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Race Relations in America Charles Moskos, a white sociology professor and John Sibley Butler, a black professor of sociology, are the nation's foremost authorities on race relations in the armed forces and in the United States. Moskos and Butler offer a blueprint for organizations to provide opportunities for all and to improve race relations at the same time. They are the co-authors of All That We Can Be: Black Leadership and Racial Integration the Army Way.
Sweet Honey In the Rock Founded in 1973 by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Sweet Honey In The Rock is a Grammy Award-winning African American female a cappella ensemble with deep musical roots in the sacred music of the black church - spirituals, hymns, gospel - as well as jazz and blues. The Sweet Honey experience is like no other. Six African American women join their powerful voices, along with hand percussion instruments, to create a blend of lyrics, movement and narrative that variously relate history, point the finger at injustice, encourage activism, and sing the praises of love. The music speaks out against oppression and exploitation of every kind. The septet, whose words are simultaneously interpreted in uniquely expressive American Sign Language, demands a just and humane world for all.
An Evening of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis Jazz great, award winning pianist, and the leader of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. An internationally known and acclaimed musician, renowned for his keyboard virtuosity, Ramsey Lewis is the recipient of nine gold records and three Grammy awards.
The First Black President of the United States A one man show featuring Dennis Rahiim Watson as the first Black President in a real live simulated press conference with an African-American president prepared to answer the hot button domestic and international issues facing America and the world today.
The Meeting A play based on a fictional meeting of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. In this moving work, playwright Jeff Stetson imagines for us what a clandestine meeting might have been like between two of the most influential men of their time: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. This fictional meeting takes place in a shabby Harlem hotel room in Febrary, 1965. Within a week, Malcolm will be assassinated and in three short years, Dr. King will also become martyred to the crusade for freedom. This play sold out hundreds of performances and we are pleased to bring it back for another run.
Windtalkers Zonnie Gorman, Navajo Code Talker historian, who acted as a consultant for the John Woo movie, Windtalkers, presents a lecture telling the true story of the Navajo Code Talkers role in World War II and their contributions to winning the war. The code, created from the Dina language, the Navajo native tongue, was never broken nor was it revealed until 1968, when the military declassified the secret. Last year President Bush awarded Congressional medals to the surviving Code Talkers for their pivotal roles in America's victory in the Pacific. Zonnie Gorman's lecture is also available with one of the original twenty nine Navajo Marine Code Talkers. With slides and filmclips.
Lost Boys of Sudan Lost Boys of Sudan is a feature-length documentary that follows two Sudanese refugees on an extraordinary journey from Africa to America. Orphaned as young boys in one of Africa's cruelest civil wars, Peter Dut and Santino Chuor survived lion attacks and militia gunfire to reach a refugee camp in Kenya along with thousands of other children. From there, remarkably, they were chosen to come to America. Safe at last from physical danger and hunger, a world away from home, they find themselves confronted with the abundance and alienation of contemporary American suburbia. Lost Boys of Sudan won an Independent Spirit Award and screened theatrically in 70 cities across the U.S. to strong audience and critical praise. The film was broadcast nationally on the PBS series POV in the fall of 2004 and earned two Emmy nominations. The story of the Lost Boys of Sudan has touched people from all walks of life. From movie stars and politicians to the average housewife, people from around the world have fallen in love with these courageous young men. Joan Hecht was no exception. When hearing of their story for the first time, Joan Hecht’s eyes filled with tears and she felt a deep stirring in her soul. She knew that helping them was not an option. It was a call to her heart from God and Joan Hecht responded. She hoped to be instrumental in making their new lives in America better than the ones they had left behind. Like many others, Joan Hecht felt compelled to be a mother to these young men who couldn't even remember the faces of their own mothers. “Mama Joan” hoped only to help change their lives, never realizing how knowing each of them would so drastically change her own.
Nathan Keliikui Brown Nathan coordinates Research & International Law for the Ohana (family) Council - a leading organization in the dynamic Native Hawaiian movement to re-assert independence & self-determination. In 1878 Captain Cook came upon, "400,000 island residents with a well-developed, flourishing culture and lifestyle. They were robust & healthy and had a coherent system of spiritual beliefs, economics and scholarship." In 1893 armed white settlers and the U.S.Marines overthrew the Sovereign Hawaiian Kingdom in violation of a Treaty of Peace & Friendship. For Nathan's people, self-determination is the right to choose ones destiny in compliance with The U.N. Charter, Article 73. Nathan is of Kanaka Mooli (Hawaiian) descent from a family of 14 children raised in a rural lifestyle in the heart of Downtown Honolulu. After several arrests, he is under federal indictment for exercising his human rights. He is currently assisting Kanaka Maoli communities with the Ohana Council Self-government Charter that lays a foundation for self-determination & self-governance. Nathan engages in eloquent unveiling of truth through the spirit of Aloha.
Hinewirangi Hiné is Coordinator of the Maori Women's Resource Center and a Representative of the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific movement. She is a Board Member of the International Indian Treaty Council and has served as Co-Director. She is mother of two children and has mothered several others. She has published four volumes of poetry, is currently working on a novel and has written and directed 6 videos for children about recognizing sexual abuse. She has written many dramas reflecting her culture. Her life's work has been with women and children, healing effects of abuse
Apollo vs. Dionysus: A Philosophy to Increase College Success by 85% In the 3700 institutions of higher learning in America, no more than 50% of students who start school leave with a degree. The figure is smaller for minorities. In this Freshman Orientation Seminar of six hours (two days of three hours per day), Professor Henry Parker and Marilyn Crist show participants how to increase their chance of graduating by 85%. The content of their presentation is based on a program they created and directed at the University of Tennessee which resulted in an 85% retention rate for all participants, irrespective of race, gender, or academic standing when they entered college. Ms. Crist also discusses a program she created which resulted in a success rate of 77% for probation students, the highest risk group of all. This seminar is a must for schools who know the value of retaining the freshmen they recruit. Topics included in the seminar are sexual relations, time management, reading comprehension, critical thinking, etc
Paper Clips Paper Clips is an inspiring 2004 documentary about a consciousness-raising project that blossomed into something beautiful at a rural Tennessee school. When the principal of Whitwell Middle School sought a program that would teach diversity to a predominantly white, Protestant student body, the notion of focusing on the Holocaust--specifically Hitler's extermination of six million Jews--seemed like an obvious way to go. But understanding what "six million" looks like became a challenge. Thus was born the idea of collecting that number of paper clips at Whitwell as a visual reference. But then it turned out paper clips actually have, in historical terms, symbolic value where the Holocaust is concerned. In this moving film, one sees Whitwell students dig into research on Germany's genocidal campaign, solicit clips from a variety of leaders and celebrities, and make a name for themselves on the national news. In time, the world comes to Whitwell's doorstep, via unsolicited donations of clips from people around the world, and in a tearful meeting of students and Holocaust survivors. The dimensions of the project, the lessons about prejudice and intolerance, are stunning to watch grow beyond anyone's wildest expectations. This is a great film for families and classrooms to watch together. --Tom Keogh
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell is well known as one of the most respected and charismatic leaders in the US Congress over the past 15 years. An inspiration to everyone who meets him, Senator Campbell is a rancher, jewelry designer, former educator, Olympian, and sheriff. Above all, he is a family man and an outspoken champion of American values. Senator Campbell was first elected to the Senate in 1992, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for five years. Sen. Campbell was the only American Indian to serve in the United States Senate at the time, and is one of the 44 Chiefs of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Before entering college Sen. Campbell served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951-1953. Stationed in Korea, he attained the rank of Airman 2nd Class. Sen. Campbell received a bachelor's degree in physical education and fine arts from San Jose State University in 1957 and later attended Meiji University in Tokyo in 1960 as a special research student. He was the U.S. Judo Champion 1961-1963, and All-American 1964. Also in 1964, he was captain of the U.S. Olympic judo team and placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. Sen. Campbell is a renowned jewelry designer, rancher, and trainer of champion quarter horses. He has been married to his wife Linda for more than 35 years. He is the father of two grown children, Colin Campbell and Shanan Longfellow. He is grandfather to Luke and Saylor Longfellow and Lauren Campbell. First elected to the Senate in 1992, Sen. Campbell was re-elected in 1998 with 62% of the vote. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Sen. Campbell served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-1992 and served in the Colorado State General Assembly from 1982-1986. Throughout his career, he has fought to reduce spending in order to balance the federal budget and lower tax rates across the board. He has worked steadily to decrease crime, improve education, and support veterans' issues. In 1997 Sen. Campbell became the first American Indian to chair the Indian Affairs Committee. In addition to furthering several lands projects that are significant to American Indian history, he has sponsored legislation aimed at addressing Indian health, education, and economic needs. During the 106th Congress, Sen. Campbell had more free-standing Senate legislation passed into law (12 public laws) than any other member of Congress. Today, he continues his efforts to champion projects important to Colorado and to improve the safety and well being of all Americans. A true original, Senator Campbell has been known to park his motorcycle in front of the Capitol on the way to work, drive delivery trucks around his home state in the off time, and will never shy away from telling you exactly what he thinks about a particular issue.
Judge Marilyn Milian Judge Milian is probably the most popular judge on television. In her courtroom justice is fast, fair, and often fierce. She provides a compassionate voice for victims while verbally beating the bad guys. With humor, compassion, and a temper that can make grown men tremble, there is no doubt that Judge Milian owns the courtroom. I've been to two tapings and can tell you the show is run like a regular courtroom. You hear Curt Chaplin speaking as each litigant enters. Douglas swears them in and then asks the audience to rise and Judge Milian enters. The cases begin, and if it weren't for the cameras you would think you were in a regular courtroom. It's case after case until lunch break. Before going to lunch, the judge comes out and greets the audience, answering questions and posing for photos with fans. This is repeated after the last case of the day.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a prominent, often controversial author, film maker and critic of Islam. She was a member of the Tweede Kamer (the Lower House of the States-General of the Netherlands) for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from January 30, 2003 until May 16, 2006. Hirsi Ali has had to maintain a high level of security due to threats against her life for voicing views critical of certain aspects of Islam. For example, her film Submission, directed by Theo van Gogh (who himself was assassinated for his works), made her one of the targets of the Hofstad Network. On May 15, 2006, officials of the Netherlands government cast doubt on Hirsi Ali's status as a Dutch national, due to concerns related to the fact that in order to obtain refugee status in the Netherlands she had provided false information. She later used the same false information when she applied for, and was granted, Dutch citizenship. The Dutch minister of immigration and integration, Rita Verdonk, moved to annul her citizenship, a move that was overridden by order of the Prime Minister. She released to the New York Times personal letters from her father and other family members that affirmed her story about fleeing a forced marriage. On June 27, 2006, the Dutch government announced that Hirsi Ali would keep her Dutch citizenship. On May 16, Hirsi Ali announced resignation from parliament and confirmed her previous statement that she would move to the United States to work at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Her prospective arrival in September 2006 was welcomed by Deputy US Secretary of State Robert Zoellick.
Janus Adams Nationally syndicated columnist, broadcast journalist, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and award-winning author. Her latest book is Sister Days: 365 Inspired Moments in African-American Women's History. The third volume of a series, it continues the saga begun in Glory Days:365 Inspired Moments in African-American History; and Freedom Days-a history of the civil rights movement in which she was a participant. In February 1998 and again in 1999, McDonald's Corporation licensed Glory Days for its Black History Month campaign. Her national advice column, "What Do We Tell Our Children?" explores race relations and other bias-related issues.
Rebecca Adamson Rebecca Adamson, a Cherokee, is the founder and president of First Nations Development Institute. She has worked directly with grassroots tribal communities and as a national advocate of local tribal issues for over 25 years. Working alongside the best political and philosophical thinkers in Indian country, Adamson advocates reform and thinks that the key to native people controlling their own lives is economics. A recipient of the 1996 Ms. magazine "Woman of the Year" Award, her organization has advised indigenous people around the world. Activist Rebecca Adamson has helped and advised indigenous people around the world, winning the admiration and trust of almost everyone she has encountered. Seventeen years ago, as a single mother with only an unemployment check and a dream, Adamson set out to establish a place where Native Americans could find outside capital and technical support to build successful small businesses and self-sufficient reservation economies independent of federal control. Adamson, a Cherokee, is the founder and president of First Nations Development Institute. She has worked directly with grassroots tribal communities and as a national advocate of local tribal issues for over 25 years. The organization has raised and distributed millions of dollars, fostered the birth of dozens of micro-enterprises coast-to-coast and set up a $1 million revolving loan fund. Adamson is a recipient of the 2001 John W. Gardner Leadership Award, which honors outstanding Americans who exemplify the leadership of individuals working in the voluntary sector who build, mobilize or unify people, institutions or causes. She was awarded the Council on Foundations 1996 Robert W. Scrivner Award for creative and innovative grantmaking and the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's 1996 Jay Silverheel Award. In addition, Ms. magazine named her one of their seven "Women of the Year" (1997) and in 1998, she was named as one of the top ten Social Entrepreneurs of the Year by Who Cares magazine. She writes a monthly column for the newspaper Indian Country Today, devoted to alternative economic development and other issues. Adamson says her success is rooted in the summers she spent with her Cherokee grandparents in North Carolina, where she learned "the Indian value of listening." She began by listening to good business ideas that couldn't find money when she worked at her first job as a planner for the Spokane and Nez Perce tribes. She listened and saw that the Native Americans with whom she lived had the lowest incomes and highest unemployment, the lowest life-expectancy and the highest rates of disease, alcoholism and poverty. She also saw a Third World country buried in the richest country in the world and the experience led her to a movement for Indians to regain control of their destiny by controlling their own schools.
Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr Juan is a Presidential Medal recipient, honored for “the performance of exemplary deeds of service for the nation”. The Medal was presented by President Bill Clinton for extraordinary accomplishments in promoting civic participation and leadership development. He has earned five college degrees: a B.A. from Howard Payne University, a M.Ed. from Antioch College, a Ed.S. and Doctorate from Northern Illinois University, and a post-doctorate M.A. from Loyola University Chicago. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumni by Howard Payne and Northern Illinois, and received the Damon Award from the graduate school at Loyola University. He has also received four honorary degrees. He is President of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute: The Institute has trained over 200,000 present & future leaders, registered over two million new voters, published 425 studies on Hispanic demographics, since 1982. USHLI sponsors the largest Latino leadership conference in the nation. Juan was a political commentator on ABC-7 television for six years in Chicago; the only Latino commentator in the nation appearing on English language radio or television. He has worked and participated in the democratization of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and Haiti. He has been recognized three times as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America. He was inducted into the “Society of Life Models” by OMNI Youth Services for the impact of his work in promoting education and leadership development for high school and college students. He has received numerous awards for distinguished service and lifetime achievement.
Dr. Maya Angelou Dr. Maya Angelou chosen by President Bill Clinton, Dr. Maya Angelou delivered her dedicatory poem "On The Pulse of Morning" at the inaugural ceremony in January 1993. Considered one of our national treasures, and the author of many best-selling books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her performance/lecture stresses the value of ethnic, economic and religious diversity in all undertakings. A passionate and powerful speaker, Dr. Angelou challenges her audiences to invest their spirits and hearts in the elevation of the human condition. Dr. Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. A poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances on college campuses, spreading her legendary wisdom. A mesmerizing vision of grace, swaying and stirring when she moves, Dr. Angelou captivates her audiences lyrically with vigor, fire and perception. She has the unique ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class between reader and subject throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies. Dr. Angelou has authored numerous best-selling books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Even The Stars Look Lonesome. In 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. history to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration. Dr. Maya Angelou and Hallmark Cards, Inc. have collaborated to make a gift selection that offers inspiration, hope and joy. Now available in select Hallmark stores, the collection features vases, pilows, wind chimes, frames and other charming trinkets. With compassion and candor, Dr. Angelou's works speak to the heart, encouraging us to love life, to perservere through its challenges and to share our gifts with others.
John Artis Arrested with Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in 1966, and convicted of a triple murder that he did not commit. At the time of his arrest, Artis was 19 years old, preparing to attend college on a track scholarship and dreaming of making the U.S. Olympic track team. Artis was offered his freedom if he would falsely testify against Carter, but he refused to lie to prosecutors. After spending fifteen years in prison, he was exonerated and now lives in Virginia and works with troubled youth. He is a man who does not know the meaning of the word resentment. Without question, he is one of the most uplifting and motivational speakers you will ever come across.
Michael Baisden Michael Baisden a author, motivational speaker, former TV talk show host, and host of his own nationally-syndicated radio show. Baisdens first book, Never Satisfied: How and Why Men Cheat, was released under a Vanity Press label. In 2001, he made a series of promotional appearances on daytime talk shows. He was also host of his own short-lived syndicated talk show entitled Talk or Walk in 2001. Currently, Baisden is host of the nationally-syndicated radio program "Love, Lust, and Lies
Vernon Bellecourt Vernon is a principal spokesman for the American Indian Movement and a leader in actions ranging from the 1972 occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington to the 1992 Redskin Superbowl demonstrations. He is Co-founder and first Executive Director of the Denver AIM Chapter. His involvement at Wounded Knee in 1973 led to a Federal indictment. He is a special representative of the International Indian Treaty Council and helped organize the first Treaty Conference in 1974. He was jailed for throwing his blood on the Guatemalan Embassy to protest the killing of 100,000 Indians. He was elected to a 4-year term in his White Earth tribal government and developed a model program for the spiritual education of Indian prisoners. Vernon is President of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports & Media and recipient of the City of Phoenix, Martin Luther King Human Rights Award 1993.
Clyde Bellecourt Clyde is a founder and Director of the American Indian Movement. He was a major figure in the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 and played a founding role in an ongoing Indian School System, Legal Rights Center and the International Indian Treaty Council. He is also directing the Peacemaker Center for Indian youth and the AIM Patrol which provides security for the Minneapolis Indian community. He is an organizer of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media. He is founder and currently Chairman of the Board of American Indian OIC, an innovative job program that has moved over 14,000 people from welfare to full-time employment. Clyde sees a bright future: "This generation of little children is the 7th Generation.
Dr. Keith Black An internationally renowned African-American neurosurgeon and scientist, Keith Black is chairmen of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California and Director of Neurology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. In the fall of 1997 he was featured on the cover Time magazine special edition of "Heroes in Medicine."
