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The Dolans Financial planning experts, Ken and Daria Dolan host a daily national personal finance radio call-in show on the WOR Radio Network and are contributors to the national morning television show "CBS This Morning" and "CBS Saturday Morning." They are the co-authors of Straight Talk: Ken and Daria Dolan's Guide to Family Money Management.
Coach Carter Coach Carter is a coach, author, educator and inspiration for the movie Coach Carter, featuring Samuel L. Jackson. The movie recounts Carter’s decision to literally lock his undefeated, state play-off bound basketball team out of the gym and force them to hit the books. Coach Carter is an advocate for Richmond's youth and is active in his community. He is diligent in providing them with opportunities to build meaningful relationships with their peers and caring adults, and recognizes the advantages inherent in a sound sports program. In October, 2000 he announced his plans to travel from Richmond High School to the steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Using only a kick scooter, Carter traveled for 3 days to Sacramento hoping to draw awareness to the deteriorating state of our schools and the need for students, parents, teachers, and school board officials to commit to making a difference. His efforts proved successful, and subsequently Richmond High received building enhancements and computers from the Office of the Secretary of Education. Under the direction and guidance of Coach Carter, in December of 2000, 11 students from Australia arrived in the U.S. to promote peace and to learn first hand what it takes to be an American high school basketball player. Coach Carter found a way to bring something positive to the lives of Richmond High students, where heroes and positive role models are few and far between. Using basketball as the common bond, the intention of the visit was to offer these students an opportunity to meet each other, gain awareness about each others' culture and communities, and to learn hands-on about what it takes to be a top-notch American athletic. Carter feels that exchanges such as these are needed to promote a more just and peaceful place for us all to live in.
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.
Burton Gerber and John Brennan Burton Gerber, former director of the European and the Soviet & East European divisions of the Directorate of Operations at the CIA, and John Brennan, former head and organizational architect of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and of its predecessor organization the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC)Gerber worked primarily in operations related to the former Soviet Union and the former Warsaw Pact countries. He served overseas as the CIA chief of station in three separate assignments. In Washington, he directed the agency's operational programs in the former Soviet Union and Europe for eight years.
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
Judge Alex Former police officer, attorney and Florida Circuit Court Judge Alex E. Ferrer hosts "Judge Alex," the new court room strip from Twentieth Television that will make its launch in first-run national syndication on September 12, 2005. The first new court show in four years, the half-hour strip features Judge Alex, the only television judge with extensive police, legal and judicial experience, presiding over a wide array of cases, resolving complicated issues with his straight forward approach and cogent rulings. Most recently, Judge Alex served as the Associate Administrative Judge of the Criminal Division of Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit, which services Miami-Dade County, the largest trial court in the state and fourth largest in the United States. Born in Havana, Cuba, Judge Alex and his family escaped from Fidel Castro’s Communist regime to America when he was one year old. Growing up in Miami with a passionate interest in law enforcement, at 19 he joined the Coral Gables Police Department, making him one of the youngest officers in the state. While on the police force, he served as a patrolman, detective and in an undercover capacity. He was also trained to be on the department’s SWAT force. Intent on building a career in the legal profession, Judge Alex performed his duties as a police officer while attending both college and law school.
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.
Inside the Nation of Islam : Dr. Vibert L. White, a professor of African American Studies and author of Inside the Nation of Islam presents an "inside" account of the present day "Nation of Islam" from the perspective of one of its former ministers, a portrayal as fascinating as it is troubling. Dr. White's gripping lecture will invite renewed debate over direction and prospects of Minister Farakham's controversial leadership.
