Vincent “V” Pierce
Born in Newburgh, New York, Vincent Pierce is a music producer, gun violence survivor and community organizer. At the height of the pandemic he founded Nursing Home Lives Matter to protect the lives and freedoms of the primarily Black and brown residents of the facility where he lives on Roosevelt Island. He envisions NHLM growing into a national movement. Vince is a Reality Poet and the Director of the arts-and-justice initiative OPEN DOORS, an artist collective who, prior to the pandemic, traveled around the city sharing their poetry and stories. They continue to do so through virtual events. In 2019, Vince produced his first hip-hop album, OPEN DOORS Reality Poets Vol.1., and with a grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation launched the music program ZING!, aimed to keep kids off the streets and in the studio. In 2020, Vince was the only nursing home resident invited to speak before the New York State Joint Hearing on Residential Healthcare Facilities and COVID-19. In 2021, Vince presented before Congressional staff to introduce federal legislation and the following year, the Reality Poets received the New Mobility Magazine “People of the Year” award.