John Gray.... BLACK, WHITE & GRAY A psychodrama, presented by John Gray, confronts issues related to stereotyping, bigotry, affirmative action and social "isms". He con-ducts seminars for business, university, government and profes-sional organizations on developing skills and awareness on human relations in a multi-cultural society. The John Gray program goes beyond the black/white and male/female confrontations that tend to block communication.
Julian Bond From his student days to his current Chairmanship of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Julian Bond has been an active participant in the movements for civil rights and economic justice. As an activist who has faced jail for his convictions, as a veteran of more than 20 years service in the Georgia General Assembly, a university professor and a writer, he has been on the cutting edge of social change since 1960. He was a founder, in 1960 while a student at Morehouse College of the Atlanta student sit-in and anti-segregation organization and of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). As SNCC's Communications Director, Bond was active in protests and registration campaigns throughout the South. Elected in 1965 to the Georgia House of Representatives, Bond was prevented from taking his seat by members who objected to his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was re-elected to his own vacant seat and un-seated again, and seated only after a third election and a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court. He was co-chair of a challenge delegation from Georgia to the 1968 Democratic Convention. The challengers were successful in unseating Georgia's regular Democrats, and Bond was nominated for Vice-President, but had to decline because he was too young. Bond serves as Chairman of the Premier Auto Group PAG (Volvo, Land Rover, Aston-Martin, and Jaguar) Diversity Council and is on the Boards of People for the American Way, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Council for a Livable World, and the advisory board of the Harvard Business School Initiative on Social Enterprise, among others. He was a commentator on America's Black Forum, the oldest black-owned show in television syndication. His poetry and articles have appeared in numerous publications. He has narrated numerous documentaries, including the Academy Award winning "A Time For Justice" and the prize-winning and critically acclaimed series "Eyes On The Prize." He has served since 1998 as Chairman of the Board of the NAACP, the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States. In 2002, he received the prestigious National Freedom Award.
Jim Brown All-American football and lacrosse player who starred for Syracuse University, Jim Brown was one of the greatest running backs in NFL history with the Cleveland Browns. An inspiring and motivational speaker, Brown founded Amer-I-Can, a self-help program aimed at prison inmates and street gangs.
Tony Burroughs Tony Burroughs is an internationally known genealogist, author, teacher and lecturer. He teaches genealogy at Chicago State University and is the president of Black Roots. Mr. Burroughs appeared as the African American genealogy expert in the public television series, Ancestors (February 1997). In 1996, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Genealogical Society and co-authored the African-American Genealogical Sourcebook (Gale Research 1995). Mr. Burroughs has been practicing genealogy for twenty years, having traced two family lines back seven generations. He has extensive experience in libraries, archives, historical societies and county courthouses. He has conducted the African-American Genealogy workshop at the National Archives – Great Lakes Region for nine years. He also lectures at local, state and national genealogical conferences and has given half-day and full-day workshops in over a dozen cities. He was the APG 20th Anniversary Luncheon Speaker at FGS in 1999, the Keynote Banquet Speaker at GENTECH 98 in Fort Wayne, and the James Dent Walker Memorial Lecturer in Richmond, Virginia in 1994. His talks are on all aspects of American Genealogy, African-American Genealogy and technology. His presentations include exciting color slides to bring family history alive. Mr. Burroughs is a graduate of the National Institute of Genealogical Research in Washington, D.C. and the Institute of Genealogy and History at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Board positions include: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Association of Professional Genealogists, Gentech, and an FGS Delegate. Past board positions include: President of the Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago, Inc.; Federation of Genealogical Societies and the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Postal Advisory Committee. He is also past curator of the African-American Genealogy Collection at the Avalon Branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Vanessa Bell Calloway One of Americas hottest actors, Vanessa Bell Calloway has won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Jackie in the movie, What's Love Got to Do With It. Other movie roles have included Daylight starring Sylvestor Stallone, A Private Affair and Coming To America with Eddie Murphy. Vanessa is co-host of BET's new morning talk show, Oh Drama, which features news, information and celebrity guests.
Andrea Carmen Andrea is currently Executive Director of the International Indian Treaty Council. Much of her work involves expanding the support network for Indians throughout the hemisphere. She speaks fluent Spanish and has extensive experience working with Indigenous Peoples in North and Central America. She recently worked with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Rigoberta Menchu, at the First World Summit of Indigenous Peoples held in Guatemala during the coup d'etat. She also was an advisor to the World Council of Churches on their relationship with traditional Indian peoples. She lives in Chickaloon, Alaska and is past coordinator of the Native Alaskan Elders Sovereignty Network as well as current co-coordinator of the Chickaloon Village Environmental Protection Program. She consults with several Indian communities and organizations on economic and community development. She graduated from the U of California in Women's Studies and was selected "Speaker of the Year" by People Are Speaking in San Francisco.
Linda Chavez Conservative director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the Reagan administration, Linda Chavez also served as Deputy Assistant to President Reagan and was the highest-ranking Hispanic in the Reagan administration. She was nominated by President George W. Bush to be Secretary of Labor. Ms. Chavez is now a nationally syndicated political columnist and a commentator on National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS). She is the author of Out of the Barrio: Toward a New Politics of Hispanic Assimilation; and a book on multiculturalism in the United States, A Nation Divided: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Race.
Sheyann Webb Christburg Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Smallest Freedom Fighter" and co-author of the book, Selma, Lord, Selma. As an eight year old, Sheyann Webb-Christburg marched with Dr. King in the Selma March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965 known as "Bloody Sunday." Selma, Lord, Selma is the moving, often dramatic story of a young courageous girl who for three turbulent months in 1965 was caught up in the tumult of the civil rights demonstrations in Selma, Alabama. Sheyann is also a major part of "Eyes On The Prize," talking with Dr. King as a child and talking about her experience as an adult and the impact Dr. King made on her life. Disney Films recently produced a made-for-television movie about her experiences during the Selma march entitled "Selma, Lord, Selma".
Kathleen Cleaver Kathleen Cleaver, a major voice in the Black liberation movements of the 1960s and 70s, continues today, to speak out against racism, sexism and economic inequality. In 1966, Cleaver fist became active in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). From 1967 to 1971, she was the Communications Secretary of the Black Panther Party and the first woman member of its Central Committee. After sharing years of exile with her former husband Eldridge Cleaver, she returned to the United States in late 1975. Since graduating from Yale Law School in 1987, Cleaver has combined legal work, teaching and activism. She has taught at numerous universities including Emory, Yale and Sara Lawrence. She served on the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts and became a Board Member of the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights. She has been active in the campaigns to free death row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal and former Panther Geronimo Pratt (released in 1997). Her writings and essays have appeared in numerous magazines, books and newspapers and her memoir, Memories of Love and War, is forthcoming from Random House.
Max Cleland Former U.S. Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) is a member of the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). President George Bush nominated Cleland on Nov. 21, 2003. He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on Dec. 15, 2003 for a term expiring January 20, 2007. Cleland has a long and distinguished career in public service at the state and national levels in both the executive and legislative branches of government. In 2002, Cleland was appointed to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States to report findings and recommendations to prevent future terrorist attacks. More recently he has served as a Distinguished Adjunct Professor to American Universitys (AU) Washington Semester Program, and as a Fellow in AU’s Center for Congressional & Presidential Studies. Cleland successfully ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Sam Nunn in 1995. He served on four Senate Committees: Armed Services; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Governmental Affairs; and Small Business. Previously, Cleland had the distinction of serving as the youngest Secretary of State in Georgia’s history, and the youngest member of the Georgia State Senate. Under President Jimmy Carter, Cleland became the youngest head of the U.S. Veterans Administration. In that capacity, he instituted the revolutionary Vets Center program that, for the first time, offered psychological counseling to combat veterans to heal the emotional wounds of war. Cleland volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1968. He was seriously wounded in a grenade explosion that year, costing him both legs and his right arm. He was awarded the Bronze Star and a Silver Star for gallantry in action. Cleland holds a master’s degree in American History from Emory University. He majored in history at Stetson University. Both institutions subsequently awarded him honorary doctorate degrees. Cleland grew up in Lithonia, GA.
Johnnetta Cole One of the most powerful well-regarded African American women in the US, Johnnetta B. Cole has a way with making history. Shes been the first female African American President of Spelman College, the first woman ever elected to the Board of Coca-Cola Enterprises, and the first African American woman to serve as Chair of the Board of United Way of America. In over 30 years in education, she has also served two US Presidents in leadership roles. As a scholar, author, and activist for social and economic justice, Cole spearheads breakthrough thinking about diversity, leadership, and womens issues. Now chairing the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity & Inclusion Institute at Bennett College, she partners diversity with academic institutions, businesses, corporations, civic and community organizations, and government and global thought leaders. An inspiring force, Cole rallies everyone to embrace diversity as not only a moral and social value, but as a compelling case for business. She encourages audiences to move beyond the status quo to fully take advantage of the innovative and profitable ideas that stem from a more diverse workforce, membership, and student body. Barriers are meant to be broken and success will follow notes Cole: "How much better our world would be if each of us respected difference until difference doesn't make any more difference."
Dr. Grace Cornish Well known relationship expert, image consultant, family therapist, Gracie Cornish delivers a positive message of self-reliance directed to women from all walks of life. She is the author of three books of empowerment for women: The Fortune of Being Yourself; Think and Grow Beautiful; and Radiant Women of Color and Womens Rights Womens Power, a book which has won critical acclaim as a total self-empowerment guide for Black women. A much sought after guest on the TV talk show circuit, she has appeared on "The Montel Williams Show," "Ricki Lake," "Rolanda" and NBC's "Positively Black."
Dorothy Cotton Dorothy Cotton translates years of experience and learning into words and song bearing messages of hope. Through "Songs of the Movement," laughter and storytelling, Dorothy synthesizes the lessons from our history into a working vision for the future. Dorothy gets us to laugh, sing, and join together to create a more caring and humane world. Dorothy Cotton was the Education Director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for twelve years under the direct supervision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Working closely with Dr. King, Dorothy served on his executive staff and was part of his entourage to Oslo, Norway, where he received the Nobel Peace Prize. She served as the Vice President for Field Operations for the Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. Dr. Cotton was the Director of Student Activities at Cornell University for nine years, and served as the Southeastern Regional Director of ACTION, the Federal Government's Agency for volunteer programs for three years. She holds a Masters Degree from Boston University in the area of Special Education. Dorothy has designed and conducted training programs for corporations, schools, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working with well over 100,000 participants. She has delivered commencement speeches and has addressed students at hundreds of colleges and universities including The University of New England and Spelman College (both of which gave her an Honorary Doctorate degree for her public work), Stanford University, The Albuquerque Academy, Brown University, City College of New Jersey and many more.Dorothy was recently featured in an ABC special "The Century" with Peter Jennings. She has spoken and traveled extensively throughout the world, including India, Africa, the People's Republic of China, Switzerland, the former Soviet Union, and Vietnam. Dorothy serves as a valuable resource to organizations on diverse topics addressing race relations, multiculturalism/diversity, communication, personal development, spiritual growth, human relations, citizenship education, civic organizing for the 21st century and nonviolence education. Currently she is involved in the expansion of the National Citizenship School in conjunction with Civic Organizing, Inc. of Minnesota. Dorothy's upcoming book will focus on lessons from the historic citizenship education program and her work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Robert Cruz Tony is U.N. Liaison Officer and coordinates Treaty Council participation at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. He works with the U.N. Working Group on Indigenous Populations to complete the Universal Declaration on the Rights & Principles of Indigenous Peoples - a document that will establish a standard for countries to co-exist with Indigenous Peoples. In 12 years at the Treaty Council he has Coordinated Community Outreach and Research & Documentation and been Director of Operations. He has met Gorbachev, Arafat, Nelson Mandela} and other world leaders to discuss Indigenous Sovereignty, environmental degradation, religious freedom, torture and political persecution. A current focus is a U.N. study on nation/state violations of Treaties. At the 1993 U.N. World Conference on Human Rights, he helped successfully lobby countries to call for an International Decade of Indigenous Peoples. He helps build unity between Indigenous people of all colors by emphasizing their shared history and common vision for the future
Darryl Davis He is not white. He's not even light-skinned. Make no mistake about it; he is black. Yet, Klan-Destine Relationships author Daryl Davis has come in closer contact with members of the Ku Klux Klan than most white non-members and certainly most blacks -- short of being on the wrong end of a rope. What's more? He continues to do so, making him one of the most unique lecturers on the college speaking circuit today. Over the last ten years, Daryl Davis walked on the edge with one foot dangling over the precipice. His stories of setting up surprise meetings with Klan leaders unaware of his skin color and attending KKK rallies, has the suspense of Hitchcock, keeping audiences riveted to their seats in disbelief. On a quest to do nothing more than explore racism and gather information for his book, Klan-Destine Relationships, Daryl Davis eventually became the recipient of robes and hoods by Klan members who came to him to rescind their beliefs. Davis had inadvertently stumbled upon a successful method of forming friendships between sworn enemies. His methods have made him the center of controversy. In some white circles he has been deemed "politically incorrect" and in some black circles he has been called "Uncle Tom." Daryl Davis often makes supporters out of his detractors by proving his methods work and issuing this challenge: "I have Klan robes and hoods hanging in my closet, given to me voluntarily by members who have quit the Klan since coming to know me. That's what I've done to improve race relations. How many robes and hoods have you received as a result of your methods?"
Ruby Dee An acclaimed actor and author, Ruby Dee has graced the stage and screen for more than fifty years. Her most recent roles have been in American Gangster, with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in Steamroom, with Ally Sheedy and in the independent film Clarksdale (all due to be released in 2007. In 2005, she starred in Number 2, a New Zealand comedy-drama which won the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and for which she was awarded New Zealands highest acting honors. She has received several Emmy nominations, and in 1991, won an Emmy for her performance in Decoration Day. In 2007 she and her late husband, Ossie Davis, received a Grammy Award for the audio book of their joint autobiography, With Ossie & Ruby In This Life Together. Although born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dee considers herself a product of Harlem, where she grew up and began her career as a member of the American Negro Theatre. She received her B.A. from Hunter College, and later studied acting with Paul Mann, Lloyd Richards and Morris Carnovsky. Some of her favorite roles on stage and screen include Lutiebelle in Purlie Victorious (written by her late husband, Ossie Davis) Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun Lena in Boesman and Lena, for which she received and Obie and a Drama Desk award; and Mary Tyrone in A Long Days Journey Into Night, for which she received a Cable ACE award. Other notable credits include Anna Lucasta, Wedding Band, St. Lucys Eyes, The Jackie Robinson Story, Uptight (which she co-wrote), Buck and the Preacher, Countdown at Kusini (which she co-produced with Delta Sigma Theta sorority), Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Peyton Place, Go Tell It on the Mountain, The Stand, and Having Our Say. In 2006, Dee released the selected speeches and writings of Ossie Davis in Life Lit by Some Large Vision, in bookstores now. She is also the author of two childrens books, Tower to Heaven and Two Ways to Count to Ten; a book of poetry and short stories, My One Good Nerve (which she has adapted into a solo performance piece); and With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together, a joint autobiography co-authored with her late husband. She has also narrated several audio books, including Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God, for which performance she won an Audie Award. In 1988, Dee was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. With Davis, she has been inducted into the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, awarded the Silver Circle Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Science, the National Medal of Arts Award, the Marian Anderson Award, and the Screen Actors Guilds Lifetime Achievement Award. In December 2004, Dee and Davis were recipients of the John F. Kennedy Center Honors. She is a member of Actors Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Writers Guild.
Frederick Douglass IV Frederick Douglass IV will mesmerize you with the speeches and stories of his great, great grandfather, Frederick Douglass. A great orator and writer, a leading figure in the abolitionist movement, Frederick Douglass was born in 1817 into slavery in Maryland. He escaped in 1838 and in 1841 addressed an abolitionist meeting recounting his life as a slave. This was followed by lectures throughout the East and the publication of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Douglas also published the abolitionist North Star, the first of a series of journals he was to create. Increasingly, he came to reject the moralistic stance against slavery in favor of political struggle and the support of the Republican party.
Walter E. Fauntroy A prominent minister, an associate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a civil rights activist in the 1960's, Walter Fauntroy served as a United States Congressman representing Washington, DC for twenty years and became a pivotal voice in shaping and implementing many significant changes in national public policy.
Larry EchoHawk Prominent attorney and former Attorney General of Idaho, Larry EchoHawk is the first Native American in United States history elected to such a post. He is also a former state legislator and county prosecutor.
Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman was born in and grew up in Bennettsville, South Carolina, one of five children. Her father, Arthur Wright, was a Baptist preacher who taught his children that Christianity required service in this world and who was influenced by A. Phillip Randolph. He died when Marian was only fourteen, urging in his last words to her, "Don't let anything get in the way of your education." Marian Wright Edelman went on to study at Spelman College, abroad on a Merrill scholarship, and she traveled to the Soviet Union with a Lisle fellowship. When she returned to Spelman in 1959, she became involved in the civil rights movement, inspiring her to drop her plans to enter the foreign service, and instead to study law. She studied law at Yale and worked as a student on a project to register African American voters in Mississippi. In 1963, after graduating from Yale Law School, Marian Wright Edelman worked first in New York for the NAACP Legal and Defense Fund, and then in Mississippi for the same organization. There, she became the first African American woman to practice law. During her time in Mississippi, she worked on racial justice issues connected with the civil rights movement, and she also helped get a Head Start program established in her community. During a tour by Robert Kennedy and Joseph Clark of Mississippi's poverty-ridden Delta slums, Marian met Peter Edelman, an assistant to Kennedy, and the next year she moved to Washington, D.C., to marry him and to work for social justice in the center of America's political scene. They had three sons. In Washington, Marian Wright Edelman continued her work, helping to get the Poor People's Campaign organized. She also began to focus more on issues relating to child development and children in poverty. Marian Wright Edelman established the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) in 1973 as a voice for poor, minority and handicapped children. She served as a public speaker on behalf of these children, and also as a lobbyist in Congress, as well as president and administrative head of the organization. The agency served not only as an advocacy organization, but as a research center, documenting the problems and possible solutions to children in need. To keep the agency independent, she saw that it was financed entirely with private funds. Marian Wright Edelman also published her ideas in several books. The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours was a surprising success. In the 1990s, when Bill Clinton was elected President, Hillary Clinton's involvement with the Children's Defense Fund meant that there was significantly more attention given to the organization. But Edelman did not pull her punches in criticizing the Clinton administration's legislative agenda -- such as its "welfare reform" initiatives -- when she believed these would be disadvantageous to the nation's neediest children. As part of the efforts of Marian Wright Edelman and the Children's Defense Fund on behalf of children, she has also advocated pregnancy prevention, child care funding, health care funding, prenatal care, parental responsibility for education in values, reducing the violent images presented to children, and selective gun control in the wake of school shootings.
