Samson Styles
Member of the Fortune Society Board of Directors

Mr. Styles was born and raised in the East New York and Brownsville sections of Brooklyn, New York.   At twelve years old he was sentenced to eighteen months for armed robbery and assault – the beginning of his journey through the criminal justice system.

In June 2004, Mr. Styles was released from Fort Dix Correctional Facility, in which he was part of a special program that helped misguided youth.  Shortly after his release, he started filming a documentary on Brooklyn girls, mainly from Brownsville, involved in an underground fighting circuit.

In August 2005, cultural writer and critic Nelson George saw the trailer of Mr. Styles’ documentary, “Brooklyn Girls Fight Club” and helped him secure a deal at BET to complete and broadcast the film.   Subsequently he landed a permanent segment spot on a new BET show called The Chop Up, in which Mr. Styles sports the title “The Official Street Cat”.

Mr. Styles’ special report, “Locked Out: Ex- Cons and the Vote” made a big impact, and resulted in the Obama Campaign asking him to participate on a panel in Washington DC at the 2008 Congressional Black Caucus.  It was also nominated for the Citizen Social Action through Media Award by Citizens against Recidivism in October of 2008.

Mr. Styles received three awards in 2008 from the New York Association of Black Journalist for investigative reporting, cultural and entertainment, and commentary.  Additionally, Styles’ coverage of President Barack Obama’s inauguration helped him and his team win the 2010 NAACP Image Award for outstanding news information.  Currently, he is working on finishing part one of his three book series, his independent documentary and developing new shows.