2008 Woodie Awards
Activist redefines the American man
Award-winning author Kevin Powell challenges social constructs of masculinity in America, media's influence on men
By: Jon Baird
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Lifestyle
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Powell mentioned self-love and self-esteem as some of the keys to being an honorable man in his presentation titled "Redefining American Manhood," in which he challenged WU students to look at the way they find their identities as male members of American society.
"If you've been socialized a certain way, you don't always want anyone holding up a mirror to you," Powell said.
Powell, from New York, was a cast member on MTV's first season of "The Real World" and was a founding staff member and senior writer for Vibe magazine. He has been published in Esquire, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post and several other major publications.
As a political activist, Powell has championed several causes, including those relating to police brutality, voting rights and violence against women. He is also planning a 2008 Congressional bid in New York.
The areas in which Powell addressed the ways men find their identity included spirituality, politics, cultural history, economics, physicality and mental wellness. Powell encouraged the audience to redefine what it means to be masculine and to challenge the ways our roles in society are defined. Among the issues discussed, Powell promoted the virtues of being educated and doing research.
"When did it become manly and masculine not to read books?" Powell said. He went on to explain that the best thing Malcolm X did while in prison was read to the point that he had to get glasses because he often read after the lights were out. It was that same voracity Powell requested his audience reflect in their lives.
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