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Author, former “Real World” cast member Kevin Powell to speak at IU Kokomo

Kevin Powell

Award-winning author Kevin Powell will speak on Monday, Sept. 29, at Indiana University Kokomo to discuss civic engagement and the importance of voting. This event will begin at 7 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium, in the Kelley Student Center, and is open to the public.

Powell, former cast member for MTV’s “The Real World,” has published several books, including Someday We’ll All Be Free and No Sleep Till Brooklyn. These books were selected as part of the first-year reading program for all freshman enrolled in English Composition I at IU Kokomo.

“Each year, reading the common text over the summer is the first assignment freshmen receive at IU Kokomo. This experience sets the tone for the high academic expectations we have for our students and provides the basis for a lively discussion of the author’s ideas in their composition courses,” said Dr. Ann Cameron, chairperson for the Department of Humanities. “Having Kevin Powell actually come to campus makes the experience even more dynamic because students will be able to hear him discuss his work in person and ask him questions about his book and what it means to be a writer. We are very much looking forward to his visit next week.”

Powell will be on hand during the day to discuss these books with the students and answer questions. Also, copies of Someday We’ll All Be Free, and No Sleep Till Brooklyn, are available through the IU Kokomo Bookstore, and the author will be available for book signing following the event.

In addition to his books, Powell has written numerous essays, articles and reviews through the years for publications such as Esquire, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Essence, Rolling Stone, Ebony, The Amsterdam News, and Vibe. At present, Powell is a Writing Fellow for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and a Phelps Stokes Fund Senior Fellow. He was also a recent congressional candidate, losing his second bid for the 10th Congressional District of New York. He is a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, and a long-time resident of Brooklyn, New York.

This event is sponsored by Indiana University Kokomo’s American Democracy Project and Kokomo Gas and Fuel. Persons without campus parking permits should follow signs to visitor parking.

Indiana University Kokomo serves a seven county, primary service area in north central Indiana. The campus offers more than 40 academic programs including four graduate degrees.