Phoebe Eng Activist and attorney Phoebe Eng is author of Warrior Lessons, a memoir-based account of race, leadership and empowerment in a rapidly changing world," said Karen Shih, advisor to students of Asian descent. "She has worked with a broad range of institutions, helping them understand the complexities and challenges of providing access and opportunity in a multicultural society." Former publisher of A Magazine, the national magazine for Asian-Americans, Eng attended the recent U.N. World Conference Against Racism in South Africa. Her views have been heard on NPR, PBS and in The New York Times and other national news forums
Judge Mablean Ephriam With over twenty years of experience behind her as a trial attorney and mediator, Mablean Ephriam brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the bench of DIVORCE COURT, the half-hour, relationship-oriented courtroom show by Monet Lane Prods., Inc. and Twentieth Television. DIVORCE COURT features real-life couples, real conflicts and powerful human drama in a compelling true-life courtroom setting where litigants abide by Ms. Ephriam’s legally-binding decisions. Ms. Ephriam began her legal career in law enforcement as a correctional officer at the Women’s Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Terminal Island. Pursuing her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, Ms. Ephriam, while raising a family, accepted a job as a legal secretary. Simultaneously, she attended and completed Whittier College of Law. (Ms. Ephriam is divorced and the mother of four.) After five years as a Deputy City Attorney in Los Angeles, where she served as Domestic Violence Coordinator for spousal, parent and child abuse, Ms. Ephriam’s hard work and dedication paid off. In 1982, she went into private practice emphasizing family law, personal injury and probate. She also served as a Hearing Examiner for the City of Los Angeles, Civil Service Commission. Formerly a member of the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar and State Bar of California Family Law Sections, Ms. Ephriam is well known for her noteworthy contributions to the Los Angeles legal community. Additionally, her commitment and dedication to community service in the area of family law has earned her many prestigious awards throughout her career. In 1993, the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles recognized Ms. Ephriam with the Distinguished Service Award for her numerous contributions as co-founder of the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, a legal assistance program that provides services to indigent persons in the areas of family law, guardianship and paternity. Ms. Ephriam also received the 1995 Woman of the Year Award -- California State Assembly -- 48th District. The following year, the Los Angeles County Bar Association bestowed Ms. Ephriam with the Spencer-Brandeis Award. The Harriet Buhai Family Law Center paid tribute to her with the Zephyr Ramsey Award for her many years of exceptional service to the community. In 1997, Whittier College of Law, Ms. Ephriam’s alma mater, named her Alumni of the Year.
Michael Eric Dyson Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, named by Essence magazine as one of the 40 most inspiring African-Americans and by Ebony magazine as one of the 100 most influential black Americans is one of the nations most renowned public intellectuals. The Philadelphia Weekly contends that Dyson is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time. When one hears Dysons name, one thinks of the many hats he wears: prolific author, scholar, public intellectual, ordained minister, media commentator and talk radio show host. In his books, Dyson has taken on some of the toughest and most controversial issues of our day, including Martin Luther King, Jr.s radical legacy, in I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. the virtues and crises of hip-hop culture in Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur; racial conflict and black identity in Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line; and more recently the political and racial fallout from Hurricane Katrina in Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster.and Debating Race, a collection of his previously unpublished intellectual encounters--cordial and combative--with some of today's most influential thinkers and politicians. Dyson has been nominated for the prestigious NAACP Image Award three times and has won it twice, first in 2004 for his book, Why I Love Black Women, and in 2006 for his New York Times bestselling book, Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind? , which dissects class warfare in black America. Dysons New York Times bestselling Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye, was optioned for a major motion picture. His newest book Know What I Mean? : Reflections on Hip Hop, returns to the subject of Hip Hop music and culture. While Dysonhas taught at some of the nations most prestigious universities including Brown, UNC at Chapel Hill, U. Penn and Columbia his influence has carried far beyond the academy into prisons and bookstores, political conventions and union halls, and church sanctuaries and lecture stages across the world. Dyson has also taken the media by storm through appearances on The Today Show, Nightline, OReilly Factor, The Tavis Smiley Show and Real Time with Bill Maher and he has cemented his star appeal on such shows as Rap City, Def Poetry Jam and The Colbert Report. Dyson is also the host of the syndicated radio show, The Michael Eric Dyson Show, which addresses social, cultural and political issues in a contemporary vein. Dysons powerful scholarship has won him legions of admirers and has made him what The Washington Post terms a superstar professor. His fearless and fiery oratory led the Chronicle of Higher Education to declare that with his rhetorical gifts he can rock classroom and chapel alike. Dysons eloquent writing inspired Vanity Fair magazine to describe him as one of the most graceful and lucid intellectuals writing on race and politics today. Dr. Dyson is presently University Professor at Georgetown University where he teaches Religion, English and African American Studies. His legendary rise from welfare father to Princeton Ph.D., from church pastor to college professor, from a factory worker who didnt start college until he was 21 to a figure who has become what writer Naomi Wolf terms the ideal public intellectual of our time may help explain why author Nathan McCall simply calls Dyson a street fighter in suit and tie.
Dr. John Hope Franklin Dr. John Hope Franklin is the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History and, for seven years, was Professor of Legal History at Duke University Law School. He is a graduate of Fisk University and earned his A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in history from Harvard University. Widely known for his literature in history, Franklin has produced numerous works such as: The Emancipation Proclamation, The Free Negro in North Carolina, The Militant South and his best known, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African-Americans, now in its seventh edition. Professor Franklin has served on many national commissions and delegations, including the National Council on the Humanities; the President's Advisory Commissions on Public Diplomacy, as well as Ambassadorial Appointments. He currently serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board of One America: The President's Initiative on Race, and is the newly-appointed Chair of the National Park System Advisory Board.
George Fraser George Fraser is the author of two books, including the critically acclaimed bestseller, Success Runs In Our Race;The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African American Community. He is also the creator and publisher of the award winning SuccessGuide Worldwide: The Networking Guide to Black Resources. A 13 th edition (250,000 copies) will be published next year. Many have called George a new voice for African Americans. He is considered by many to be one of the foremost authorities on networking and building effective relationships. George Fraser is a frequent contributor to scholarly journals on a wide range of topics to include networking, business ethics, valuing diversity and economic development. He was recently featured in the New York Timesbestseller; Masters of Networking along with Colin Powell. His 2nd book Race For Success; The Ten Best Business Opportunities for Blacks In America was published by the William Morrow Company, and selected as one of the ten best business books of the year by the Booklist. Mr. Fraser is leading a national initiative to build an African American Business Hall of Fame and Museum and a university-based Center for the Advancement of African American Entrepreneurship. Currently 14 renowned leaders sit on the Board of Directors. Four thousand people recently attended its first annual Induction Ceremony/Dinner held in June 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio. Robert Johnson of BET, Oprah Winfrey, Cathy Hughes of Radio One, Clarence Smith and Edward Lewis of Essence Magazine and Berry Gordy of Motown were inducted into the Business Hall of Fame in a nationally televised (The Word Network) program and ceremony. Mr. Fraser is the founder and executive producer of an annual PowerNetworking Conference, one of Black America’s largest gathering (17,000) of professionals, business owners and community leaders. The Conference features numerous workshops on networking and relationship skills building, top motivational speakers and a Business Opportunity Exposition. It is extensively covered by the national media to include; C-Span, The WordNetwork, New York Times, Ebony, Jet, and Black Enterprise Magazine. Mr. Fraser has served on numerous boards and has received many awards and citations for his community service, including the United Negro College Fund National Volunteer of the Year Award. Allstate Insurance recently presented to him on national TV its Architects of the Village Award. He had been appointed to state and city commissions by both the Governor and the Mayor of his home state and city of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Fraser spent 17 years in management with Procter & Gamble, United Way and Ford Motor Company Today as a popular speaker and author, Mr. Fraser has appeared on more than 250 television and radio talk shows. His views are solicited by media as diverse as CNN and the Wall Street Journal. Last year he gave of 120 speeches to audiences averaging 500 people each. His inspiring talks on success principles, effective networking, wealth creation, business ethics and valuing diversity are as popular among corporate professionals as they are among college students. His words and ideas have been taped and televised. Over the last decade the prestigious publication Vital Speeches of the Day has selected five of Mr. Fraser’s speeches to be reprinted and distributed worldwide, a first for any professional speaker in America. UPSCALE magazine name him one of the top 50 power brokers in Black America. Black Enterprise Magazine called him Black America’s #1 networker and featured him on its cover. Personal growth “guru†Stephen Covey called Mr. Fraser a “masterful teacherâ€. TV host and journalist, Tony Brown called him a “visionary with the rare combination of leadership and management skills.†Mr. Fraser attended New York University and received his executive training at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
Charles Fried Prominent attorney, Conservative legal scholar and Solicitor General of the United States in the Reagan Administration.
Ernest Gaines Gaines was born in Louisiana in 1933 but moved to California when he was 15 because he had no access to high school in the segregated South. He entered a public library for the first time when he was 16 and ultimately decided to become a writer. A graduate of San Francisco State College, he has been writer-in-residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since 1983. In addition to A Lesson, his works include The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1971) and A Gathering of Old Men (1984), both of which were adapted for television.
Christopher Gardner Christopher Gardner is president and CEO of the Chicago-based brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co., which he founded in 1987. Prior to launching his own firm, Mr. Gardner worked for several prestigious Wall Street firms. He landed his first job in the securities industry in 1981 with Dean Witter Reynolds, coming out of their training program. Later, he spent four years with Bear Stearns & Co., where he became a top earner. A self-made multi-millionaire, Gardner is intent on giving back to the communities where he conducts business because he has never forgotten his humble beginnings or the odds he has surmounted. Christopher Gardner's accomplishments are extraordinary on their own merit, but are all the more astonishing because of the unimaginable obstacles he encountered on the road to success. Always hard working and tenacious, a series of circumstances in the early 1980's left Gardner homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up Chris Jr. or his dream of financial independence, Gardner started at the very bottom of the financial industry ladder and pulled his way up, often spending his nights in a church shelter or a bathroom at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Oakland. The amazing story of Gardner's life will be soon be published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, by Amistad/Harper Collins on May 23, 2006, and will also be the subject of a movie with the same title starring Will Smith as Gardner to be released by Columbia Pictures in December 2006. Born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Gardner never knew his father. He lived with his mother, Bettye Jean Gardner, and her family and, when necessary, in foster homes. Despite a life of hardship and emotional scarring, he always had supreme love and admiration for his mother, who was a trained schoolteacher. His mother taught him some of the greatest lessons of his life, which he follows to this day. When Gardner told her he wanted to be the great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis she said, "Son, there's only one Miles Davis and he got that job. So you have to do something else." He understood from that day forward that his job was to be Chris Gardner - whatever that entailed. Bettye Jean also taught him that in spite of where he came from, he could attain whatever goals he set for himself by saying, "If you want to, one day you could make a million dollars." Gardner believed this to be fact, and it allowed him to persevere through the years when and his son were struggling for survival and a better life. Straight out of high school, Gardner enlisted in the Navy, just like his uncles, his role models, had done previously. After the military, Gardner went to San Francisco and took a job as a medical supply salesman. Then he reached a turning point in his life. In a parking lot, he met a man driving a red Ferrari. "He was looking for a parking space. I said, 'You can have mine, but I gotta ask you two questions.' The two questions were: What do you do? And how do you do that? Turns out this guy was a stockbroker and he was making $80,000 a month." That pivotal encounter gave Gardner a clear career goal, but he still needed a way into the world of high finance. Without experience, connections, a degree, or pedigree, Gardner began knocking on doors, applying for training programs at brokerages, even though it meant he would have to live on next to nothing while he learned. When he was finally accepted into a program, he left his job in medical sales. But his plans collapsed when the man who offered him the training slot was fired, and Gardner had no job to go back to. Things got worse. He was put in jail for $1,200 in parking violations that he couldn't pay. Chris Jr.'s mother left and Gardner, despite his circumstances, fought to keep his son because, as he says, "I made up my mind as a young kid that when I had children, my children were gonna know who their father was." With a network of offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, GRC has grown by focusing on its commitment to provide quality service and excellent trade executions for clients. The firm executes trades for some of the nations largest institutions, public pension plans and unions. Under Mr. Gardner's directions, GRC has adopted a "give back to the community" program. The Company donates 10% or more of the company's earnings toward school and educational projects in the communities it serves. Chris Gardner's remarkable story of struggle, faith, entrepreneurialism, and fatherly devotion has catapulted him beyond the notoriety he has found on Wall Street. He has been featured on CBS' "Evening News with Dan Rather" and ABC's "20/20," as well as being the subject of profiles in many newspapers and national magazines.
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Acclaimed as an eloquent commentator and formidable intellectual force on multicultural and African American issues, Gates has held additional appointments at Yale, Cornell, and Duke. Born and raised in Piedmont, West Virginia, Gates grew up during a period of racial transition in the 1950s and 1960s. Currently, Professor Gates is Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford African American Studies Center, the first comprehensive scholarly online resource in the field of African American Studies and Africana Studies. He is co-editor with K. Anthony Appiah of the encyclopedia Encarta Africana published on CD-ROM by Microsoft. His latest book is Finding Oprah’s Roots, Finding Your Own, a meditation on genetics, genealogy, and race. His other recent books include America Behind the Color Line: Dialogues with African Americans, African American Lives, and The Annotated Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In 2006, Professor Gates wrote and produced the PBS documentary called African American Lives, the first documentary series to employ genealogy and science to provide an understanding of African American history. In 2007, a follow-up one-hour documentary, “Oprah’s Roots: An African American Lives Special,” aired on PBS, further examining the genealogical and genetic heritage of Oprah Winfrey, who had been featured in the original documentary. Professor Gates is currently at work on a four-hour sequel to “African American Lives,” which is scheduled to air in February 2008. In addition to writing, Professor Gates has had a profound impact on the literary world by authenticated and facilitated the publication of Our Nig, or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, by Harriet Wilson, the first novel published by an African American woman. As well as The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts, dating from the early 1850s and now considered one of the first novels written by an African American woman. Through out his long and decorated career, Gates has been a part of many writing, publishing and editorial endeavors. Professor Gates earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in English literature from Clare College at the University of Cambridge, and his B.A. summa cum laude in History from Yale University. He became a member of Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year at Yale.
Marcia Ann Gillespie Marcia Ann Gillespie has been a trailblazer in the publishing world for more than two decades. As former Editor in Chief of Essence, she transformed the then-fledgling publication into one of the fastest-growing women's magazines in the United States. Time magazine named her "One of the Fifty Faces for America's Future." She was voted the March of Dimes' "Outstanding Woman in Publishing" for her efforts in inspiring all humankind to combat hatred and violence. She has written extensively on issues of gender and race. Under Gillespie's leadership, Ms. magazine has attracted increasing numbers of younger women to the magazine's fold. Marcia Ann Gillespie is a trailblazer in the magazine industry, a leader in the women's movement, a champion of gender of racial justice. A provocative writer and thinker, hers has been a consistent eloquent voice affirming the human potential for good, challenging inequality, pushing herself and others to hope, dare and strive for a better world. She has been a driving force behind two of this nation's most important women's magazines, as the editor in chief of Essence from 1971-1980 and most recently as the editor in chief of Ms. from 1993-2001. Named the Editor in Chief of Essence at the age of 26, Gillespie quickly proved her mettle by rapidly transforming the then fledgling publication into one of the fastest growing women's magazines in the United States. During her tenure (1971-1980), Essence became a trusted source of inspiration, information and affirmation for millions of African American women and won a National Magazine Award the industry's most prestigious honor. A vice-president of Essence Communications, Inc. and a member of the board of directors, Gillespie was named "One of the Fifty Faces for America's Future" by Time magazine. Gillespie's association with Ms. magazine dates back to 1980 when she became a contributing editor. She then went on to become a featured columnist and the executive editor of Ms. before being named the top editor in 1993. At Ms. her mission was "moving the discussion of feminism forward" and making the magazine a "welcome table" for a range of voices and views. Under her leadership the magazine reached an ever more diverse readership, attracting increasing numbers of younger women to the fold. In addition to her role as editor in chief, Gillespie was named the President of Liberty Media for Women, a limited liability corporation comprised of women investors that purchased the magazine in November 1998 and successfully relaunched the publication in March 1999. To further secure the publication's future, Gillespie negotiated the magazine's transfer to the Feminist Majority Foundation in December 2000 and officially turned the reins over in February 2001. Gillespie's extensive knowledge about the national and international women's movements, issues of racial and gender justice, the media and business, and her keen interest in history and observations about current events and the changes and challenges confronting the American society, and her deep faith in our ability to rise informs her life and her work. A rousing, eloquent and in-demand public speaker, who brings both wit and wisdom to her talks, Gillespie regularly appears on university and college campuses and as a keynoter at conferences and events in the United States and abroad. In addition to her numerous public appearances, she maintains a thriving consultancy advising corporate and other clients on issues ranging from diversity to communications. An award winning writer, Gillespie has also received a number of awards from professional and civic organizations including the Matrix award from New York Women in Communication, the Mary MacLeod Bethune award from the National Council of Negro Women. Awarded a Doctor of Letters by her alma mater, Lake Forest University, she is also a recipient of the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Gillespie also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, the Violence Policy Center and the Global Fund for Women.
Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni, Jr., born in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past thirty years, Nikki’s outspokenness, in her writing and in person, has brought the eyes of the world upon her. One of the most widely read American poets; she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice of the Black community. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others. Nikki Giovanni has written more than two-dozen books, including volumes of poetry, illustrated children’s books, and three collections of essays. Her book Racism 101 includes bold, controversial essays about the situation of Americans on all sides of various race issues. She has received 21 honorary doctorates and a host of other awards, including "Woman of the Year" awards from three different magazines as well as Governors’ Awards in the Arts from both Tennessee and Virginia. Her three most recent volumes of poetry, Love Poems, Blues: For All the Changes and Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea, were winners of the NAACP Image Award, in 1998, 2000, and 2003. Since 1987, she has taught writing and literature at Virginia Tech, where she is a University Distinguished Professor. As a devoted and passionate writer, teacher, and speaker, she inspires not only her students, but also readers and audiences nationwide. The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, a spoken-word CD, was a finalist for the 2003 Grammy Award in the category of spoken word.
Danny Glover From Places in the Heart and the Lethal Weapon series to the award-winning To Sleep with Anger (which he also executive produced), Danny Glover is one of Hollywood's most renowned and respected leading men. An actor, producer, and director, this versatile superstar has impacted stage, screen, and television for over a decade.Glover's impressive and diverse body of work has earned him a host of awards, including several NAACP Image Awards, an ACE Award and Emmy nominations. Off-screen, Glover is a powerful advocate for literacy and has spoken to grammar and high school students around the nation about the joys of reading and education.
Zonnie Gorman Zonnie Gorman is a recognized historian on the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. She is the daughter of the late Dr. Carl Gorman, artist, teacher and one of the original first twenty-nine Navajo Code Talkers. Ms. Gorman has lectured extensively throughout the country, including several universities and colleges as well as N.A.S.A. Headquarters in Washington D.C., and the Museum of the American Indian in New York. She has appeared in several documentaries including the History Channel documentary, Navajo Code Talkers and the MGM double DVD release (historical documentary section) of the movie, Windtalkers. Ms. Gorman will present a lecture on the history of the Navajo code Talker program that includes its inception in 1942, the development and testing of the original code by the first twenty-nine Code Talkers, and its subsequent usage in the Pacific. She will also highlight honors received since its declassification in 1968.
Lou Gossett, Jr. Winner of an Academy Award for his performance in "An Officer and a Gentleman," Lou Gossett, Jr. is recognized as one of the leading actors of his generation. He speaks on civil rights as well as racism in Hollywood.
Stedman Graham Noted businessman and entrepreneur, Stedman Graham is the author of You Can Make It Happen: A Nine Step Plan For Success; Build Your Own Life Brand: A Powerful Strategy to Maximize Your Potential and Enhance Your Value for Ultimate Achievement; and You can Make It Happen Everyday. An inspirational and practical program for achieving success and creating a better life.
Lawrence Otis Graham Nationally known author, attorney and commentator on race, politics and diversity in America. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Larry is the author of 13 non-fiction books including Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class. His business diversity book Proversity: Getting Past Face Value was selected by the Society of Human Resource Managers and is used widely by coporate diversity managers. He previously wrote The Best Companies for Minorities.
Fred D. Gray The leading civil rights lawyer in America, Fred Gray's legal career spans a time period of over forty years. His career began in 1954 when he represented Rosa parks who was arrested because she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, which ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He was also Martin Luther King Jr.'s first civil rights attorney. Fred Gray is the author of Bus Ride to Justice (1995) and The Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1998).
Ernest Green Ernest Green Member of the "Little Rock Nine" Consultant born in Little Rock, Arkansas, September 22, 1941, Green earned his high school diploma from Central High School in Little Rock. He and eight other black students were the first to integrate Central High, following the 1954 US Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education that declared segregation illegal. They later would become known as the "Little Rock Nine." Green then went on to receive his bachelors in social science and masters in sociology from Michigan State University. He also received honorary doctorates from Michigan State University, Tougaloo College, and Central State University. Ernest G. Green is presently the Managing Director of Public Finance for Lehman Brothers' Washington, DC office. Since joining Lehman Brothers in 1987, Green has served as senior investment banker on transactions for such key clients as the City of New York, State of New York, and the City of Chicago to name a few. He has also been appointed as chairman of the African Development Foundation, by President Clinton, and chairman of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Advisory Board by Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley. Prior to joining Lehman Brothers, Green was president of Ernest Green & Associates, a minority consulting firm that provided technical assistance in marketing, financial management, and economic forecasting. Green served as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training during the Carter Administration where he formulated the US Presidential Policy and directed implementation of a vast range of activities. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, Green served as Executive Director of the Recruitment and Training Program, Inc., an organization that recruits minorities for apprenticeship programs in the building trades. Green is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Executive Leadership Council, the Legislative Action Committee of the Public Securities Association, and chairs the National Association of Securities Professionals and Africare. Recently, he joined Winrock International's board of directors. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the March of Dimes Foundation and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The recipient of numerous awards Green was the youngest recipient of the NAACP's Spingard Medal, at the age of seventeen. On November 9, 1999, President Clinton presented Green, along with the rest of the "Little Rock nine," the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor given to a civilian, for outstanding bravery during the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Several books, movies and documentaries have been produced chronicling Green and his eight classmates historic year at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas - the most recent being the Ernest Green Story, produced and distributed by the Walt Disney Corporation.
Dick Gregory Well known comedian and social activist.
Lani Guinier Dr. Lani Guinier, the first black female to receive tenure at Harvard Law School. In 1993, President Bill Clinton made Guinier the first black woman nominated to head the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Although she had been a civil rights attorney for more than 10 years and had severed in the Civil Rights Division during the Carter Administration, conservative opposition forced Clinton to later withdraw the nomination. Guinier, who was thrust into the public eye, used her new recognition to speak out on issues of race and gender. She has since become one of the nation's most sought after speakers. Guiniers passion for civil rights issues took root in 1962, when Guinier was just 12 years old. The televised image of Constance Baker Motely, then an attorney for the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund, escorting James Meredith to the all white University of Mississippi, inspired Guinier in a way that would shape her future. It was then that she decided she would be a woman lawyer in the cause of civil rights.
Henry H. Parker One of America's leading authorities in the field of teaching Standard English by means of contrastive analysis with Ebonics. Professor Parker has taught Standard English via Ebonics from the pre-school to the college level and is a frequent contributor to television, radio and newspaper on Ebonics issues. He is the author of a definitive text on the subject entitled, Teaching Minorities To Play The Corporate Language Game. Womanist View..
Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Hamlisch's life in music is notable for its great versatility as well as substance. Best known as a composer, Hamlisch has written major works for film, stage, recordings, and concert hall. As conductor, he has led the great orchestras of the world, and as a pianist and entertainer, he has performed both with ensembles and in solo capacity.
Judge Glenda Hatchett Judge Hatchett is a nationally-syndicated television program produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It stars the Honorable Glenda Hatchett and is modeled after "judge shows" such as The People's Court and Judge Judy. In addition to dealing with traditional small-claims lawsuits (with a plaintiff, a defendant, and monetary awards sought), she also handles DNA Paternity Tests and Out of Control Teens. Judge Hatchett is criticised by some for being overly harsh to younger defendants, especially minors in her "Out of Control Teens" situations. Her fans, however, interpret her seemingly harsh demeanor as "tough love" and proof that she cares about them and wants to set them on the right path. Judge hatchett's program is featured on the news station Fox 5 at 3 P.M. through 4 P.M., after the hour-long Judge Alex and preceded by another hour-long Fox 5 News At 5 program. It features real cases in a variety of different kinds of civil cases, from unprotected sex and pregnancy at a young age to fights at an older age, as well as rich cases of harassment and classic civil lawsuits.
David Hilliard Former Chief of Staff of the Black Panther party. He was active throughout every major event in the Panther's history and speaks about the FBI's secret war against them that resulted in false imprisonment and murder. Hilliard is author of This Side of Glory: An Autobiography and History of the Black Panther Party and Active and Dangerous: The U.S. War Against the Black Panthers. Hilliard currently serves as the Executive Director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation.
Maria Hinojosa Maria Hinojosa Award Winning Journalist & Author Program Title: An Evening with Maria Hinojosa Maria Hinojosa, an award-winning journalist and author, is senior correspondent for the Emmy-winning PBS newsmagazine NOW; managing editor & anchor of National Public Radio's Latino USA, and former CNN correspondent. Her style is decidedly earthy and real, bringing issues to light through the stories of unsung heroes. And her unique perspective from the front lines of the real life issues in America today makes audiences both laugh and cry while she tells the stories of being a mom and working journalist in today's turbulent world. Hinojosa has garnered many awards and honors, including the Ruben Salazar Award from the National Council of La Raza, an award that recognizes a journalist's outstanding body of work. She has been named one of the "25 Most Influential Working Mothers in America" by Working Mother magazine, and three times over the past decade Hispanic Business magazine named her one of the 100 most influential Latinos in the United States. Her personal experiences as a Mexican-American career woman, wife and mother living in New York were published in 1999 in her critically acclaimed memoir, Raising Raul: An Adventure Raising Myself and My Son. This was her second foray into the book world-in 1995 she published Crews-Gang Members Talk with Maria Hinojosa, a book based on her award-winning NPR report.
Khaled Hosseini Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965. He is the oldest of five children. and his mother was a teacher of Farsi and History at a large girls high school in Kabul. In 1976, Khaled’s family was relocated to Paris, France, where his father was assigned a diplomatic post in the Afghan embassy. The assignment would return the Hosseini family in 1980, but by then Afghanistan had already witnessed a bloody communist coup and the Soviet invasion. Khaled’s family, instead, asked for and was granted political asylum in the U.S. He moved to San Jose, CA, with his family in 1980. He attended Santa Clara University and graduated from UC San Diego School of Medicine. He has been in practice as an internist since 1996. He is married, has two children (a boy and a girl, Haris and Farah). The Kite Runner is his first novel.
Ericka Huggins A former Black Panther Party leader, Ericka Huggins lectures on such topics as, History of the Black Panther Party; Women in the Black Panther Party; "Women in the Black Liberation Movement," "The Incarnation & Dismantling of the Black Panther Party;" and "Freedom is an Inside Job: A Personal Explanation of Self-Inquiry as a Crucial Tool for Supporting the Upliftment of Humanity."
Jesse Jackson Reverend Jesse Jackson is one of America's foremost political figures. For more than thirty years he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, economic and social justice. A two-time presidential candidate and a leader in the fight against South African apartheid, he has been on the Gallup List of "Ten Most Respected Americans" for the past ten years. Reverend Jesse Jackson serves as president of the National Rainbow Coalition and is one of America's foremost political figures. Over the past three decades he has played a major role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality and economic and social justice. Rev. Jackson has been called the "conscience of the nation" and "the great unifier," challenging America to establish just and humane priorities and bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, class, gender and belief. Years before they were common positions, Rev. Jackson was advocating national health care, a war on drugs and peace negotiations with the Soviet Union and the Middle East. His strong stand against apartheid in South Africa in 1984 made it a forefront national issue. Rev. Jackson's two presidential campaigns broke new ground in U.S. politics. His 1984 campaign won 3.5 million votes, registered over a million new voters and helped the Democratic Party regain control of the Senate in 1986. His 1988 candidacy won seven million votes and registered two million new voters. His clear progressive agenda and his ability to build an unprecedented coalition inspired millions to join the political process. As a highly respected world leader, Rev. Jackson has acted many times as an international diplomat in sensitive situations. In 1984, he secured the release of captured Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman from Syria, as well as the release of 48 Cuban and Cuban-American prisoners in 1987. He was the first American to bring hostages out of Kuwait and Iraq in 1990. Rev. Jackson was elected a U.S. Senator from Washington, D.C. in 1990, a position also known as "Statehood Shadow Senator." The office was created to advocate for statehood for Washington, D.C. A hallmark of Rev. Jackson's work has been his commitment to the youth. He has visited thousands of high schools, colleges and universities, encouraging excellence and challenging students to stay in school and away from drugs. He has also been a major force in the American labor movement, working with unions to organize workers, mediating labor disputes, walking picket lines and speaking at labor rallies. He has visited prisons, bringing comfort to the abandoned and discouraging recidivism. Rev. Jackson has received numerous honors for his work in human rights and social justice. In 1991, the U.S. Post Office placed his likeness on a pictorial postal cancellation, only the second living person to receive such an honor. He has been on the Gallup List of Ten Men Most Respected by Americans for 10 years. He has also received the prestigious NAACP Springarn Award and been awarded over 40 honorary degrees.
Gloria Jackson Gloria Jackson is a powerful, compelling and engaging speaker. She speaks eloquently on the topics of faith, freedom, family, character development, education and economic empowerment. At the same time she sets out, with great clarity the extraordinarily inspiring and uplifting truths of the life, legacy and liberating philosophy of her great grandfather, Booker T. Washington . Enjoy listening as Gloria weaves the story of how her great grandfather, through a life of discipline and sheer determination, rose "Up From Slavery" to become one of America's greatest heroes and leaders. Relive how Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute and the National Negro Business League and encouraged Blacks toward economic independence. In 1905, Tuskegee turned out more self-made millionaires than Yale, Harvard, and Princeton universities combined. Learn of his commitment to reach back to those in need in Africa, the very continent that had sold his ancestors into slavery, and to other blacks throughout the world. Be reminded of how a young Black visionary with a call upon his life, shaped Tuskegee to become a vehicle of inspiration and encouragement and the greatest single influence toward encouraging Black Americans to begin the difficult walk toward a prosperous future. Gloria is the founder and president of the Booker T. Washington Inspirational Speakers' Network. She is an attorney and a real estate broker and she currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Benjamin Todd Jealous Benjamin Todd Jealous grew up believing that there was no higher calling than to further the cause of freedom in this country and in the world. It is a mindset he inherited from of his parents and grandparents. Their drive for community betterment blazed the trail for Jealous own deep commitment to social justice, public service and human rights activism. Now, as the 17th President and Chief Executive Officer of the NAACP, and the youngest person to hold the position in the organization’s nearly 100-year history, Jealous is well positioned to answer the call. During his career, he has served as president of the Rosenberg Foundation, director of the U.S. Human Rights Program at Amnesty International and Executive Director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a federation of more than 200 black community newspapers. From his early days of organizing voter registration drives up until his nomination and election as NAACP president, Jealous has been motivated by civic duty and a constant need to improve the lives of America's underrepresented. All things considered, Jealous’ leadership roles and active community involvement have well prepared him for his current duties as president of the NAACP. In fact, his path through journalism and the Black Press is not unlike several other former NAACP presidents, including Roy Wilkins, Walter White, Ida B. Wells and W.E.B. Dubois. As a student at Columbia University, he worked in Harlem as a community organizer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. On campus, Jealous led school-wide movements, including boycotts and pickets for homeless rights, a successful campaign to save full-need financial and need-blind admissions when other national universities were cutting such programs, and an environmental justice battle with the University. These protests ultimately led to the suspension of Jealous and three other student leaders. Jealous used this time off to work as a field organizer helping to lead a campaign that prevented the State of Mississippi from closing two of its three public historically black universities, and converting one of them into a prison. He remained in Mississippi to take a job at the Jackson Advocate, an African American newspaper based in the state’s capital. His reporting -- for the frequently firebombed weekly -- was credited with exposing corruption amongst high-ranking officials at the state prison in Parchman. His investigations also helped to acquit a small black farmer who had been wrongfully and maliciously accused of arson. His work at the Jackson Advocate eventually lead to his promotion to Managing Editor. In 1997, Jealous returned to Columbia University and completed his degree in political science. With the encouragement of mentors, he applied and was accepted to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar where he earned a master's degree in comparative social research. Jealous eventually went on to serve as Executive Director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). While at the NNPA, he rebuilt its 90-year old national news service and launched a web-based initiative that more than doubled the number of black newspapers publishing online. Most recently, Jealous was President of the Rosenberg Foundation, a private independent institution that funds civil and human rights advocacy to benefit California's working families. Prior to that, he was Director of the U.S. Human Rights Program at Amnesty International. While there he led efforts to pass federal legislation against prison rape, rebuild public consensus against racial profiling in the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, and expose the widespread sentencing of children to life without the possibility of parole. Active in civic life, Jealous is a board member of the California Council for the Humanities, and the Association of Black Foundation Executives, as well as a member of the Asia Society. He is married to Lia Epperson Jealous, a professor of constitutional law and former civil rights litigator with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. They presently reside in Washington, DC with their young daughter.
Juan Roberto Job Motivational speaker, multicultural consultant and author of the best selling book, Just Because I'm Latin doesn't mean I Mambo: A Success Guide For Hispanic Americans. Juan Roberto Job is highly regarded for his work in multicultural settings and is an expert on worksite diversity, ethnic recruiting and cross cultural business protocol.
Maulana Karenga Historian, educator, civil rights leader and author of The African American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family; Community and Culture. In 1966, Dr. Karenga introduced Kwanzaa ("first fruits" in Swahili) to the U.S. It is a non religious cultural observance celebrated by millions of African Americans.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a nationally known attorney, environmental activist, university professor and author. He serves as chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper Program; as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council; and as a clinical professor and supervising attorney at the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University School of Law in New York. He is regarded as a pioneer in the area of municipal and government responsibility for environmental problems. Kennedy's reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of legal actions which include the prosecution of governmental agencies and industrial companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, winning settlements for the Hudson Riverkeeper, arguing cases to expand citizen access to the shoreline, and suing sewage treatment plants to force compliance with the Clean Water Act. Kennedy is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply. The New York City watershed agreement, which he negotiated of behalf of environmentalists across the state, is regarded as an international model in stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development. On the national front, he was instrumental in helping defeat several anti-environmental bills during the 104th Congress. He has also worked to tackle environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in successfully negotiating treaties protecting traditional homelands. Although Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known as an activist for environmental protection everywhere, he considers fighting pollution in the Hudson River a priority. In an interview with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Kennedy avowed that he would continue to fight pollution in the Hudson River, despite the many governmental barriers that have been erected to discourage the works of citizens who wish to hold polluting agencies accountable. Kennedy stated, "The Hudson is my backyard, and the primary obligation of anyone in the environmental community is to clean his or her own backyard first. Global reform starts with local reform." Earlier in his career, Kennedy served as assistant district attorney in New York City. He has worked on several presidential campaigns, including those of Edward M. Kennedy in 1980 and Al Gore in 2000. Kennedy is the author of numerous articles and three books, including Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., A Biography (1977), the New York State Apprentice Falconer's Manual, and his latest book, The Riverkeepers (1997), co-written with John Cronin. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, among other publications. Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation he attended Pace University School of Law, where he was awarded a master's degree in environmental law. March 20, 2003 Quick LinksAcademics @ Guilford Academic Departments Academic Skills Center BannerWeb Certification Programs College Calendar Course Catalog Course Schedules First Year Program Guilford Writing Manual Library Study Abroad Programs What's Going On @ Guilford? Art Gallery Athletics Campus Life Guilfordian Guilford Buzz Local Events and Activities News Services Where Can I Find Help? Admission Information Adult Programs Campus Ministry Campus Map Employment Opportunities Information Technology International Student Info Office of College Relations Office of Public Safety Services & Administration Ways of Giving.
