James Leonard Powell Jr.

1974 - 2022

POWELL

JAMES LEONARD POWELL JR.

James Leonard Powell, Jr. transitioned from life to rest on August 1, 2022. He was born in Fairfax, Va. on September 23, 1974, and raised in Newport News, Va. and Upper Marlboro, Md.



After attending Largo High School, James entered Howard University and earned his B.A. in Journalism in 1999. James was a born communicator. He started his career as a general assignment reporter at the Richmond Times-Dispatch before moving on to Knight-Ridder and The St. Paul Pioneer Press, where he was part of the Minnesota Vikings' coverage team. He also did general assignment reporting at The Kansas City Star.



James landed the position of Sports Editor at The Source Magazine and was eventually promoted to Executive Sports Editor at The Source he covered every major professional sport league, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and professional boxing and wrote feature stories on Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather. In one of his most memorable stories, he chronicled the absence of Black athletes in professional baseball, a half-century after Jackie Robinson. James also served as a website columnist and on-air host of the syndicated Source All-Access television show.



Over his career, James has covered college sports and written op-eds in St. Paul, Kansas City, Baltimore, DC and across North Carolina for publications such as The Carroll County Times and the Raleigh News & Observer. He also founded an online news site, called The Journalist Element.



After moving forward to the public relations-side of the news business, James became a communications director in the North Carolina Democratic Party. There, he got into the trenches to fight for underserved populations and became a 'man of the people.' He was committed to voting rights and sought to help level the playing field for black children through access to high-speed Internet. He was committed to the rebuilding of roads and sidewalks in black communities…what he called 'bridges to food, work and progress.'



James had a big personality and a lot of friends. He was charming, fun- loving and always, the "life of the party". Quick-witted and full of candor, James could speak a word on most topics - especially politics, pop culture and Black history and was a masterful public speaker.



James is survived by his mother, Dr. Dorothy L. Powell of Silver Spring, MD. his father, James L. Powell, Sr. of Newport News, VA; his sister, Dr. Natasha N. Powell of Washington, D.C.; his brothers; Steven Block of Durham, N.C. and Keith Wingate of Las Vegas, Nevada; his Aunts and Uncles: Robert and JoAnne Lewis of South Windsor, CT and Clarence and Carol Powell of Hampton, VA. He also leaves behind a host of loving cousins, friends, and colleagues.



James will be memorialized at a private service on September 23, 2022 in Washington, DC.