Cleveland State University will present a lecture by Kevin Powell, a political activist, poet, journalist, essayist, hip-hop historian, public speaker and entrepreneur, on Thursday, April 3 at 5 p.m. in Mather Mansion, room 301, located at 2121 Euclid Avenue.

Powell’s topic is titled "Black and Male in America” and is part of Cleveland State’s 2007-2008 Cultural Crossings Lecture Series. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Powell will talk about his experiences at the forefront of the movement to redefine American manhood away from violence and sexism. He is also an outspoken critic of violence against women and girls.

Widely considered one of America’s most important voices in the 21st century, Powell has published seven books and several essays, articles and reviews. The publications he has written for include Esquire, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Essence, Rolling Stone, The Amsterdam News and Vibe, where he was a senior writer and founding staff member. Currently, Powell is a Writing Fellow for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

He is also set to publish two books in 2008, No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn, his second volume of poetry, and Letters to Young America, an essay compilation.

Powell is currently at work on his childhood memoir, homeboy alone, expected out in 2010, along with The Kevin Powell Anthology for 2011.

Aside from his written work, Powell plays a key role in the development of the Black male. In the last few years, he produced a 10-city State of Black Men Tour, numerous Black male think tank sessions, and Black and Male in America, a three-day national conference geared toward Black male empowerment.

The Cultural Crossings lecture series is sponsored by Cleveland State’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (ODAMA). For more information, please call 216.523.7168 or visit www.csuohio.edu/class/crossings/.

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