Dr. Molefi Kete Asante Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is Professor, Department of African American Studies at Temple University. Considered by his peers to be one of the most distinguished contemporary scholars, Asante has published 61 books, among the most recent are Encyclopedia of Black Studies, (2004), co-edited with Ama Mazama, Race, Rhetoric, and Identity: The Architecton of Soul, Erasing Racism: The Survival of the American Nation, (2003), Ancient Egyptian Philosophers (2003), Scattered to the Wind, Custom and Culture of Egypt, and 100 Greatest African Americans. The second edition of his high school text, African American History: Journey of Liberation, 2nd Edition, (2001), is used widely throughout North America. He has published more scholarly books than any contemporary African author and has recently been recognized as one of the ten most widely cited African Americans. In addition, Black Issues in Higher Education recognized him as one of the most influential leaders in the last 15 years. Asante completed his M.A. at Pepperdine and received his Ph.D. from UCLA at the age of 26 and was appointed a full professor at the age of 30 at the State University of New York at Buffalo. At Temple University he created the first Ph.D. Program in African American Studies in 1987. He has directed more than 125 Ph.D. dissertations. He has written more than 300 articles for journals and magazines and is the founder of the theory of Afrocentricity. Asante was born in Valdosta, Ga., one of sixteen children. He is a poet, dramatist, and a painter. His work on African culture and philosophy has been cited by journals such as the Journal of Black Studies, Journal of Communication, American Scholar, Daedalus, Western Journal of Black Studies, and Africaological Perspectives. The Utne Reader called him one of the “100 Leading Thinkers” in America and Asante was recommended in a survey as one of the 25 influential African male leaders of the last two hundred years. In 2001, Transition Magazine said “Asante may be the most important professor in Black America.” He has appeared on Nightline, Nighttalk, BET, Macnell Lehrer News Hour, Today Show, the Tony Brown Show, Night Watch, Like It Is and 60 Minutes. In 2002 he received the distinguished Douglas Ehninger Award for Rhetorical Scholarship from the National Communication Association. The African Union cited him as one of the twelve top scholars of African descent when it invited him to give one of the keynote addresses at the Conference of Intellectuals of Africa and the Diaspora in Dakar in 2004. He was inducted into the Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent at the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University in 2004. Dr. Asante is the founding editor of the Journal of Black Studies (1969) and was the President of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee chapter at UCLA in the 1960’s. In 1995 he was made a traditional king, Nana Okru Asante Peasah, Kyldomhene of Tafo, Akyem, Ghana. Dr. Asante has been or is presently a consultant for a dozen school districts. An activist scholar, he believes it is not enough to know, one must act to humanize the world.
Alan Keyes Alan Keys former Reagan Administration official, Alan L. Keyes was born in New York, son of a US Army Sergeant. He is recognized as a leader in the Conservative movement and one of today's most demanded orators and television and radio commentators. Author of "Our Character, Our Future and Masters of the Dream," Keyes is currently the Interim President of Alabama A&M University. Keyes also serves as the US Ambassador to the United Nations Social and Economic Council and as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations. As a leader and citizen activist, Keyes was a Republican candidate for President in 1996 and 2000; a twice-Republican nominee to the US Senate for the state of Maryland; former Vice President of the Ronald Reagan Alumni Association; 1992 featured speaker at the Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas; and is currently the newly elected President of the Ronald Reagan Alumni Association. He also served as the former President of Citizens Against Government Waste; Founder of National Taxpayer Action Day; and Founder and Chairman of the Declaration Foundation.
Kwame Kilpatrick Since taking office in 2002 as the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city, Kwame M. Kilpatrick has led tremendous growth in the city of Detroit including the biggest housing and commercial construction boom in 50 years, the largest road and infrastructure improvement program in decades, and a $2-billion overhaul of Detroit’s riverfront. After decades of decline, Detroit is experiencing a revival thanks to Mayor Kilpatrick’s leadership that has been recognized by media including the New York Times, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and the Financial Times of London.
Dennis Kimbro Entrepreneur, business consultant and best-selling author of Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice, Daily Motivations for African-American Success and his newest book, What Makes the Great Great, Dennis Kimbro has written extensively on African American entrepreneurship and success. A PBS special entitled "The Legacy of Achievement with Dr. Dennis Kimbro" was recently aired on Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS). He has appeared on numerous television programs including "Today" on NBC and "Larry King Live" and has been featured in many magazines and newspapers such as Success, Black Enterprise, Essence, The New York Times and USA Today. Dr. Dennis Kimbro combines his vast knowledge of business, contemporary affairs and the vibrant nature of Black America in a motivational and practical lecture on the secrets of success.
Gayle King Gayle King is a popular television personality who regularly appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She has been the Editor-at-Large for O, The Oprah Magazine since its inception in 1999 and for O at Home since its inception in 2003, acting as a liaison between the publications' Founder and Editorial Director Oprah Winfrey and the magazines' staffs. She also consults on the editorial and creative direction for the publications.
Rev. Bernice King Rev. Bernice King Ordained Minister and Daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. As a nationally renowned orator, Bernice A. King has inherited the gift of oratory and ecumenical power that her father was famous for, and has inspired thousands of people from all walks of life. In 1980, at age 17, she spoke in her mother's stead to the United Nations on Apartheid, and discovered her oratorical gift. The youngest child of Mrs. Coretta Scott King and the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bernice is remembered by most as the five year-old in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken of her as she lay in her mother's lap during her father's funeral.
Martin King, III Son of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. he is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Martin Luther King, III is founder of the civil rights organization, American United for Affirmative Action.
Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu Renowned educator and writer, Jawanza Kunjufu is the co-author of the Afrocentric Multicultural Curriculum and author of several books including: Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children; Motivating and Preparing Black Youth to Work; Lessons From History; A Celebration in Blackness; To Be Popular or Smart; The Black Peer Group; Critical Issues in Educating African American Youth; and Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys.
Joyce Ladner Internationally known scholar, sociologist, educator and the first woman to serve as president of Howard University, the institution preeminent among African American colleges and universities.
Kathryn Leary Noted entrepreneur and businesswoman, Kathryn Leary, was featured on the cover of the of Black Enterprise magazine as "The New Face of American Business". Kathryn is President & CEO of The Leary Group Inc., with 30 years of experience in marketing, advertising and cross-cultural communications. Ms. Leary is a consumate professional, a global visionary, and a thought leader for the new millenium.
Spike Lee Spike Lee is one of the world's most talked-about film-makers. Inflammatory rabble-rouser or cinematic visionary? Opinions vary wildly on this film-maker who has been completely unafraid of chronicling modern-day America. Over the past fifteen years, only Oliver Stone has matched Spike Lee's politically explosive cinema, and controversy is never far away when a Lee film is released.Spike Lee made a name for himself in 1986 with the hit independent film She's Gotta Have It, a frank comedy about the many lovers of an independent Brooklyn woman. The film established Lee's as a rising young black filmmaker, a rarity at the time, and his skills and independence, along with his outspoken African-American perspective and feisty public persona, kept him in the public eye throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In later films he continued to tell stories with racial themes and New York settings, including the Brooklyn drama Do the Right Thing (1989), the jazz-tinged Mo' Better Blues (1990, with Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes), the interracial romance Jungle Fever (1993, with Snipes and Anabella Sciorra), the biopic Malcolm X (1992, starring Washington and based in part on the book by Malcolm X and Alex Haley), Summer of Sam (1999, with John Leguizamo) and controversial racial satire Bamboozled (2000). His most recent films are The 25th Hour, starring Ed Norton (2002), and She Hate Me (2004).
Rae Lewis-Thornton Rae Lewis-Thornton was diagnosed HIV Positive in 1986 at the age of 23, and today has AIDS. She uses her life as an example that AIDS is a non-discriminatory disease, challenging the common myths and stereotypes surrounding who can become infected with the HIV virus, and how the virus is transmitted. Featured in Essence magazine as well as the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, the "Oprah Winfrey Show," "Nightline" and on several national television documentaries, Lewis-Thornton is a political science master's candidate and is currently enrolled in a master's in divinity program. She is on a crusade to educate and challenge young and old audiences to take care of their bodies, futures and health.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. One of the United States most influential cultural critics, Henry Louis Gates Jr. is both an eloquent commentator and formidable intellectual force on multicultural and African American issues. He is widely acknowledged for taking African American studies beyond the ideological bent of the 1970s and 80s black power movement, and bringing it into a scholarly sphere that is the equivalent to all other disciplines. He is currently the W. E. B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities and the director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Studies at Harvard University. In 1997, Gates was named one of Time magazines 25 most influential Americans. He is a prolific writer who has authored, co authored, edited, or co edited several books and written numerous articles. His books include Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man and The Future of the Race with co author and Princeton professor Cornell West. His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Time, The New Republic, and The New York Times. Gates is also the editor of Transition magazine, an international review of African, Carribean, and African American politics. In 2006, he wrote and produced the PBS documentary African American Lives, the first documentary series to employ genealogy and science to provide an understanding of African American history. His current projects include a sequel to African American Lives, as well as a documentary titled Finding Oprah’s Roots, where he expands on one of the most popular individuals featured in African American Lives. Gates honors and grants include a MacArthur Foundation genius grant and the George Polk Award for Social Commentary, a national humanities medal. Gates has also received more than 40 honorary degrees.
Dr. Ruth Love Prominent African-American educator and an expert on urban education, Ruth Love is the former superintencent of schools in Chicago, Illnois and Oakland, California. She lectures on urban education, African American issues and women's issues. Topics: All Children Can and Must Learn, Closing the Achievement Gap, Civil Rights: This Millenium, The Strengths of Diversity, Women: Climbing Jacob's Ladder and A Womanist View.
Chief Ronnie Lupe Charismatic chief and tribal chairman of the Apache Tribe.
Nelson Mandela Human Rights leader and former President of South Africa.
Wilma Mankiller In an historic tribal election in July 1987, the members of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma elected their first woman Principal Chief, Wilma Mankiller. She was re-elected in 1991 with nearly 83% of the vote. In 1983, Mankiller was elected Deputy Principal Chief, also the first woman to hold that position. She succeeded the previous Principal Chief upon his resignation in December 1985. Chief Mankiller's roots are planted deep in the rural community of Rocky Mountain in Adair County, Oklahoma. She was born at the Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, and grew up in a rural setting with few amenities. When she as 11, her family moved to California as part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Relocation Program. In 1969, when American Indian activists occupied Alcatraz Island to dramatize the injustices their people had suffered, she experienced an awakening, or call to action, that changed her life. Besides participating in that struggle, Mankiller did volunteer work among Native Americans in California. By 1974, she and her two children, Felicia and Gina, returned to Oklahoma. Chief Mankiller's initial work for the Cherokee Nation included the recruitment of young native Americans for university training in environmental sciences. In 1979, she completed her college degree, then began commuting to the University of Arkansas for graduate study. En route to the school, Mankiller suffered a near fatal head-on automobile collision. To recover from her extensive injuries, she adopted what Cherokee's call "being of good mind," meaning, "one has to think positively, to take what is handed out and turn it into a better path." Through her commitment to rural community development, she persistently pursued proposals for various housing, education, and health care projects. She was the founding director of the Cherokee Nation Community Development Department. Mankiller, who left office in 1995, co-authored Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, which includes the story of the Cherokee Nation, one of the country's largest tribal groups. She also co-edited the Readers Companion to the History of Women in the U.S. and served as a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College during the 1996 winter term. Today, as in her childhood, Mankiller lives in the Rocky Mountain Community of Adair County, Oklahoma on the Mankiller land allotment. Her husband, Charlie Soap, serves as the Chief Professional Officer for the Boys and Girls Club Inc. of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Thurgood Marshall, Jr. Thurgood Marshall, Jr. is an American lawyer and son of the late Supreme Court of the United States Justice Thurgood Marshall. Thurgood Marshall Jr. worked in the Clinton White House and is currently a partner at the international law firm Bingham McCutchen, LLP and a principal at its lobbying subsidiary, Bingham Consulting. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ford Foundation. According to documents filed with the SEC, he is a director serving on the board of Corrections Corporation of America, the largest commercial vendor of federal detainment and prisoner transport in the United States
Hans Massaquoi Retired managing editor of Ebony magazine and author of Destined to Witness, his autobiography, in which he tells what it was like to grow up black in Nazi Germany.
Judge Greg Mathis Popular television judge who is featured on the nationally syndicated TV show "Judge Mathis". The youngest judge in Michigan history, Greg Mathis was a Michigan Superior Court Judge before the start of his television series. Mathis worked hard to win the judgeship in the city of Detroit. He had many obstacles to overcome. He had failed the Michigan bar exam once, and had been denied a license to practice law for several years after graduating from law school because of his criminal past. He had not accrued an extensive portfolio of legal work, and he was seen by the establishment as someone who lacked the necessary experience and insight to handle the hectic and heavy docket. Yet in 1995, he was elected a superior court judge for Michigan's 36th District, making him the youngest man in the state to hold the post. During the five years he was on the bench, he was rated in the top five of all judges in the 36th District; there are about thirty judges each year. He was trying to have a movie made about his youth when a partner was contacted by Blackpearl Productions about starting a television show. He has been hosting a television series, Judge Mathis, since 1999, in which he mediates disputes much like a real courtroom. In 2001, Mathis appeared in "1st Annual BET Awards" as himself. He also was a guest star as himself in the Steve Harvey show episode "Here Comes the Judge". Mathis has been parodied on Saturday Night Live by Tracy Morgan in the "Judge Horace" persona. At a rally commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Mathis said, "They (the Bush administration) all need to be locked up because they are all criminals and they are all thieves. It is indeed criminal to steal an election and within two years run up a federal deficit of half-a-trillion dollars, send our young people over to Iraq to die for an unjust war. What they are doing is criminal."
David McCullough McCullough, author of the bestseller 1776, is twice winner of the National Book Award and twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He has been called a "master of the art of narrative history," and his books have been praised for their exceptional narrative sweep, their scholarship and insight into American life, and for their literary distinction. 1776, his latest work, has been called "brilliant," "lucid," "gripping," "a masterwork," "a classic," and has been a continuing national triumph from the time of publication last June when it debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. McCullough's previous work, John Adams, remains one of the most critically acclaimed and widely read American biographies of all time (to date, more than two million copies have been sold. McCullough's other books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path Between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, Brave Companions and Truman. As may be said of few writers, none of his books has ever been out of print. McCullough is also twice winner of the prestigious Francis Parkman Prize. He has been honored with the National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award, the National Humanities Medal and the New York Public Library's Literary Lion Award, and has received 38 honorary degrees. In a crowded, productive career, he has been an editor, essayist, teacher, lecturer, and familiar presence on public television -- as host of "Smithsonian World," "The American Experience," and narrator of numerous documentaries including The Civil War. His is also the narrator's voice in Seabiscuit. A gifted speaker, McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House. He is also one of the few private citizens to speak before a joint session of Congress
Russell Means Russell Means has been described as the most famous Indian since Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Russell Means has staged several events designed to bring attention to the plight of the American Indians. He conducted a prayer vigil on Mount Rushmore and filed a $9,000,000 lawsuit against the Cleveland Indians baseball team alleg­ing that the team’s nickname defamed American Indians. Means’ most famous act of defiance occurred at Wounded Knee, South Dakota on February 27, 1973 where the takeover revisited the sight of the American Indian massacre at the hands of U.S. soldiers in 1890.
Billy Mills In 1964, on a arm summer night in Tokyo, Japan American Billy Mills shone brighter than any star in the Oriental sky. Unheralded, unappreciated, virtually unknown to the world, Billy Mills scored one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, winning the 10,000 meter run with a stunning come-from-behind finish that left the world's best runners in his wake, and the rest of the world in disbelief. In the 100 years of the Games, Mills is the only American ever to win this event. Mills, a Lakota (Sioux) Indian born on the reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, learned early that life doesn't always come easy. It was exactly this harsh realization that brought him to the pinnacle of the athletic world. Mills fought prejudice, jealousy, and scorn to become one of America's best distance runners of his day. Through high school, the University of Kansas, and the Marine Corps, he was often the target of envy and contempt. His ancestry was ridiculed, his integrity questioned, and his talents ignored. But while his detractors made every attempt to strip Billy Mills of his dignity, they could never extinguish the fiery determination in his soul.
George Mitchell Mitchell, a Maine native and graduate of Bowdoin College, served in the U.S. Senate from 1980-95, including the last six years as Majority Leader. He was appointed to complete the un-expired term of Edmund Muskie, who resigned to become Secretary of State, and was elected to full terms in 1982 and 1988. While in the Senate, Mitchell led the Senate to passage of the nation's first childcare bill and was principal author of the low-income housing tax credit program. He was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and a higher education bill, and he led the Senate to ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and creation of the World Trade Organization. He served on the Senate's Finance, Veterans Affairs and Environment and Public Works Committees. Mitchell served as chairman of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, and under his leadership, the governments of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland agreed upon an historic accord ending decades of conflict. In May 1998, the voters of Ireland, North and South, in a referendum, overwhelmingly endorsed the agreement. For his service in Northern Ireland, Mitchell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that the U.S. Government can give, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, the Truman Institute Peace Prize, the German Peace Prize and the United Nations Peace Prize. At the request of the governments of the United States and Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Mitchell served as chairman of an international fact finding committee on violence in the Middle East. Following graduation from Bowdoin in 1954, he served in Berlin, Germany, as an officer in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps until 1956. He received an LLB degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1960. From 1960-62 he was a trial lawyer in the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. From 1962-65 he served as executive assistant to Sen. Muskie. In 1965 he returned to Maine where he engaged in the private practice of law in Portland until 1977. He was then appointed U.S. District Attorney for Maine, a position he held until 1979, when he was appointed U.S. District Judge for Maine. Mitchell is the author of four books. With his colleague, Sen. Bill Cohen of Maine, he wrote Men of Zeal, describing the Iran-Contra investigation. In 1990, he wrote World on Fire, describing the threat of the greenhouse effect and recommending steps to curb it. His next book was Not For America Alone: The Triumph of Democracy and The Fall of Communism. In 1999, Mitchell wrote Making Peace, an account of his experience in Northern Ireland.