Dr. Keith Ablow Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist, writer and television personality who treats men and women across the country, in Europe and in Asia who come from every corner of society—college students, married couples, Fortune 500 executives, the homeless, mental health professionals and high-ranking government officials. In addition to Dr. Ablow’s ongoing work with patients, he has testified as an expert witness on forensic psychiatry in some of America’s most highly-publicized trials. The root of Ablow’s unique ability to "reach" patients and the foundation of his writing is that all of us suffer, that none of us is born evil, and that we must be helped to confront the truth about our lives. Ablow graduated Brown University and the Johns Hopkins Medical School. While a medical student, he worked as a reporter for Newsweek magazine and a freelancer for the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun, as well as a medical editor and producer for Lifetime Medical Television in New York and Los Angeles. He also wrote his first book, a guide to gaining admission to medical school and preserving one’s humanity during the four grueling years that follow. Following his studies, Ablow entered a psychiatry residency at Tufts/New England Medical Center hospitals (where he is now an assistant professor). He continued to write about psychiatry and social issues for publications such as U.S. News and World Report and USA Today. He also wrote three more books: How to Cope with Depression, To Wrestle with Demons, and Anatomy of a Psychiatric Illness. In 1990, Dr. Ablow’s close friend and fellow psychiatry resident was murdered. This tragedy prompted him to write Without Mercy, a true crime book examining the killer’s life and the use of the insanity defense at his trial. After residency, Ablow served as medical director of the Tri-City Mental Health Centers, one of the country’s oldest networks of community psychiatry clinics. He also was medical director of Heritage Health Systems, a state-wide spectrum of medical, psychiatric and addiction facilities. Today, Ablow is busier than ever. His USA Today bestselling psychiatric thrillers featuring Dr. Frank Clevenger include Denial, Projection, Compulsion, Psychopath, Murder Suicide and The Architect. His true crime book, Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson, hit the New York Times Bestseller list this year. He is a contributing editor to Good Housekeeping magazine, and his columns have appeared there, as well as in The New York Times and Cosmopolitan. He is also a frequent guest on programs including Oprah, Tyra, Good Morning America, Good Day NY, Catherine Crier Live and many others. Dr. Ablow is now at work on a self-help book (Little, Brown, April, 2007) that will make his healing philosophy and techniques available to readers everywhere. His syndicated talk show, Dr. Keith Ablow, produced by Telepictures and LMNO TV, will begin airing across the nation in September.
Buzz Aldrin The image of Buzz Aldrin standing on the moon's surface on July 20th, 1969 will forever mark the technological achievements of the 20th Century. It leaves an indelible mark in our public consciousness, representing the highest values of the human spirit, of teamwork and of vision. Buzz brings this vibrancy to his relationships as a corporate spokesperson for Fortune 500 companies seeking the dimension and authority of a living legend and an icon. Buzz works closely with organizations associated with innovation, technology, and advancement through commercial endorsements and promotional appearances. Buzz is entering his 4th year as corporate spokesperson for the Accutron line of Bulova watches--America's premiere watch brand. Bulova provided NASA with the timekeeping technology for America's first trip to the moon. Radio Shack chose Buzz Aldrin to serve as the Tandy brand's space spokesperson as part of their Vacations in Space commercial advertising campaign. The highly successful marketing effort also featured Buzz in a series of personal appearances at the openings of megastores across the United States.
Miguel Algarin Miguel Algarin is the "poet laureate" of Loisaida - also known as the Lower East Side - and founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City, where he has nurtured the spoken and written word for nearly three decades. Through the Café Algarin helped cultivate the popular "slam" poetry movement. Colliding the gritty topics of urbanity with the art of literature, Algarin's Café has provided a venue for words to jump from the page to the stage. Since 1974, the Nuyorican Poets Café has captured the flavor of the streets serving as a haven for poets, writers, thespians, performance artists, musicians, visual artists and hip-hop renegades, running the cultural gamut from acclaimed theater productions to hip-hop open mikes to celebrations of salsa and merengue music. The Café is the living room hosting the freshest art to immigrate to New York City, from not only the Caribbean and the Americas, but from all over the world. The Nuyorican Poets Café is a stage of words made visible. Situated in Manhattan's Lower East Side, Loisaida, the community, is a mixture of various ethnic backgrounds: Puerto Rican, Dominican, African-American, Ukrainian, Polish and Irish, to name a few. The community also hosts a great number of artists. This diverse energy is reflected in the performances of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Algarin, along with the emerging artists of the Nuyorican Poets Café, bring their talents to the forefront, dazzling audiences with their vibrant presentations. Mixing the traditional arts of oral story telling and classical poetry with the edgy raw rhythm of the hip-hop influenced streets creates the soulful heartbeat which is the Café. Recognized as a long-term cultural worker of the Lower East Side, Miguel Algarin's Nuyorican Poets Café has become a Loisaida institution. The Café and its milieu have provided a blueprint for the development of the international slam poetry movement that first surfaced in Chicago.
