Grammy-nominated rapper Vic Mensa came to Houston to support his friend, actor and activist Kendrick Sampson, founder of BLD PWR, as the organization joined forces with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) for a conversation centered on the theme: “Black is Technology: Story, Power & Migration” during AfroTech week.
Artists, technologists, and organizers explored how culture and innovation can serve as tools of liberation. Mensa is known for blending art, entrepreneurship, and activism in his music and social justice work.
“There’s a level of consciousness, a level of awakening that I do believe is taking place. But at the same time, there’s so much work to be done and so much ignorance that
Vic Mensa
pervades among people.”
“We’re at an interesting junction,” he said during an interview with the Defender Network. “There’s a level of consciousness, a level of awakening that I do believe is taking place. But at the same time, there’s so much work to be done and so much ignorance that pervades among people.”
Mensa’s political engagement has long gone beyond lyrics. In Chicago, his SaveMoneySaveLife Foundation runs programs focused on health equity and youth empowerment. His cannabis company, 93 Boyz, funnels profits into social equity initiatives that invest directly in the communities most affected by the War on Drugs.
But in Houston, his message was less about his projects and more about the blueprint: how Black people everywhere, from Chicago to Third Ward, can organize, educate, and build coalitions that outlast trends and hashtags.
“I think a lot about how the assassinations of our leaders forced generations to relearn things our predecessors already understood,” he said, invoking the legacy of Chairman Fred Hampton and his Rainbow Coalition, which united Black, Latino, and white working-class groups in the fight against oppression. “Fred knew that a working-class people’s movement was key to resisting racism and police brutality. We’ve lost a lot of that knowledge, now, we’re forced to relearn it.”
That history, he said, carries lessons for modern organizers across cities like Houston, where community collaboration remains critical.
“We’re all being targeted across racial lines,” Mensa said. “It’s imperative for us to find that as common ground and build coalition with other communities. Division is counterproductive.”
Mensa points out the challenges of sustaining movements in a capitalist system. “I don’t call myself an activist,” he said. “I’m an artist and an entrepreneur. I have to make money, but that doesn’t mean I’m not committed to my people. The idea that you have to die broke to be authentic is something we’ve got to let go of.”
When it comes to connecting with young people, Mensa said strategy matters.
“You’ve got to meet people where they are,” he explained. “Where are the youth? They’re streaming, they’re gaming, they’re online. If I was in charge of devising a strategy to reach the youth, that’s where I’d be.”
Among those moved by his community work was Nene Reese, a technical engineer attending AfroTech.
“I like that everyone is waking up and seeing that if we come together, we can make big things happen,” Reese said. “But we’ve got a lot of social media influencers, people talk about it, but they’re not out here doing things. Our kids are next. We have to set an example for them.”
Mensa advises the Black community that the call to action starts with knowledge.
“Believe in your power, collectivize your power, and educate yourself,” he said. “Arm yourself with information, arm yourself with knowledge. Then, if there are other steps that need to be taken, take them, but going in without knowledge is a disaster.”