Melba Moore Award winning singer, actress and philanthropist, Melba Moore's enduring talent has earned her a rewarding career in theater, television, music and film. She started the Melba Moore Foundation for children because she is devoted to the prevention of child abuse, neglect and illiteracy. Ms. Moore is a positive role model for all people and is a firm believer that through faith all things are possible. Her dynamic lecture is entitled, "Great Inspirations." Tony Award-winning singer and actress Melba Moore returns to her roots with this biographical and beautifully moving one woman, two act musical. Moore captivates the audience with her singing and stories of her life in this poignant and thrilling show.
Leonard Moore Moore has become and outspoken critic of the response to the storm and the slow rebuilding of New Orleans. Moore recently received the prestigious Whitney M. Young Leadership Award at the Urban Leadership Development Conference this year in Atlanta. During his keynote address Moore addressed the “unhealthy balance of putting athletics over academics” in the African-American community. Moore has worked extensively with African-American student athletes at LSU. The Whitney M. Young Center for Urban Leadership is a nonprofit educational institute of the National Urban League. Moore is a frequent commentator and contributor to national and international media outlets, including the Associated Press, “Christian Science Monitor,” “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” National Public Radio, British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and “TIME” magazine. In addition, Moore has made several guest appearances on nationally televised programs such as ESPN’s Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith and 60 Minutes to discuss his upcoming book “An Oreo in Chocolate City,” which focuses on the aftermath of Katrina and Nagin.
Charles A. Moose Montgomery County Police Chief who gained celebrity status after leading one of the nation's most intense criminal investigations, culminating in the capture of the Beltway Snipers. The alleged perpretators terrorized the country after murdering ten people in Maryland and Virginia in October of 2002. Recipient of a Ph.D in urban studies, Charles Moose was police chief of Portland, Oregon before becoming police chief of Montgomery County, Maryland.
Marc Morial Marc H. Morial President and CEO of the National Urban League, succeeding Hugh B. Price, after being selected to by the Board of Trustees on May 15, 2003. Mr. Morial is a respected expert on national policy and its impact on cities, including the arts, transporation and infrastructure, the environment, crime prevention, housing, jobs, and recreation. Prior to being selected to lead the venerable organization, he practiced law with Adams and Reese LLP, the Gulf South's leading law firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Morial also served two distinguished 4-year terms as Mayor of New Orleans from 1994-2002. During that time, he also served as President of the United States Conference of Mayors in 2001 and 2002. As New Orleans chief executive, he was one of the most popular and effective Mayors in the City's history, leaving office with a 70% approval rating. After being elected as one of the youngest mayors in the city's history, crime plummeted by 60%, a corrupt Police Department was reformed, new programs for youth were started, and a stagnant economy was re-energized.Under his watch, 7,000 new hotel rooms were added, and 15,000 new homeowners resulted from his progressive and innovative programs. In his final months in office, he orchestrated the return of the NBA to New Orleans, with the relocation of the Hornets from Charlotte to New Orleans.In addition, the Morial Convention Center was expanded to one of the largest in America, a downtown Sports Arena was built, and over 200 miles of streets were reconstructed, or resurfaced through Morial's far reaching "Rebuild New Orleans Now!" Bond issues which provided funding for nearly $400 million in City, School Board and Criminal Justice System infrastructure improvements. Many of these infrastructure improvements will be completed long after the end of his term, a testament to his long -range planning and management abilities.
Andrew Napolitano Andrew P. Napolitano joined FOX News Channel in May 1998, and currently serves as a senior judicial analyst. He appears daily on The Big Story with John Gibson, co-hosts FOX and Friends once a week and is a regular on The O’Reilly Factor. Napolitano is the youngest life-tenured Superior Court Judge in the history of the State of New Jersey. While on the bench from 1987-95, Judge Napolitano tried over 150 jury trials, and sat in all parts of the Superior Court — Criminal, Civil, Equity and Family. For eleven years, Napolitano served as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School, where he taught constitutional law and jurisprudence. He returned to private law practice in 1995, the same year he began his career in broadcasting. Napolitano received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame.
Jill Nelson Author of the provocative serio-comic memoir, Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience, a funny, sassy and sad book about a contemporary woman trying to reconcile the worlds of work and self. An award winning journalist for The Washington Post, Jill Nelson is a contributor to Ms. magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Her new book is entitled, Straight No Chaser.
Dr. Wade Nobles Dr. Nobles , an experimental social psychologist, is the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Black Family, Life and Culture, Inc. He has a special interest in the social, ethnic and cultural relativity of social science, research and evaluation models. Dr. Nobles is a prominent theoretical scientist in the fields of African Psychology, cross-cultural and ethno-human functioning. He is one of the leading researchers on social systems and psycho-cultural development. In addition to his research interest in the area of African-American family dynamics, his research interest also covers HIV/AIDS and SA Prevention, the psychological aspects of mythology, Black child development, parenting, African Spiritual systems and systems of human transformation and development.
Peggy Noonan Chief speech writer for George Bush during his successful campaign for the Presidency and Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, Peggy Noonan is the best selling author of Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness and What I Saw At The Revolution - A Political Life In The Reagan Years.
Dr. Antonia Novello Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., was nominated by Governor George Pataki and confirmed as the thirteenth Commissioner of Health for the State of New York on June 15, 1999. Dr. Novello was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, and earned her B.S. and M.D. degrees at the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Novello served a pediatric internship and residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and completed subspecialty training in pediatric nephrology at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University. She also earned Masters of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health degrees from Johns Hopkins University. She is a board-certified pediatrician. Dr. Novello has a long and illustrious career in public health. From 1979 to 1990, she worked for the U.S. Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health, where she served in various capacities, rising to Deputy Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In 1990, Dr. Novello was appointed by President George Bush as the U.S. Surgeon General, a position she held until 1993. From 1993 to 1996, Dr. Novello served as the Special Representative for Health and Nutrition with UNICEF. Immediately prior to joining the New York State Department of Health, she served as Visiting Professor and Special Director of Community Health Policies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Novello is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is also Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan and Adjunct Professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Novello is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, the American Pediatrics Society, and the Society for Pediatric Research. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medallion and Medal, Distinguished Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service, the American Medical Association's Nathan B. Davis Award, the National Women's Hall of Fame, the American Academy of Pediatrics Excellence in Public Service Award, the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars Award, the Elizabeth Blackwell Award, the Public Health Service Commissioned Officer's Association Health Leader of the Year Award, the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Scientific Excellence, and the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities Award of Excellence. She holds over 45 honorary degrees.
Charles Ogletree Prominent legal theorist and a professor of law at Harvard University School of Law. A frequent moderator and guest on television news and talkshows, Charles Ogletree has appeared regularly on C-SPAN, PBS, NBC and on other television networks. He lectures on such issues as race relations, crime, social pathologies, education, economic disparities and securing the rights guaranteed by the Constitution for everyone equally under the law.
Edward James Olmos Edward James Olmos an actor Olmos has often become involved in social issues, especially those affecting the Hispanic-American community in the United States. In 1998 Olmos founded Latino Public Broadcasting and currently serves as its Chairman. The Latino Public Broadcasting funds programming for public television which focuses on issues affecting Hispanic-Americans and advocates for diverse prespectives in public television. Also, in 1998, Olmos stared in the uplifting and Latino movie The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, that breaks stereotypes and transcends the normal stigmas of most Latino oriented movies. Olmos also makes frequent appearances at juvenile halls and detention centers to speak to teenagers at risk. He has also been an international ambassador for UNICEF. In 2001, he was arrested and spent 20 days in prison for taking part in the Navy-Vieques protests against United States Navy target practice bombings of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Edward James Olmos in Blade RunnerOlmos played Rafael Leonidas Trujillo in the 2001 movie In the Time of the Butterflies. He also appeared as a recurring character, Justice Mendoza, in the TV series The West Wing. In the early 2000s he starred as the recently widowed father in a Latin L.A.-family, in the PBS drama American Family. Olmos was married to actress Lorraine Bracco, but she filed for divorce in January 2002. He is currently married to actress Lymari Nadal. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2003, he starred as Commander Adama in the Sci Fi Channel mini-series remake of the series Battlestar Galactica and has since appeared in every season of the new Battlestar Galactica TV series. In 2006, Olmos produced and played the bit part of Julian Nava in the HBO movie Walkout about the 1968 Chicano Blowouts.
Gary Orfield Gary Orfield, director of the Harvard Project on School Desegregation and codirector of the Harvard Civil rights Project. Orfield, a professor education and social policy at Harvard, is known for his interest in civil rights, education policy, urban policy and minority opportunity. He writes frequently about standardized testing, changing patterns of school desegregation and the impact of diversity on the educational experiences of law students. His books include: Raising Standards or Raising Barriers: Inequality and High-Stakes in Public Education; and Chilling Admissions: the Affirmative Action Crisis and the Search for Alternatives.
Dr. Rod Paige Dr. Rod Paige served as the 7th U.S. Secretary of Education during President George W. Bush’s first term in office. His vast experience as a practitioner — from the blackboard to the boardroom — paid off during the long hours of work needed to pass President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Now he is leading the charge — in partnership with states and districts — to implement these historic reforms.
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry became America's most successful young playwright and the writer, producer and co-star of the box office hit Diary of a Mad Black Woman. But it was a long hard road. In 1992 Perry wrote letters to himself in an effort to deal with his childhood pain. These would provide the basis for the musical I Know I've Been Changed about adult survivors of child abuse. Tyler Perry saved $12,000 and moved to Atlanta in 1992, where he tried to stage the play. Initially, however, I Know I've Been Changed was a flop. Hardly anyone came to the shows and over the next 6 years, Tyler Perry found himself homeless on several occasions, and doing dozens of different jobs to support his determination that the play would succeed. He had come to the point of giving up on the show, when in 1998, the turning point came. I Know I've Been Changed opened at the House of Blues and sold out eight times over before moving to the Fox Theater where it sold out 9,000 seats for two shows. Since then Tyler Perry has been on a roll. His next production, Woman Thou Art Loosed based on the book by Bishop T.D. Jakes grossed over $5 million in five months. Further productions including I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Behind Closed Doors, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, Madea's Class Reunion, Meet the Browns, and Madea Goes to Jail have meant that the once broke Perry has now earned tens of millions of dollars.
Joe Pistone Posing as jewel thief “Donnie Brasco”, FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone carried out the most audacious sting operation ever, working under-cover for six years to infiltrate the flamboyant and deadly community of Mafia soldiers, “connected guys”, captains, and Godfathers. Pistone is the author of his best-selling autobiography, Donnie Brasco, which was made into a major motion picture of the same name.
Sidney Poitier Poitier is known the world over for his consistent, sensitive and powerful portrayals in such socially charged films as No Way Out, Blackboard Jungle, Something of Value, The Defiant Ones, A Raisin in the Sun, A Patch of Blue, To Sir With Love, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Lilies of the Field and many others. He has been walking tall among Hollywood's most respected and honored stars for more than five decades. He made his motion picture debut in No Way Out, garnered critical acclaim and national recognition in Blackboard Jungle, received his first Academy Award nomination for The Defiant Ones in 1958, and won the coveted Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. In addition to Poitier's personal success, he has been a leading figure among African American achievers. He serves as the Ambassador to Japan from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1968. He has received the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award and the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kevin Powell Kevin Powell is widely considered one of Americas most important voices in these early years of the 21st century. Legendary feminist icon Gloria Steinem proclaimed that "as a charismatic speaker, leader, and a very good writer, Kevin Powell has the courage...to be fully human, and this will bring the deepest revolution of all." Famed scholar and social critic Dr. Michael Eric Dyson has called Powell "a mighty wind of fresh air." Kevin Powell is an activist, poet, journalist, essayist, editor, cultural curator, hiphop historian, songwriter, music producer, public speaker, political consultant and fundraiser, and businessman. A product of extreme poverty, welfare, fatherlessness, and a single mother-led household, he is a native of Jersey City, New Jersey and was educated at New Jerseys Rutgers University. Kevin Powell is a longtime resident of Brooklyn, New York, and it is from his base in New York City that Powell has published six books, including his current title, Whos Gonna Take The Weight? Manhood, Race, and Power in America, which is an Essence magazine bestseller. His next project, Someday Will All Be Free, will hit in 2006 and will feature essays on the 2004 presidential election, September 11th, and Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast tragedy. Powell is also at work on his childhood memoir, homeboy alone, slated for 2008. Additionally, Powell is compiling his second volume of poetry, My Own Private Ghetto, and The Kevin Powell Reader, which will highlight the first twenty years of his literary career. Indeed, he has written numerous essays, articles, and reviews over the past two decades for publications such as Newsweek, The Washington Post, Essence, Code, Rolling Stone, The Amsterdam News, and Vibe, where he was a founding staff member and served as a senior writer. It was at Vibe that Powell interviewed and profiled a number of hiphop icons including, most famously, the late Tupac Shakur on several occasions.
Sheryl Lee Ralph Popular Broadway, television and movie star, Sheryl Lee Ralph is no stranger to success; but among Black actresses, she may be the exception. She has starred in "It's A Living;" her own series "New Attitude;" in the comedy, "Designing Women;" and in the hit series, "Moesha." Her film credits include, "Sister Act II," "The Flintstones," "The Mighty Quinn," "Mistress," "The Distinguished Gentleman," "White Man's Burden," "Witch Hunt," and "Bogus" with Whoopi Goldberg.
Barbara Reynolds Award-winning journalist, nationally syndicated columnist, television news commentator and an ordained minister. She is the author of two books, Jesse Jackson: America's David; and And Still We Rise, a book which includes interviews with fifty Black American role models.
Robin Roberts ABC sports commentator on "Good Morning America" and host of ESPN's Sports Center, Robin Roberts is one of the most versatile commentators in sports. She is also the current host for the Emmy Award winning anthology program, "ABC's Wide World of Sports."
Terrence Roberts Terrence Roberts was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1941. He attended Dunbar Junior High School and Horace Mann High School before enrolling at Little Rock Central High School as a junior in September 1957 as one of the "Little Rock Nine", a group of African American high school students who were the first to integrate the city's racially segregated schools. As a result of the subsequent closing of Little Rock's high schools during the 1958-1959 school year, Roberts completed his senior year at Los Angeles High School in Los Angeles, California. He continued his education at California State University in Los Angeles and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in 1967. He received his Master's degree in social welfare from the UCLA School of Social Welfare in 1970, and his Ph.D. in psychology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1976. Roberts joined the Antioch University Los Angeles in 1993 and served as core faculty and co-chair of the Master of Arts in Psychology program, before retiring in 2008. He also runs his private psychology practice in Pasadena, CA. In addition, he is CEO of the management-consulting firm, Terrence J Roberts & Associates. Terrence Roberts was prominently featured on the day Barack Obama was inaugurated as the forty fourth president of the United States of America.
Mary Robinson Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and more recently United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is the superb example of a woman politician who puts her humanity very much at the forefront of her politics. She is currently the president of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, chairs the Council of Women World Leaders and is a member of the Global Commission on International Migration. As an academic, legislator and barrister, Robinson has always sought to use law as an instrument for social change, arguing landmark cases before the European Court of Human Rights as well as in the Irish courts and the European Court in Luxembourg. In 1988, Robinson and her husband, Nicholas Robinson, founded the Irish Centre for European Law at the University of Dublin, where she has served as chancellor since 1998. She was a member of the Irish senate from 1969-89 before her election as president (1990-97). Robinson served as the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002. Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary-general, said of Robinson's tenure as high commissioner: "The job of United Nations HIgh Commissioner for Human Rights is not for the faint of heart ... (Mary) brought to the task a leader's vision, a lawyer's precision and a believer's conviction ... she was able to convey the very essence of human rights ... And she never shied away from controversial issues ... When Mary left the United Nations in 2002, she left the world a better place than she had found it." Her newest project, the Ethical Globalization Initiative, is supported by a partnership of the Aspen Institute, Columbia University and the Swiss-based International Council on Human Rights Policy. Its goal is to bring the norms and standards of human rights into the globalization process and to support capacity building in good governance in developing countries. The recipient of numerous honors and awards throughout the world, President Robinson is a member of the Royal Irish Academy and the American Philosophical Society and is Honorary President of Oxfam International as well as Penal Reform International. A member of the Club of Madrid (a group of former heads of state and government), Robinson was educated at the University of Dublin (Trinity College), King's Inns Dublin, and Harvard Law School. She holds honorary doctorates from more than 40 universities around the world. Since 2004, Robinson has been Professor of Practice in International Affairs at Columbia University, where she teaches international human rights. She was named one of Glamour's Women of the Year in 2005
Richard Rodriguez Rodriguez is an important American essayist, known for writing about the intersection of personal life with some of the difficult cultural issues facing America today. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed books Hunger of Memory (an autobiographical memoir read in many high schools and colleges), Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father and Brown: The Last Discovery of America. As a journalist, Rodriguez worked with the Pacific News Service in San Francisco and was a contributing editor with Harper’s Magazine and the Sunday “Opinion” section of the Los Angeles Times. In 1993, Rodriguez was given the Frankel Medal (now renamed “The National Humanities Medal”), the highest honor the federal government gives to recognize work done in the humanities. In 1997, his televised essays on American life, featured on PBS’ “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” were honored with a George Peabody Award.
