Kevin Powell

Kevin Powell (born April 24, 1966) is an American political activist, poet, writer, and entrepreneur. Powell is also a nationally recognized activist who speaks against violence against girls and women, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2009. After three unsuccessful runs for the United States Congress in New York's 10th congressional district, it is unclear if he will run again. Powell appeared in the first season of MTV's reality television series, The Real World: New York in 1992. He was the oldest member of The Real World cast. From 1992 to 1996, he was a senior writer for Vibe magazine. In Spring of 2008, Kevin Powell was initiated into the Zeta Eta Chapter (Lower Manhattan Alphas) of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, of which he is a prominent member. Kevin Powell's hometown is Jersey City, New Jersey. As a young man, he was a cast member on The Real World: New York, the first season of the long-running MTV reality television series in which a group of strangers live together for several months. During the course of his stay in the house, Powell had a number of discussions with his housemates about stereotypes and race, some of which resulted in heated arguments. Kevin