2010. For more information on Kevin Powell, visit www.KevinPowell.net