Loretta Ross Loretta J. Ross Womens Rights are Human Rights Loretta J. Ross is a founder and the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, composed of 70 women of color organizations across the country. She was the Co-Director of the April 25, 2004 National March for Womens Lives in Washington D.C., the largest protest in U.S. history. She is also the co-author of Undivided Right: Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice (2004, South End Press). Ross areas of expertise are reproductive rights, human rights, womens issues, diversity issues, hate groups and bias crimes. Ross is the founder and former Executive Director of the National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE), a training and resource center for grassroots activists on using human rights education to address social injustices in the United States. Prior to that, from 1990 to 1995, she served as the national program research director for the Atlanta-based Center for Democratic Renewal (CDR) (formerly the National Anti-Klan Network). CDR is a national, non-profit clearinghouse for information on hate groups and bigoted violence, including the Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazi movement. Ross directed specific projects on far right organizations in South Africa and Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi involvement in anti-abortion violence in the U.S. Rosss involvement in women’s health issues was initiated as a result of a personal triumph. She was one of the first African American women to direct the first rape crisis center in the United States in the 1970s. Womens human rights are of significant concern for Ross because she was sterilized at age 23. Ross was also one of the first black women to win a suit against A.H. Robins, manufacturer of the Dalkon Shield that sterilized thousands of women worldwide. As an advocate for social justice, she has coordinated several conferences that address the reproductive rights movement and violence against Third World women. She co-coordinated the first national conference on Violence Against Third World Women in 1980. From 1985 to 1989, she served as the Director of Women of Color Programs for the National Organization for Women. She also organized a second “first,” a national conference on Women of Color and Reproductive Rights in 1987. She successfully organized women of color delegations for the massive pro-choice marches sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1986 and 1989. In 1990, she coordinated the first national conference of African American Women and Reproductive Rights as Program Director for the National Black Women’s Health Project. The year 1989 was marked by the publication of a popular brochure for African American women called “We Remember.” A quarter million copies were distributed in a project she co-coordinated with Donna Brazile, then director of the National Political Congress of Black Women. Ross is co-author, with 3 other writers, of the book Beyond the Politics of Inclusion: Women of Color in the Reproductive Rights Movement (2004, South End Press). She is currently authoring a book on a black women’s activism in the reproductive rights movement called Black Abortion. Other writing projects include editorials for the Progressive Media Project for the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain and she serves as a political analyst for Pacifica News Service and Alternative Radio. Ross has appeared on talk shows such as The Donahue Show, The Charlie Rose Show, CNN, BET Lead Story, and Good Morning America. She has also been featured in Emerge Magazine, Biography Magazine, San Antonio Express News, and the Los Angeles Times. For the last two years, she has also been collecting oral histories of elder feminists of color for archives at Smith College. Ross was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and the Food and Drug Administration on women’s health and human rights issues. She served eight years on the Washington D.C. Commission for Women. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Foundation for African American Women, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the Committee on Women, Population and the Environment, and SisterLove Women’s AIDS Project. Ross received an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law degree in 2003 from Arca
Patricia Russell-McCloud Human rights activist, attorney and motivational speaker, Patricia Russell-McCloud is recognized as one of the most powerful speakers in America today. Ms. Russell-McCloud has the extraordinary ability to challenge and motivate her listeners into progressive action.
Sonia Sanchez Leading Black poet and playwright, Sonia Sanchez's topics include Revolutionary Black Poetry; Black Art and Culture in America; The Black Women in the Liberation Struggle; and Poetry Readings. She is featured in the book and exhibit "Dream a World, Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America."
Esmeralda Santiago ESMERALDA SANTIAGO was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She came to the United States at thirteen, the eldest in a family that would eventually include eleven children. Ms. Santiago attended New York City’s Performing Arts High School, where she majored in drama and dance. After eight years of part-time study at community colleges, she transferred to Harvard University with a full scholarship. She graduated magna cum laude in 1976. In 1977, she and her husband, Frank Cantor, founded CANTOMEDIA, a film and media production company, which has won numerous awards for excellence in documentary filmmaking. Her writing career evolved from her work as a producer/writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have run in newspapers like the New York Times and the Boston Globe, in magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home, and Sports Illustrated, and as guest commentary on NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Upon publication of her first book, the memoir When I was Puerto Rican, Ms. Santiago was hailed as “…a welcome new voice, full of passion and authority,” by the Washington Post Book World. Her first novel, América's Dream, was published in six languages, and was an Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild. “Thrilling and page turning, the fabulous story of América Gonzalez…is laid out masterfully,” according to the Chicago Tribune. Her second memoir, Almost a Woman, received numerous “Best of Year” mentions, in addition to an Alex Award from the American Library Association. Her adaptation of the memoir into a film for PBS Masterpiece Theatre, was greeted with critical and audience acclaim and was awarded a George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. Her third memoir, The Turkish Lover, has received enthusiastic reviews as “an earthy, heartfelt tale of liberation, desperation, and the crippling grip of love.” (Booklist) It was selected a BookSense recommendation for September 2004 and appeared on several “Best of 2004” lists. With Joie Davidow, Ms. Santiago is co-editor of the anthologies, Las Christmas: Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories and Las Mamis: Favorite Latino Authors Remember their Mothers both published by Knopf. She is also the author of the illustrated children’s book, A Doll for Navidades. In addition to her literary endeavors, Ms. Santiago is an active volunteer. She is a spokesperson on behalf of public libraries. She has designed and developed community-based programs for adolescents, and was one of the founders of a shelter for battered women and their children. She serves on the boards of organizations devoted to the arts and to literature, and speaks vehemently about the need to encourage and support the artistic development of young people. Her community activism was cited when she received a Girl Scouts of America National Woman of Distinction Award in March 2002 along with Alma Powell and Elizabeth Dole. Ms. Santiago has earned a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and Honorary Doctor of Letters from Trinity University, from Pace University and from Metropolitan College. The mother of two adult children, she lives in Westchester County, New York, with her husband, filmmaker Frank Cantor. She’s currently at work on a novel.
Bobby Seale With the success of Mario Van Peebles' film Panther, a new generation of film-goers discovered the lives and legacies of the Black Panthers. But until you've heard and seen legendary co-founder Bobby Seale, you still haven't experienced the real story. Co-founder and former chairman of the Black Panther Party, Seale is the last surviving architect of one of the most important movements in American and African-American history. Together with Huey P. Newton, Seale formed the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in 1966. They advocated the right to self-defense and moved to organize a realistic "Power to the People" revolution, putting their lives on the line against institutionalized racism, discrimination and police brutality. They began with only 400 members, but Seale's national membership drive swelled the ranks to over 5,000, in over 40 chapters and branches across America. Taking to the stage with his famous charisma and eloquence, he sheds light on the true birth of the Panthers (which grew from student activism, not the streets), transporting the audience back to the turbulence of the late '60s and early '70s, when the image of young black men with guns was unheard of. "Today, you don't need the guns," charges Bobby. "If you want to observe the police, do it with a camcorder!" Dubbing himself a "revolutionary humanist," Seale also brings the movement full circle, showing how times have changed, and giving a rousing call for a new '90s breed of social and political activism.
Joseph Sebarenzi Joseph Sebarenzi, former head of the Rwanda Parliament, he has endured tragedy most of us cannot fathom. He lost both his parents, seven siblings, and numerous other relatives in the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Yet, years later, as a senior government official in a position to exact revenge, he instead pushed for peace and reconciliation. "Revenge is like adding guilt to victim hood." says Sebarenzi. "It solves nothing. At some point, we have to ignore the past and envision the future." Sebarenzi grew up in Rwanda, and as a child saw glimpses of the tribal violence which years later would engulf his country. In 1994, when Hutu extremists slaughtered more than 800,000 Tutsis, Sebarenzi and his immediate family were safely out of the country, but many of Sebarenzi's extended family were not so lucky. Returning to Rwanda, Sebarenzi rose through the ranks of Parliament, eventually becoming Speaker, third in power only to the country's president. As the leader of parliament, Sebarenzi worked to improve good governance, speaking out for the independence of the legislature and against corruption in the government. Forced to resign, and Informed of a plot to assassinate him, he fled Rwanda and found exile in the United States. He still champions a broad process of restorative justice in Rwanda as the country struggles with the ongoing effects of mass genocide and retaliatory killing among its Hutu and Tutsi people. Sebarenzi teaches conflict resolution at the School for International Training, lectures on his experiences, consults, and works toward his PhD. Sebarenzi has also been an executive for national and international nonprofit organizations and a regular speaker on BBC and Voice of America. He plans to return to Rwanda eventually, and hopes his home country will soon be a safe place for people of all races, creeds and heritages. For his college lectures, Sebarenzi tells his dramatic and historic story, and imparts a message of peace and forgiveness. This unforgettable and emotional program is perfect for International Studies departments, Genocide Programs, African Studies, Multi-Cultural Programs, Peace Groups, Progressive Groups, Christian organizations and keynote lectures. Whatever your group, Joseph Sebarenzi is a man of peace and grace whose message will not soon be forgotten.
Ilyasah Shabazz Ilyasah Shabazz (pronounced ILL-YAH-SAH SHA-BOZZ) leads a life dedicated to four passions: 1) the continued growth and understanding of her Family Legacy; 2) Education; 3) Government, and 4) the enrichment and balance that Entertainment provides for a full life. Following in the footsteps of her parents, Ilyasah Shabazz is working to convey a message of self-empowerment to future generations. She is currently leading a team of individuals to resurrect the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center at The Audubon, the place of her father’s assassination in 1965. Inspired by her father’s Legacy to appreciate her rich heritage and nurtured by her mother’s unending perseverance and strength, Ilyasah is indeed a compassionate humanitarian. In the field of Education, Ilyasah was led to the post of Assistant Coordinator for the Office of Academic Affairs - City University of New York, where she organized training programs to encourage higher education for inner-city at-risk youth. Her most prized project includes an interactive youth publication entitled, "The Way We Feel." Ilyasah has both tutored and mentored at various academic and lock-up facilities. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Education & Human Resource Development and a Bachelors of Science in Biology. In the area of Government, Ilyasah served on the Executive Youth Board for the City of Mount Vernon, New York and is presently the Director of Cultural Affairs. She further served as an official member of the United States Delegation that accompanied President Bill Clinton on the historic tour of South Africa. Ilyasah has also retraced her father’s footsteps to the Pyramids and Sphinx of Ghizeh in Egypt and explored religious and historical sites in Jordan. Extensive travels to Africa, the "Middle East", Europe, the Caribbean and throughout the United States, inform Ilyasah’s unique brand of teaching about world history and culture. With a diverse career in the Entertainment Industry, Ms. Shabazz believes that entertainment fosters a more balanced and harmonious lifestyle, and can also serve as a powerful tool to reach and teach the young people of the world. She has served as Vice President for SME Entertainment, Director of Operations for KEDAR Entertainment, Coordinator of Promotions & Marketing for Pendulum Records (a Time Warner Division), and Assistant Music Agent for the William Morris Agency. She has had small Acting Roles on ABC Soaps’ All My Children and One Life to Live, and has appeared in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever. Shabazz also worked for 40 Acres + a Mule Film Works (a Spike Lee company) during the filming of X as an assistant technical advisor and Production Assistant.
Afeni Shakur A member of the Black Panther Party, Afeni Shakur co-founded the National Task Force during the 1970's; an organization encouraging anti-government misconduct lawsuits. The mother of the late Tupac Shakur, Afeni lectures about her life as a Black Panther and many of the other trials and tribulations in what she calls Poetic Healing.
Al Sharpton Reverend Al Sharpton refashioned Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s strategy on non-violent protest into a tactic of urban civil disobedience. He has led countless marches in support of racial justice and peace and is an outspoken advocate for the victims of racial attacks, police brutality and anti-gay violence.
Barbara Sizemore Highly respected educator, Barbara Sizemore was the former Superintendent of Schools of the District of Columbia. She addresses such topics as "The Racial Crisis in American Education;" and "Cultural Pluralism in Education."
Rodney Slater Rodney Slater was President Clinton's Secretary of Transportation and prior to that was the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.
B. Smith TV personality, restauranteur and author, B. Smith is the host of "B. Smith With Style", a half-hour nationally syndicated television series that is now in its fourth season and currently airs in 207 markets nationwide and 22 countries. In addition to hosting her own show, Barbara has created a new lifestyle magazine entitled B. Smith Style. Smith also the owner of three successful B. Smith Restaurants in New York and Washington D.C. She is the author of B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends and B. Smith: Rituals and Celebrations. She was the first African-American woman to grace the cover of Mademoiselle and has appeared on five Essence and Ebony covers.
Sister Souljah Rapper, organizer, activist, lecturer, and creator of the epic album, "360 Degrees of Power," Sister Souljah has lectured all over the world. In the United States, she has stirred audiences from Harvard to Howard to UCLA. She is the author of No Disrespect.
Dr. Niara Sudarkasa Dr. Sudarkasa, scholar in residence at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, previously served for nearly 12 years as president of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. A renowned anthropologist, Dr. Sudarkasa is an authority on the roles of African women, Yoruba trade and migration in West Africa, and African and African‑American family structure. She was an assistant professor at New York University and at the University of Michigan, where she rose to full professor. She also served as associate vice president for academic affairs at Michigan, directed the Center for AfroAmerican and African Studies, and was a research scientist at the Center for Research on Economic Development. A former Senior Fulbright Research Fellow and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Sudarkasa has served on 20 state and national boards, including the inaugural USIA Trilateral Task Force on North American Education, linking the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Kristin Clark Taylor White House Director of Media Relations in the Bush administration and the first African American woman in American history to hold that position. A journalist, Kristin Clark Taylor helped create and launch USA Today and was a founding member of the newspaper's Editorial Board. She is the author of her autobiography, The First to Speak: A Woman of Color Inside the White House.
Susan L Taylor Susan L. Taylor has been the driving force behind one of the most celebrated African American owned business success stories of the past three decades. She is the senior editorial executive at the venerable communications company and writes the popular In the Spirit column each month. She is currently working on her newest book, All about Love: Favorite Selections from in the Spirit on Living Fearlessly. The book draws from the 25 years of her In the Spirit column. A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Taylor was the founder of her own company, Nequai Cosmetics, before becoming Essence fashion and beauty editor and, in 1981, its Editor-in-Chief. She is the author of three books: In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor, Lessons in Living and Confirmation: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives, the latter coauthored with her husband, Khephra Burns. She is also a greatly sought-after speaker, delivering inspiring messages of hope and possibility that encourage us to reclaim and reorient our lives and society and create peaceful, productive, sustainable communities. In 1999 Taylor became the first African American woman to receive The Henry Johnson Fisher Award from the Magazine Publishers of America, the magazine industry's highest honor. In 2002 Taylor was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame, which celebrates the career-long records of excellence, creativity and impact of a select group of highly influential magazine journalists. Taylor's visionary leadership was acknowledged when NAACP President Bruce presented her with his first President's Award in 2006. She is an avid supporter of a host of organizations dedicated to moving the Black community forward. Her passion and focus are on creating equity in education and turning around the nation's failing schools, which, she says are "the pipeline to prison." Taylor has received more than a dozen honorary degrees from numerous colleges and universities, including Lincoln University, Spelman College, Dillard University, Bennett College for Women, the University of Delaware and her alma mater, Fordham University. Most recently Taylor has been focusing her attention on the Essence Cares initiative. She launched this call to action to the African American community at the 2006 Essence Music Festival. It is a massive mentoring campaign that asks every able adult and our leadershipelected and appointed officials, educators, business, religious and secular leaders and college students to rally their communities to guide and secure our vulnerable children who are crying out for help. The goal is to create the largest mentoring campaign in the history of the nation and increase high school graduation rates among African American students by 10 percent annually. Taylor is also a cofounder of The Future PAC, the first national political action committee devoted to providing progressive African American women opportunities to hold more federal and state political offices by creating a network of support and funding. In addition, Taylor and Danny Glover co-chair a capital campaign to raise money to build housing in the rural areas of South Africa. She serves on the board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, DC, and is an official on the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which she joined to assist the devastated people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.
George Tinker Native American activist, theologian and author, George Tinker ar­ticulates a Native American Christian Theology which is relevant to many indigenous peoples. Topics include The Columbus Quincen­tennary, Native American spirituality, sovereignty, solidarity and other issues.
Chief Justice Tom Tso A leading Native American jurist, Chief Justice Tom Tso served for many years as Chief Justice of the Navaho Court. The Indian court system is independent of the U.S. court system and Chief Justice Tso is an active lobbyist to protect the individual and tribal rights of Native Americans.
Judy Scales Trent Law professor, attorney and author of Notes of a White Black Woman: Race, Color, Community, which describes a hidden part of the Black experience in America by exploring what it is like to be a "white" Black woman and to live simultaneously inside and outside of both white and Black communities.
Tom Tso Tom Tso played a pioneering role in establishing modern Anglo-American law and legal processes in the Navajo Nation while upholding tribal values, independence, and integrity. As the first Chief Justice of the Navajo Nation Supreme Court at its establishment 1985, Tom served as its widely respected leader until his disability retirement in 1991. After graduating from high school in 1965, Tom served as a Marine, earning the Purple Heart in 1966 for wounds he sustained as a sergeant in Vietnam. His training in legal services began in 1970, at the Navajo Legal Aid and Defender Services, where he was an interpreter, investigator, and court advocate. In 1978, he was appointed director of the Tribal Law and Development Litigation Unit of Department of Native Affairs-People's Legal Services, Inc. In March 1982, Tom was appointed District Court Judge, where he presided over civil, criminal, and juvenile cases for four years before being appointed Chief Justice of the Navajo Nation. At his confirmation in 1985, Tom said, "No person can be guaranteed fairness and impartiality from the courts unless the judges and courts are free to carry out their duties without the possibility of any type of influence from any other person or government body." Because the Navajo Nation operates without a constitution, there has been serious debate about the role of the tribal courts in deciding legal issues about the structure of the Navajo Nation government. Tom's calm and steady efforts to maintain the independence and primacy of the Navajo judiciary over Navajo Nation affairs and to keep the court's focus on its judicial mission amid intense controversy won praise from every quarter. Tom rejects the melting pot image where "everybody blends together to form an indistinguishable mixture. This is fine for people who come to this country and want to jump into the pot. The real measure of tolerance and respect may well be how successfully the outside world can coexist with tribes." Tom has been particularly successful in helping non-Native Americans better understand the Navajo emphasis on traditional relationships with nature and the effect this has on cases involving natural resources and the environment.
Walter J. Turnbull Named one of the "15 Greatest Men on Earth" by McCall's magazine, Dr. Walther Turnbull is the founder of the internationally acclaimed Boys Choir of Harlem. Over the past 25 years, he has developed a successful formula for educating inner city children. He has redirected the lives of thousands of young men from Harlem with his philosophy and discipline. Dr. Turnbull has great vision and a successful record in motivating and educating inner city youth.
