Approximately 500
people and 25 community-based organizations turned out Friday (June 16) to support
Congressional hopeful Kevin Powell’s forum "Black and Male in America…A
Townhall Meeting."
The event, held
at the Hanson Place Church, featured five hours of discussion among attendees
whose ages ranged between 11- and 80-years-old.
The turnout for
the event, as well as the discussion made the meeting an “incredibly inspiring
event,” said Powell, who was also inspired by the panelists and attendees
during the dialogue.
“The fact
that people stayed from 7 p.m. to 12 midnight, talking, listening, and sharing
was an indication of how much people are taking seriously the major crisis affecting
Black males in America," Powell told AllHipHop.com. "It’s clear that
people want solutions and are bringing ideas to the table, rather than just
talking and venting. Friday night was a great kickoff to the year long work
leading to the June 2007 national conference that will be held in Brooklyn."
Powell is vying
for a seat in the 10th Congressional District in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The writer/activist
cited recent events such as 9/11, the war in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina are
as motivation for running, in addition to what he calls the " the exploitation
and manipulation of our values and our differences."
"I’ve decided
to do this because, as some of you know, I have been a public servant, in some
form, for two decades, since my days as a teenage student leader at Rutgers
University," Powell stated. "I am completely committed to the ideals
of freedom, justice, and equality, in America, and on this planet, and I am
proof that much can be achieved if we are determined to make a change, personally
and politically."
To support Powell’s
run for congress visit: http://www.kevinpowell2006.org/