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.
Molefi Asante Founder of the Afrocentric School of African philosophy and one of the African world's most important thinkers, Dr. Asante is president of the National Afrocentric Institute and the editor of the Journal of Afrocentric Thought.
Byllye Avery A dreamer, visionary, and grassroots realist, Ms. Avery combines activism and social responsibility by developing a national forum for the exploration of health issues of African-American women. By gathering and documenting African-American women's health experiences she is providing a supportive atmosphere for African-American women. Prior to her entry into the health care arena, Ms. Avery taught special education to emotionally disturbed students and consulted on learning disabilities in public schools and universities throughout the southeastern United States.
Nigel Barlow Nigel Barlow is a keynote speaker on creativity, the innovative management of change and customer service. Since the past 18 years he has been focusing on helping major organisations and industries around the world. Nigel was a founding director of the UK consulting wing of the Tom Peters Group, TPG Partners, and has also established his own international customer service consultancy that specialises in helping clients to deliver high and professional levels of service. Nigel a regular contributor to Customer Service Management journal is also the Author of "Batteries Included": Creating Legendary Service. Nigel a passionate, witty, and dynamic presenter is able to speak to business audiences of up to 1000 delegates, Nigel coaches and provokes senior teams to be more creative and adventurous in the goals. His presentations are well-known for their freshness, challenge and humour, Nigel is always ready to take on the after-lunch slot as a challenge that he can keep his session lively, interactive and focused. His talks are researched based, some of the themes he works with are Creative Approaches to Change, Shaping the Future, Organisational Innovation and Customer Service. He has worked with audiences as diverse as Korean managers, German engineers, BBC researchers and producers, road rescue patrolmen, British bankers and many senior and board-level teams. He is able to communicate serious messages in a highly entertaining way. Nigel helps today's managers to understand cultural change and diversity, globalisation, customer service, corporate innovation, brand management etc. His corporate clients would include: Abbey Life, AGA, Argos, Arthur Andersen, Barclays, BBC, BP, British Council, BT, Ericsson, GKN, Glaxo, Granada, The Highways Agency, Mobil, Nestle, Sainsbury's, SKF, Sun Life, Texaco and Whitbread.
Andrew Billingsley An expert on the Black Family, Andrew Billingsley is chairman of the Family Studies department at the University of Michigan and is the author of Black Families in White America; Children of the Storm; and Climbing Jacob's Ladder: The Enduring Legacy of AfricanAmerican Families.
Ken Blanchard Dr. Blanchard has received worldwide recognition for his phenomenal best-selling book, The One Minute Manager, co-authored with Spencer Johnson. Selling more than seven million copies worldwide, The One Minute Manager has been translated into more than 25 languages and is regarded as one of the most successful business books of all time. In addition, Dr. Blanchard has written several other successful books, including five more within The One Minute Manager Library. He also co-authored The Power of Ethical Management, with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. In 1992, he released Playing the Great Game of Golf followed by Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service, co-authored with Sheldon Bowles. Dr. Blanchard is chairman of Blanchard Training and Development, Inc., a full-service management training and consulting company which he and his wife Dr. Marjorie Blanchard founded in 1979 in San Diego, California. He is also a visiting lecturer at his alma mater Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees. Ken has received a multitude of awards and honors for his contributions in the field of management and leadership. In 1991, the National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the ?Council of Peers Award of Excellence.? In 1992, Dr. Blanchard was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training Magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and also received the 1992 Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International.
David Brooks David Brooks, editor, political and social commentator. Brooks writes or serves as an editor for The New York Times, The Weekly Standard, Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Forbes, The Washington Post, The TLS, The Public Interest and many other magazines. He is the author if "Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There and Backward and Upward: The New Conservative Writing."
Joseph Califano Health care expert, former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare and author of America’s Health Care Revolution and Radical Surgery.
