"When We Fight, we win!"

    Kendrick Sampson, Actor & Activist

    OUR MISSION

    BLD PWR engages pop culture, education, and activism to build and train an inclusive community of entertainers and athletes to advance radical social change. BLD PWR partners with grassroots causes and organizations at the intersections of gender, immigration, economic, educational, environmental and racial justice movements.

    OUR FOUNDER

    Kendrick Sampson is an actor, activist and advocate for justice. Growing up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, Kendrick gravitated to the arts and sought to bring to life nuanced portrayals of black men in his projects. He is most known for the Vampire Diaries (CW), Gracepoint (FOX), How to Get Away with Murder (ABC),  White Famous (Showtime), Supernatural (CW), The Flash (CW) and most recently his portrayal as Nathan in HBO’s critically acclaimed Insecure.

    Kendrick’s activism challenges by example to boldly use our voices to uplift the most vulnerable among us. With a primary focus on intersectional racial justice and undoing systemic oppression in the criminal legal system, Kendrick created the BLD PWR initiative as a call to action and invitation to others to join him in taking a stand for social justice.

    OUR BOARD

    Mike de la Rocha

    Co-Founder, Revolve Impact
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    Tia Oso

    Senior Communications Strategist, Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE)
    Tia Oso

    Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III

    Chief Strategy Officer, USC Race and Equity Center
    Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III

    Favianna Rodriguez

    President, The Center For Cultural Power
    Favianna

    René Spellman

    Political Strategist & Talent Advisor

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    Rene

    Lacy Lew Nguyen Wright

    Associate Director
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    JaQlyn Muñoz

    Creative Director
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    Diane Guerrero

    Acclaimed Actress, Author, and Immigration Reform Advocate
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    Phil Agnew

    Cofounder of Co-founder of the Dream Defenders and National Activist
    team

    COMMUNITY COUNCIL

    Dr. Melina Abdullah – Professor, California State University, Los Angeles
    Marya Bangee – Executive Director, Harness
    Kelly Lytle Hernandez – Director, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA
    Tarsha Jackson – Co-Founder, Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth
    Christina Jiminez – Executive Director and Co-Founder of United We dream
    Kelly Lytle Hernandez – Professor of History, African American Studies, and Urban Planning at UCLA
    The Thomas E. Lifka Endowed Chair of History
    Director, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA
    Director, Million Dollar Hoods
    2019 MacArthur Fellow

    COMMUNITY PARTNERS

    Bamby Salcedo – President of TransLatin@ Coalition