Omar Tyree A New York Times best-selling author and 2001 NAACP Image Award recipient, Omar Tyree has sold more than 1.6 million copies of books worldwide. He has been recognized as one of the most renowned contemporary writers in the African-American community. Tyree has recently completed work on his15th novel,The Last Street Novel, which is set to hit national bookshelves in July. Hes written 14 novels, including his Urban Griot series, which features raw material geared towards urban male readership. As an author, journalist, performance poet, songwriter, screenwriter, entrepreneur, creative genius and an energetic and fiery speaker, Tyree is no stranger to the world of contemporary urban influence. Tyree became one of the dominant literary self-promoters of the 1990s, leading to offers of publishing deals by a number of influential mainstream book publishers. In 1995, he signed a lucrative two book arrangement with publishing powerhouse Simon & Schuster. Tyrees journey as an entrepreneur began in his early 20s when he started the book publishing company Mar Productions, to release his earliest works of fiction. His entrepreneurial ventures have evolved to: Hot Lava Entertainment, a synergy production company for books, music and film. Recently Tyree released his first movie The Lure of Young Women which is available on DVD nationwide. As an orator, Tyrees passion for his work ignites his audience. Both thought-provoking and veraciously entertaining, Tyree executes compelling commentary on topics such as The State of Urban Literature where he expounds on contemporary literature including his own work, Leslie, which takes place in New Orleans and has received adequate reader attention post-Hurricane Katrina. A staunch believer in literary integrity, Tyree challenges authors of fiction and non fiction to address issues in the community rather than simply capitalize from exploitive topics in their work. Additional speaking topics for Tyree includes: The Life of MLK Jr., and "Images of Women in the Media. In his latest lecture, The Equation for Life, Tyree weaves together a full-proof formula for attaining life long success in business as well as everyday living. One attendee who heard the lecture commented, Omar Tyrees equation for life speech made me rethink my whole life it has given me the focus I need. An accompanying CD, Book and DVD for The Equation for Life, will be available in 2008. Tyrees articles have been published in the Washington Post, Essence, Upscale, Black Collegian, Washington Times and Black Issues Book Review. A graduate of the prestigious Howard University, Tyree plans to reestablish his college age roots by doing magazine features focusing on community, culture, entertainment, politics, and new wave intellectualism. Tyree is presently creating business partnerships with the initiative of adapting several of his novels into feature films. He is also in negotiations to launch a talk show that highlights contemporary notable authors and their die hard readers.
Rebecca Walker Rebecca Walker is a best-selling author, an acclaimed speaker and teacher, and an award-winning visionary and activist in the fields of intergenerational feminism, enlightened masculinity, and transformational human awareness. When she was just twenty-five, Time Magazine named her one of the fifty most influential future leaders of Americaan award which has since been followed by many others, including the Women Who Could Be President Award from the League of Women Voters, the Champion of Choice Award from CARAL, and the Women of Distinction Award from the American Association of University Women. In 1995 Rebecca published her first anthology, To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism, which has been in print for more than ten years. Called a "seminal text of Third Wave feminism," To Be Real is taught in Women's Studies programs around the world. In 2002, Rebecca's memoir, Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self, became an international bestseller and won the Alex Award from the American Library Association. People Magazine called Black, White, and Jewish, "A heartbreaking tale of self-creation Walker masterfully illuminates differences between black and white America." A second anthology, What Makes a Man: 22 Writers Imagine The Future, was published in 2004 to similar acclaim: "Walker has done society at large a great service by bringing forth these voices, these views." (Booklist) Rebecca is a popular speaker on campuses and in business settings around the world. She has lectured at more than 300 universities including Harvard, Oberlin, MIT, and Stanford, and addressed dozens of organizations including the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Ministries of Culture and Gender of Estonia, at the first-ever Conference on Masculinity in the Baltics. She's been a consultant for Sony Music, Microsoft and JP Morgan Chase, and has been featured on Charlie Rose and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Rebecca has written for blogs and magazines, including Harper's, Salon, Glamour, Essence, and Buddhadharma, and her essays are widely anthologized. She has taught the art of memoir at workshops, MFA programs, and writing conferences nationwide. For writers developing non-fiction manuscripts, Rebecca offers consultation on theme, voice and structure, helping take projects from concept to manuscript to publication. In December of 2004 Rebecca gave birth to a son, Tenzin, whose arrival is the subject of a new memoir, Baby Love, forthcoming from Riverhead Books in 2007.
Xu Wenli One of China's most recognized pro-democracy advocates, Mr. Xu spent 16 years in prison for his activities as a dissident. He was a leader in the Democracy Wall movement from 1979 to 1981, edited the samizdat-style journal April Fifth Forum, and played a major role in establishing the Beijing-Tianjin branch of the China Democracy Party. Mr. Xu's health suffered while in prison. In reaction to his declining condition, international human rights groups, the U.S. ambassador to China, and Western officials called for his release. The Chinese government finally relented and released him on medical grounds in December 2002. He and his wife left China immediately for the United States to be reunited with their daughter, Xu Jin, who lives in Rhode Island.
Cornel West One of Americas most gifted and provocative public intellectuals, Dr. Cornel West's writing, speaking, and teaching weaves together the American traditions of the Black Baptist Church, progressive politics, and jazz. Dr. West graduated from Harvard in three years, magna cum laude, and Martin Kilson, one of Dr. West?s professors, recalls him as the most intellectually aggressive and highly cerebral student I have taught in my 30 years here.? He has published 17 books and edited 13 text. In his major bestseller, Race Matters, philosopher Dr. Cornel West burst onto the national scene with his searing analysis of the scars of racism in American democracy. Race Matters has become a contemporary classic, having sold more than 400,000 copies. Praised by The New York Times for his ?ferocious moral vision,? Dr. West speaks with an utterly distinctive voice about the thorniest social and political issues of our day and bridges the gap between black and white opinion. In Democracy Matters, Dr. West returns to the analysis of the arrested development of democracy?both in America and in the crisis-ridden Middle East. In a strikingly original diagnosis, he argues that if America is to become a better steward of democratization around the world, we must first wake up to the long history of imperialist corruption that has plagued our own democracy. Dr. West is Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton University. He has held previous positions at Union Theological Seminary, Yale University, Harvard University and the University of Paris. Dr. West was an influential force in developing the storyline for the popular Matrix trilogy. Not only is he the spokesperson for this box-office hit series, Dr. West also had recurring roles in the final two volumes. Speech Topics: *The African American Century: What Next? *Reflections on Hip-Hop: The Role of Black *Music in American Culture *Democracy Matters *Heart of American Darkness *Race Matters
Floyd Red Crow Westerman Popular Native American actor who portrayed the venerable Chief Ten Bears in the award winning hit movie "Dances With Wolves." An activist and folk singer, Floyd Red Crown Westerman has made many film and television appearances and recorded two folk albums. As a leader in the North American Indian movement, he is actively involved in working for the recognition of treaty, land, and religious rights.
Bryan H. Barrows WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING? Bryan H. Barrows, III, Master of Speech & Communications, will be touring his powerful one-man show this January and February. "WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING?" tells the story of the evolution of the civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s place in it. Barrows, a master of storytelling, has been performing the original play since 1988. In the story, Barrows portrays Aaron, an old man who is appalled to learn that his grandson doesn't know who Martin Luther King, Jr. was. Aaron decides that it is his duty to educate the boy. "What has happened to the dream when the dreamer is no longer with us?" Aaron sighs as he begins his tale. As the story progresses, we relive life in America in the '60s: Rosa Parks, The Montgomery Bus Boycott, the riots, The March on Washington, and the final days of the assassinated civil rights leader. A high point is Barrow's presentation of King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Mr. Barrows has performed at colleges and educational institutions, churches, libraries, and museums across America. "My most amazing audience was at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin--" he said, "--there were over 1,500 teenagers at the program . . . I was surprised at how much they got into the show. They caught all of the jokes--even the ones that adults sometimes don't!--and they were very knowledgeable about Dr. King, the Movement and, of course, Malcolm X . . . a man mentioned extensively in the play."
Roger Wilkins Wilkins attended the University of Michigan, receiving his B.A. in 1953 and his J.D. in 1956, interning with Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund. Following graduation, Wilkins worked in several capacities as an advocate for justice. Beginning his career as a caseworker in the Ohio Welfare Department, Wilkins went on to work for the U.S. Agency for International Development and then as assistant attorney general under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Wilkins' interest in legal issues and equality stems partially from his family's background. His uncle, Roy Wilkins, was executive secretary of the NAACP from 1955 to 1977. However, Wilkins is perhaps best known for his role in exposing Watergate in the 70s a feat that earned him the Pulitzer Prize along with Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein and Hal Herblock. Currently a network radio commentator for NPR and the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History and American Culture at George Mason University, Wilkins has had a distinguished career that has spanned government, law, philanthropy, and journalism. He has authored two books, written at least 60 book reviews and op-ed pieces for major American papers, published articles in two-dozen magazines, and conceived, written, and narrated two Frontline documentaries. In addition to his Pulitzer, he holds ten honorary degrees, and has served on more than five boards, including those of the NAACP and the African-American Institute. In 1990, he was the national coordinator of Nelson Mandelas visit to the United States. After five years in New York, he forsook the Big Apple for the nations capital, and began a career in the U.S. government that would span the next seven years. During this time, his work took him through three different government agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Justice. He eventually rose to serve as the assistant attorney general of the United States at the Department of Justice from 1966-69 before leaving his career in government. After a three-year commitment to philanthropic work, during which time he served as the program officer in charge of social development for the Ford Foundation, he embarked on what was to become his second major, and equally successful, career as an editor and commentator for newspaper and radio in New York and Washington. After a short time as a member of the editorial page staff at the Washington Post, he returned to New York City for five years (1974-79), where he was a member of the editorial board of the New York Times. Never quite able to resist the lure of D.C.s dual power and charm, he returned in 1980 to assume the role of associate editor of the Washington Star. From there, he quickly moved to CBS News, where he became network radio commentator. In 1990, he became network radio commentator for National Public Radio a role he continues to this day.
Vanessa Williams A former host of VH-1, Vanessa Williams was the first Black woman to win the Miss America Pageant. A talented actress and singer, her record albums, "The Right Stuff" and "The Comfort Zone," quickly climbed to the top of the charts.
Armstrong Williams A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. He is the host of The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. He is the author of Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier. A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Williams is Chief Executive Officer of Graham Williams Group, an international public relations firm based in Washington, D.C. Clients of the Graham Williams Group include corporations and individuals from the business community, entertainment industry and political arena, such as Century 21, Computerland executive Terry Giles and poet laureate Maya Angelou. Williams is also a former partner in Premier Limousine, Garden Grove Toyota and Onyx Travel.In addition, he hosts The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. For The Right Side, Williams was voted into Vanity Fair magazine's 1996 Hall of Fame as one of the most visible radio voices in America. The show was also on television on the National Empowerment Television Network, which featured interviews with many of the same stimulating guests and topics broadcast on the radio. Past guests of the programs have included former Vice-President Dan Quayle, Hollywood "Mogul" Norman Lear, Presidential Candidate Malcolm S. Forbes, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and Reverend Robert Schuler. Williams has appeared on a number of acclaimed television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Crossfire, Firing Line with William Buckley, America's Black Forum and The Today Show, and is a frequent guest on several shows on networks such as CNN, CSPAN, ABC, CBS, FOX and CNBC. His book Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier was published by Free Press in May 1995. Williams is also the author of Letters to a Young Victim: Hope and Healing in America's Inner Cities, a moving account of the relationship between Williams and a fellow inner-city youth named Brad. Together, through correspondence, they broke down the dependency barriers that restrain many of us from achieving our goals. A third-generation conservative Republican with a long history of political involvement, Williams has worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Strom Thurmond and served as a confidential assistant to (now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court) Chairman Clarence Thomas of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Congressmen Carroll Campbell and Floyd Spence.Highly opinionated in print, Williams is a syndicated columnist with The Los Angeles Times Syndicate and is read in many major newspapers across the country including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, The Detroit Free Press, The Boston Globe and his hometown newspaper, The Marion Star-Mullins Enterprise. Additionally, he is a frequent guest columnist for USA Today and Reader's Digest.Williams is a native of Marion, South Carolina, and a 1981 graduate of South Carolina State College. His views and opinions continually raise the American conscience as he discusses issues such as the abolishment of welfare, the restoration of morality in today's society and the key to "Right Living."
Juan Williams With uncompromising integrity and insight into issues and ideas that dictate our nation’s discourse, Juan Williams has risen to the top of the media as one of our most accomplished writers, thinkers, and journalists. Bridging the political spectrum with ease, Williams conveys a knowledgeable perspective of the news that is grounded in the truth and the facts. With a breadth of experience spanning over 20 years at The Washington Post, where he served as an award-winning editorial writer, op-ed columnist and White House correspondent, to his current role as Senior Correspondent for NPR and a political analyst for FoxNews, Williams understands the hot button topics that affect the way we live and do business. As an Emmy winner for television documentary writing, Williams has won widespread critical acclaim. He has written six highly regarded books on the state of our nation, including Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America - and What We Can Do About It, igniting nationwide debate with his point blank analysis of black leadership. Williams generates informed and intelligent discussion, whether engaging an audience or appearing on Nightline, Washington Week in Review, Crossfire, and Capitol Gang Sunday. Stimulating and compelling, he is a credible and experienced voice of the media.
Kellen Winslow Member of the National Football League Hall of Fame, a member of the NFL All-Time Team, All-Pro and Consensus Collegiate All-American, Kellen Winslow enjoyed a nine-year career with the San Diego Chargers, earning All-Pro honors five times and setting both team and league records that stand to this day. He received a Bachelor of Educational Science in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri and his Jurist Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law. A practicing attorney, he is president of the African American Sports Foundation. As a motivational speaker, Kellen's lectures will captivate you as he addresses winning and losing on the "football" field of life.
Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard pushed the art of deadpan to new heights as the hotel manager in Robert Altmans droll satire Health (1979). Eventually, she would create a rich gallery of characterizations which, whether poverty-stricken or upper class, educated or not, never lost a certain instinctual savvy and realistic viewpoint. Committed to political activism in the United States and Africa, Woodard was among artists and activists who, in 1989, founded Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to democracy and equality in South Africa and civil rights in the United States. She also has been active in campaigns against environmental racism and efforts to raise AIDS awareness. Woodard recently played the mysterious Betty Applewhite on ABCs hit series Desperate Housewives. She has starred in Beauty Shop opposite Queen Latifah, The Forgotten, K-PAX opposite Kevin Spacey, and many more. In 1998, she starred in Maya Angelous directorial debut, Down in the Delta, as a troubled woman sent to live with relatives in the South. Woodard has also lent her voice to animation, portraying the cheetah mother in The Wild Thornberrys Movie, as well as the lemur named Plio in Dinosaur. A four-time Emmy Award winner, Woodard was honored for her performances as a grieving mother of a child killed by a police officer on the acclaimed series Hill Street Blues and a rape victim on the pilot of L.A. Law. She received an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a television mini-series for Miss Evers Boys and a 2003 Emmy for her guest-starring role in The Practice. She was also honored with an ACE Award for her portrayal of Winnie Mandela in the HBO presentation Mandela, co-starring Danny Glover. A former high school cheerleader and track star, she got the acting bug after being persuaded to audition for a school play by a nun at her school. She went on to study acting at Boston University and enjoyed a brief stint on Broadway before moving to LA. She got her first break in Remember My Name (1978), which also starred Jeff Goldblum. The youngest of three children, Woodards godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of her name written out in gold letters, named her Alfre. Woodard currently resides in Santa Monica with her husband, writer Roderick Spencer, and their two adopted children: Mavis and Duncan.
Samuel Yette A highly respected journalist and author, Samuel Yette served as associate editor of Ebony magazine and Washington correspondent for Newsweek magazine. Samuel Yette is the author of Washington and Two Marches: 1963 and 1983; and The Choice: The Issues of Black Survival in America. The Choice was selected as the Non-Fiction Work of Distinction, the highest non-fiction award of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
Bob Zellner A civil rights legend, Bob Zellner was a young white college student when in 1961 he became one of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee's (SNCC) first white staff membersѡnd eventually one of the last. A field secretary for SNCC in Mississippi, he worked there on behalf of the civil rights movement until the activist group broke up in 1970. Now almost thirty-five years later, Bob Zellner continues his efforts to tell the story of the racial hatred that pitted white against black in the deep South. He talks about his years with SNCC and the civil rights period emphasizing its relevance to racial incidents and the need for understanding and multicultural diversity on campuses and in society today.
Kristal Brent Zook Kristal Brent Zook, Ph.D., was born in Los Angeles and raised in an all-female household by her mother and grandmother, who are African American. Her father is Anglo American. She received a B.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. from the History of Consciousness Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work as a journalist and cultural reporter began in the mid-1990's when she wrote regularly about film, tv and books for the Village Voice and the LA Weekly. Her most recent book, I See Black People: Interviews with African American Owners of Radio and Television, will be published by Nation Books in February 2008. A collection of intimate and frank conversations with broadcast and cable owners, large and small, this book addresses via poignant recollections the mystery of why so few minorities and women own media outlets in America. Her previous book, Black Women's Lives: Stories of Power and Pain (Nation Books, 2006) contains investigative portraits of women across the country, of various ages and economic backgrounds, from a secretly biracial organic dairy farmer in Bakersfield, Vermont, to a corporate executive and president of SoftSheen/Carson in New York City. Black Women's Lives went into its third printing within the first year of publication. In 1999, Dr. Zook published her first book, Color By Fox: the Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television, Oxford University Press, which took readers behind the scenes of popular African American television productions such as In Living Color, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Martin, New York Undercover, The Sinbad Show, Living Single, Roc, and South Central. The book revealed the internal dynamics that prevented certain depictions from appearing on air. Color By Fox is required reading in many college-level media and communications courses nationwide. Dr. Zook is currently a Contributing Writer with the Womens Media Center and Essence magazine and Associate Professor of Journalism at Hofstra University. She has produced and appeared as a commentator on National Public Radio and speaks regularly on college campuses and on national cable and broadcast outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, C-Span, MTV, Fox, and TV-One. Her print work has also appeared in publications such as The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, Vibe, Savoy, Emerge, Honey, The Nation, The Source, Real Simple, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, and other publications.