John Calipari No Coach in Division 1 College Basketball History has won more games in a single season. Caliparis refuse to lose attitude and his us against the world motivational speeches helped inspire his team to the NCAA Championship Game. He is arguably one of the greatest and most innovative college coaches of all time. He is an inspiration to his players both on and off the court, encouraging them to never give up, never back down and to constantly persevere against all odds. He is a great orator who has proved to the world that a little motivation can go a long way. Its the second Naismith award for Calipari after winning in 1996 by leading the UMass Minutemen to the Final Four. This season he led the Tigers to the program's first Final Four since 1985 and their first title game since 1973. Memphis won an NCAA Division I record of 38 games and was ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in national polls for a school-record 16 straight weeks. Calipari is one of five coaches in NCAA Division I history to lead two different programs to a No. 1 national ranking.
Gordon Chang Gordon H. Chang is a professor of American history at Stanford University in the United States. His academic interests lie in the connection between race & ethnicity in America and American foreign relations. Gordon H. Chang is author of Friends and Enemies: The United States, China and the Soviet Union, 1948-1972 (1990), Morning Glory, Evening Shadow: Yamato Ichihashi and His Wartime Writing, 1942-1945 (1997), Asian Americans and Politics: An Exploration (2001), and Chinese American Voices: From the Gold Rush to the Present (2006).
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."
Marva Collins Well known Black educator and founder of the Westside Prepartory School. Marva Collins is unique in the field of education as her philosophy emphasizes the "basics" and develops a sense of individual responsibility.
Patrick Combs Patrick Combs tells the amazing-but-true story of how he deposited a $95,093.35 junk-mail check marked non-negotiable hoping to spread a little banking cheer to tellers and how it erupted into a staggering and funny David vs Goliath-like adventure that still continues today if you count his internationally touring, award winning, off Broadway one-man show about the incident. What happens after the bank cashes the ridiculous check? To name only a few things: angry banking officers threatening jail time and death; the nations leading authority on banking coming out of retirement; astonishing legal twists; and worldwide media coverage (including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Good Morning America and calls from Letterman & Leno).The show sold out in New York during its off-Broadway run at the Lambs Theatre in the heart of Times Square. It also sold out at HBOs 2004 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival held in Aspen; sold out its six show run and garnered Critics Choice at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston; sold out its 10 show run in Winnipeg where it created 3 hour ticket lines, hundreds were turned away and it garnered the Best of Fest award; sold out the Comedy Central Stage in Los Angeles; won Best of Fest at the San Francisco Fringe where it also sold out and was awarded Best Solo Comedy; sold out in Auckland where it was an official selection of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival; sold out in Montreal and won the Just For Laughs prize for Best Comedy.
Matthew Cossolotto Founder and president, Matthew Cossolotto, has enjoyed a multifaceted communications career that includes eight years as a congressional aide followed by senior-level speechwriting and executive communications positions at GTE, Pepsi-Cola International and MCI, where he served as speechwriter to Chairman and CEO William G. McGowan. Over the years, Matthew has developed speeches and/or coached speakers for a variety of prestigious venues, including the Economic Club of Detroit, the National Press Club, Houston Forum, Cleveland City Club, SuperComm, the Microsoft CEO Summit, and the UN General Assembly. The author of HabitForce! How to Kick the Habits of F.A.I.L.U.R.E. and Adopt the Habits of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Matthew conducts customized “Harness Your HabitForce!” workshops and presentations for a variety of audiences, including corporations, associations, students and at-risk youth, professional and educational organizations, and community groups. His HabitForce!-based, personal change and empowerment programs focus on helping people and organizations recognize, reject and replace the patterns of thought and behavior that hold them back. He is a principal faculty member for the Transformative Leadership Summits sponsored by the Liminal Group. In addition to his HabitForce! and Podium Power presentation skills workshops, Matthew speaks to audiences about the Shakespeare authorship mystery and about ways to reform our democracy. He is currently working on several writing projects, including a new book entitled: "There’s No Such Thing As Public Speaking".
