Kevin Powell to speak at UNCA for Martin Luther King Day

Cultural critic/author Kevin Powell will speak on "Looking for Martin: Are Dr. King and His ‘Dream’ Still Relevant?" at 4 p.m. January 19 in UNCA’s Lipinsky Auditorium as part of the university’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. The event is free and open to the public.

Powell, who may be best known for his stint on the first year of MTV’s popular docu-soap "The Real World," is also known as a senior writer for Vibe Magazine and as the author of several books, including the recent "Keepin’ It Real -- Post-MTV Reflections On Race, Sex, and Politics." He lectures on music, politics, race, gender, pop culture and multiculturalism.

Maya Angelou says, "Kevin Powell has the talent to see and the courage to say." Noted Columbia University professor Michael Eric Dyson adds, "His equally honest exploration of the racial, sexual, cultural and class fault-lines that thread our psychic and social landscape is not only brave but necessary if our nation is to survive."

Powell is currently forming "Get Up On It," a non-profit organization geared towards the political and social upliftment of young Americans, particularly those living in urban areas.

The program is sponsored by UNCA’s Multicultural Student Affairs Office, Brothers Unified and Achieving and the African-American Student Association.

For more information, contact UNCA’s Multicultural Student Affairs Office at 828/251-6671.

Media Contacts:

• Octavia Wright, UNCA Multicultural Student Programs Director, 828/251-6671
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant, 828/251-6526