Kevin Powell, the author, activist, journalist and one-time cast member of MTV‘s The Real World lost the race to represent Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional District to incumbent Congressman Edolphus “Ed” Towns. Powell won endorsements from the likes of Dave Chappelle [click to read], Afeni Shakur and activist Gloria Steinem, but lost to Towns in last week’s Democratic primary. Powell received 33 percent of the vote while Towns received 67 percent.
In addition to his own published non-fiction works, Powell contributed to Vibe, Esquire and other publications. The self-proclaimed “Hip Hop historian” more closely resembled his Brooklyn constituency, which has a median income of $30,212. In a prepared statement Powell thanked all his supporters, continued his critique of Towns and promised to run for the Congressional seat again in 2010.
“We know the people of neighborhoods like East New York, Bed-Stuy, Fort Greene, Midwood, and Williamsburg deserve representation that is accessible, visible, and reliable on a consistent basis,” said Powell. “Mr. Towns has a history of only helping selected areas and groups in the district, the people he knows are most likely to vote on primary day every two years because he caters to them only.”
