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Kevin Powell, activist and author, challenged African-American men to take control of their lives and break the cycle of violence and poverty.
Approximately 250 people filled the Century Rooms on Feb. 1 to discuss "The State of Black Men." A deejay played hip-hop music to warm up the room before Powell started speaking shortly after 7 p.m.
Powell told the men in his audience to improve in six areas: politics, economics, spirituality, culture, physical fitness and mental wellness.
Powell felt that "blacks aren't being represented [in society]," but he said that it was important to be a registered voter so that there would be more African-Americans on juries. He also said that they needed to change their values about money, saying, "Most of us don't know anything about money; it's a trap."
One thing that Powell noticed was that many people would spend money beyond their means, particularly on name brands. He said that the desire for status was a result of another problem: a lack of self-esteem.
"If you don't have self-esteem, you do name brands," he said.
Powell pointed out that there were many problems within the African-American community, particularly with males. Some of the problems he cited were high unemployment, the lack of education, violence, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual irresponsibility and depression.
The Brooklyn resident also talked about his own experience and the problems he encountered throughout his life. He said that the problems he had were a result of his upbringing and the society he grew up in.
Powell was open about his tumultuous life. "If we're going to talk about black manhood, we've got to be brutally honest about it," he said.
Raised by a single mother, Powell grew up in poverty and said that he did not have a father figure to look up to. He had run-ins with the police and was expelled from college for pulling a knife on a female.
Powell said that the reason many other African-American men were not involved in the lives of their children was because they were not taught to be responsible. "I was raised believing black women were there to take care of us black men," he said.
Another reason Powell gave for the problems in African-American communities was what he called "institutionalized racism." He said that the school system is unfair to African-Americans and he challenged his audience to work together to change it.
"At a certain point, you got to take control of your situation."
Powell acknowledged that some African-American men do not fit the model he talked about, but he said, "We got to struggle to find black men who care."
The talk was aimed primarily at African-American men, but women and children made up a significant part of the audience.
"I'm interested in learning more about the struggles of black men and African-American relationships between black men and black women," Dadre Bolar, UM-St. Louis alumni, said. "Others can learn through [Powell's] experience."
"We need to know more about what's troubling men so we can sincerely, genuinely help them," Rev. Thomas Hood Jr., minister of Friendship Baptist Church, said.
After speaking, Powell took questions from the audience, town-hall meeting style. One of the event organizers, MK Stallings, graduate student, sociology, moderated the discussion. Powell signed copies of his latest book, "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?" after the discussion.
The Office of Student Life, Associated Black Collegians, UPB and First Civilizations sponsored the discussion. It was part of the University's Black History Month events.
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