Kate Dillon Plus-size model Kate Dillon talks about body acceptance and the necessity of having self-esteem- no matter what your size. Named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People," she is also the founder of Echo, a nonprofit organization that develops programs in the arts for children. Kate Dillon started modeling and walking the Paris runways at age 16, landing such major campaigns as L'Oreal, Christian Dior and Missoni. Pegged to be the "New Cindy Crawford," she was, however, anorexic and run-down from years of starving herself. Finally, she began eating normally and gaining weight- against the advice of clients and her manager, who wanted her 5'11" figure to stay a bony size six. At first, she tried to lose the pounds again, but then had a revelation that she was free to look however she wanted and did not have to conform to the modeling business' standard of beauty. Now a natural, healthy size 14, Dillon is taking the full-figure market by storm and not limiting beauty to what the scale says. One of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People," she was named the 1998 "Model of the Year" by Mode magazine and has been featured on a Times Square billboard. Called the "Curvy Comeback Kid" by Glamour magazine, she has appeared on several television spots, including The Maureen Boyle Show and Today, and has graced ads for Liz Claiborne, Gucci and Lane Bryant. Dillon is also the founder of Echo, a nonprofit organization benefiting arts programs for children. "We don't have enough role models who used to be skinny but gained weight and said, 'That's okay.' We're all different; we all have different bodies - so let's stop trying to make them all alike." -Kate Dillon
Rita Dove Rita Dove is the first African-American and the youngest person ever to be Poet Laureate of the United States. Dove won the Pulitzer Prize in 1987 for Thomas and Beulah, in which she evoked the lives of her grandparents. She is also the author of On the Bus with Rosa Parks, which was named a New York Times notable book of the year. Famed poet Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1952 as the daughter of the first Black research chemist who, in the 1950s, broke the race barrier in the tire industry. In 1970 she was invited to the White House as a Presidential Scholar, one of the two most outstanding high school graduates of the State of Ohio that year, before attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio as a National Achievement Scholar. She graduated summa cum laude (as well as Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi) with a degree in English in 1973 and studied for a year on a Fulbright scholarship at Universität Tübingen in Germany. She then joined the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1977. In 1976 she met her husband, the German writer Fred Viebahn, who was a Fulbright fellow in the University of Iowa's International Writing Program that year; their daughter Aviva Chantal Tamu Dove-Viebahn was born in 1983. Appearances in magazines and anthologies had already won national acclaim for Dove when she published her first poetry collection, The Yellow House on the Comer, with Carnegie-Mellon University Press in 1980. It was followed by Museum (1983) and Thomas and Beulah (1986), both also from Carnegie-Mellon. Thomas and Beulah, a collection of interrelated poems loosely based on her grandparents' life, earned her the 1987 Pulitzer Prize, making her the second African-American poet (after Gwendolyn Brooks in 1950) to receive this prestigious award. Other publications by Dove include a book of short stories, Fifth Sunday, Calialoo Fiction Series, 1985; the poetry collections Grace Notes (W.W. Norton, 1989), Selected Poems (Pantheon/Vintage, 1993) and Mother Love (W.W. Norton, 1995); the novel Through the Ivory Gate (Pantheon, 1992); the verse drama The Darker Face of the Earth (Story Line Press, 1994; 2nd, revised edition 1996) and a book with her laureate lectures (The Poet's World, The Library of Congress, 1995). The Darker Face of the Earth had its critically acclaimed world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon in the summer of 1996, supported by a major grant from the W. Alton Jones Foundation. A joint production by Crossroads Theatre of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., underwritten by the Kennedy Centers Fund for New American Plays and the Geraldine Dodge Foundation, opened at Crossroads in October 1997 and went to the Kennedy Center for a four week run in the Eisenhower Theater in November 1997. In the fall of 1994 Dove's poem Lady Freedom Among Us, first read by her at the ceremony commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Capitol and celebrating the restoration of the Freedom Statue on the Capitol's dome in October 1993, was published by Janus Press in a limited edition to become the four-millionth acquisition of the University of Virginia Libraries. A multimedia version was made globally accessible by the University of Virginia on the Internet, one of the earliest such publications by a major writer.
