KAZEMBE BALAGUN (he/him), Executive Director

For the past twenty years, Kazembe Balagun has been a dynamic force on the NYC’s left intelligentsia scene, bringing together diverse audiences in real time to debate, learn and form solidarity.

Kazembe was born in Harlem in 1976, the son of Benjamin and Mildred. As the youngest of three and first generation out of the south New Yorker, Kazembe’s world outlook was formed by his parents’ trade unionism, life in the Polo Grounds Housing Project (“a small southern village transplanted up North as he said”), the LA Rebellion of 1992, and the sounds of Public Enemy, X-Clan, Rage Against the Machine and Wu-Tang.

From 1996-2000 he was a member of The Student Liberation Action Movement (SLAM!) as a student at Hunter College, a broad multiracial front that sought to extend the legacy of the 1969 CUNY Student movements, fighting for a free, democratic, CUNY. 

In 2008, he came onboard as outreach coordinator for the Brecht Forum, a broadly anti-capitalist cultural space in the West Village. His interest included the intersections of Marxism, Black liberation, and LGBTQ issues, working with diverse collectives such as Theater of The Oppressed, Women on Wednesdays, Ground Floor Collective, Neues Kabarett, Music Now Series, and speakers such as Slavoj Zizek, Angela Davis, and Naomi Klein.

“Being around so many speakers, so many musicians and artists, especially in the Village taught me it really wasn’t about code-switching, it was about being polyphonic.” said Kazembe about his experiences at the Brecht Forum. “The sound of jazz really helped me develop coalition politics.”

His start in film was unintentional. A class at Manhattan Neighborhood Network to document Brecht Forum events led to a passion for editing. Eventually he joined the Red Channels Collective which programmed films out of the Brecht Forum. He continued his film work as a production fellow at Third World Newsreel.

From 2013-2022, Kazembe was a project manager at the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung New York Office, He lives in Co-op City with his son Miles and cat, Leroi.

Maysles Documentary Center is a Harlem-based nonprofit organization committed to community, education, and documentary film. We use filmmaking to amplify and expand under-represented artists and narratives, while empowering young filmmakers in creative self-expression, communicating ideas, and advocating needs.

Executive Director Kazembe Balagun of Maysles Documentary Center makes a bold claim as his micro cinema center has the best popcorn of any theater in New York City!

Visit Maysles in Harlem today!

Solomon West is a dynamic professional with a Mechanical Engineering background and a multifaceted career spanning cloud infrastructure, software integration, and community health. Certified as an AWS Cloud Practitioner, Solomon is fluent in technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, React, and Jenkins, with hands-on experience in database systems and API development. His business acumen shines through in his understanding of media-tech ecosystems: he’s contributed to platforms where film studios leverage granular viewer data — including trailer views and shares — to optimize distribution strategies and secure funding. Solomon’s cross-industry experience includes engineering project management, application support, and health equity outreach, making him a rare blend of technical depth, strategic thinking, and human-centered impact.