Michael Eric Dyson Hailed as one of the nations most inspiring African Americans, Michael Eric Dyson has been credited with revitalizing the role of the public intellectual with the fervor of an ordained Baptist minister. Infusing intellectual thought with popular culture, Dyson focuses on topics of interest to the public. He eloquently melds scholarly insight with the phenomena of contemporary culture, emphasizing their interconnectedness and force in shaping our society. His books provide some of the most significant commentary on modern social and intellectual thought, interwoven with a combination of cultural criticism, race theory, religion, philosophical reflection, and gender studies. Works such as Making Malcolm X; I May Not Get There with You; Hollar if You Hear Me; Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye; Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost its Mind?; and the recent Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster deeply probe social themes and cultural politics. A popular University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University, Dyson bridges gaps between generations, connecting civil rights identity to hip-hop culture while forging links between older and younger Americans, especially black Americans. As a cutting edge historian, he educates the general public on the significance of hip hop, not only in understanding black culture, but American cultural as well. With his powerful voice, Dyson reaches beyond race, addressing the universal commonality of American concern.
Daniel Ellsberg Daniel Ellsberg graduated from Harvard College 1952 with a B.A. summa cum Laude in economics, having written his honors thesis on Theories of Rational Choice Under Uncertainty: the Contributions of von Neumann and Morgenstern. After a year of study at King's College, Cambridge University on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and some months of graduate work at Harvard University, Ellsberg spent three years in the U.S. Marine Corps serving as rifle platoon leader, operations officer, and rifle company commander. From 1957-59 he was a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows, Harvard University. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics at Harvard in 1962 with his thesis, Risk, Ambiguity and Decision, published for the first time in 2001, by Garland Press. In 1959, he became a strategic analyst at the RAND Corporation, and consultant to the Department of Defense and the White House, specializing in problems of the command and control of nuclear weapons, nuclear war plans, and crisis decision-making. He joined the Defense Department in 1964 as Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs) John McNaughton, working on Vietnam. He transferred to the State Department in 1965 to serve two years at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, evaluating pacification on the front lines. On return to the RAND Corporation in 1967, he worked on the Top Secret McNamara study of U.S. Decision-making in Vietnam, 1945-68, which later came to be known as the Pentagon Papers. In 1969, he photocopied the 7,000 page study and gave it to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; in 1971 he gave it to the New York Times, Washington Post and 17 other newspapers. His trial, on twelve felony counts posing a possible sentence of 115 years, was dismissed in 1973 on grounds of governmental misconduct against him, which led to the convictions of several White House aides and figured in the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon. Since the end of the Vietnam War he has been a lecturer, writer and activist on the dangers of the nuclear era and unlawful interventions. Ellsberg's book Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers has been nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Award in the Best Biography Category. His story was recently seen in the critically acclaimed FX television movie The Pentagon Papers.
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.
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.
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.
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..
Dr. Janice E. Hale Leading African American educator and founder of "Visions for Children", a research early childhood education program that is designied to facilitate the intellecutual development of Afro-American preschool children. She is the author of Black Children: Their Roots, Culture and Learning Styles; and Unbank the Fire: Vision for the Education of African American Children, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Ebony magazine named Dr. Hale as one of the future leaders of America.
Quay Hanna Authentic is one of the best ways to describe Quay Hanna. When he began his career as a speaker, he didn't get paid for any engagements for the first 3 years. In fact, he would take time off from his construction job to visit the schools that were in need. He is truly dedicated to the cause of getting teenagers to respect one another, regardless of differences they may have. His interaction with students has been shown to effectively change attitudes of young people and the entire school environment. Not only do students begin to break through the labels they are given, but they also begin to look at others very differently. In 1993, Quay set out on a mission. After graduating from college with a B.A. in English, he left his small town of Strasburg, PA to see America. He hopped on a Greyhound bus and began traversing the country. Nine weeks, thirty-seven states, and twelve-thousand miles later, he got more than an incredible journey and hundreds of stories to tell. As he traveled he was forced to confront his own racist and prejudiced beliefs, causing him to realize that life had more to offer than his lifelong hatred of others. Upon his return to Strasburg, he had a new objective: to reach out to his subculture- rural, white America – and to challenge racist beliefs as his were challenged on the trip. Quay published a book about his life-changing experience entitled, Bus America: Revelation of a Redneck and began telling his story to audiences around the country in 1997. Nine years and hundreds of schools later, he is still entertaining and educating students on a daily basis. He is not your "bells-and-whistles" type of speaker. It is only a man in his t-shirt and jeans with a microphone. No multimedia. No magic tricks. No stand-up routine. Quay presents in a simple and honest way that has caused hundreds of thousands of students to take an introspective look at their lives. Quay's programs are extremely effective in schools that are looking to act in a proactive way towards student relations, or for schools that are currently struggling with racial and prejudicial issues. In addition to his assembly speaking, he also offers consultation to school officials and communities dealing with hatred and violence, along with private consultation for individuals or groups that are showing interest or are involved in hate-filled beliefs and activities. Rest assured, Quay's participation in your school will help put it on the path to reconciliation and peace.
Jean Harris Advocate of prison reform, education and women’s rights.
John Hennessy The founder of MIPS Computer Systems Inc., is currently serving as the 10th President of Stanford University. He earned his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University, and his Master's degree and Ph.D. in computer science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Hennessy became a Stanford faculty member in 1977. In 1984, he used his sabbatical year to found MIPS Computer Systems Inc. to commercialize his research in RISC processors. In 1987, he became the Willard and Inez Kerr Bell Endowed Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Hennessy served as director of Stanford's Computer System Laboratory (1989-1993), a research center run by Stanford's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments. He was chair of the Department of Computer Science (1994-1996) and Dean of the School of Engineering (1996-1999). Hennessy and David A. Patterson have written two well-known books about computer architecture, Computer Organization and Design: the Hardware/Software Interface (2 editions; latest is ISBN 1558604286) and Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach (3 editions, latest is ISBN 1558603298). They have been widely used as textbooks for graduate and undergraduate courses since 1990.
Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of eleven books."Arianna Huffington is also co-host of "Left, Right & Center," public radio's popular political roundtable program. In May 2005, Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, Arianna Huffington was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
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.
Keith Jackson Keith Jackson has also combined his college degree in communications and his professional playing experience to become a broadcast analyst with TNT television for one year, the Oklahoma Sooner football radio network in 1998, Fox Sports Network in 1999 and the Arkansas Razorback Sports Network in 2000. He has become one of the most dynamic and inspirational speakers in the country. His speaking engagements include churches, civic groups, corporations and schools. Keith speaks from one gamut of the spectrum to the next. And when it comes to pleasing the crowd, Keith has a natural knack for doing just that. With his wealth of knowledge and sense of humor, all audiences regardless of age, sex, race or political agenda are completely focused on what he has to say. One conference attendee said, "Your speech was the highlight of the conference for me. I found your stories and your passion for helping those in need to be very inspiring. Most of all, your practical approach to education and self-suffiency was so down-to-earth and refreshing. You inspired me a great deal and put a renewed spark in my efforts to make a difference." Keith speaks from an array of topics such as: Community Building, Teamwork, Education, Sports, Religion, as well as, other motivational topics. If there is someone or an entire group needing uplifting or that extra push to become all they can be, Keith is certainly the one to get them to the next level in their life or business.
Major General John G. Castellaw Major General John G. Castellaw talks on “Iraq, Afghanistan and the Road Ahead in the Global War on Terrorism.” General Castellaw will provide a clear picture of the current situation in Iraq. He will provide insight into the rebuilding process and the road ahead in America’s fight against extremists in one of the most dynamic areas of the world.
Dr. Timothy Johnson Dr. G. Timothy Johnson is one of the nation's leading medical communicators of health care information. As Medical Editor for ABC News, Johnson provides on-air medical analysis for "World News Tonight," "Nightline" and "20/20." He has provided commentary on medical problems and answers for viewers of ABC News' "Good Morning America" since the program's debut in 1975. Johnson's programs and feature reports have won several awards, including a National Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as well as two Emmy Awards from the Boston/New England Chapter of the same organization. He earned a Gabriel Award in 1999 in the best news story category for the two-part piece, "Alzheimer's: A Faded Memory." Johnson was selected as the recipient of the 1998 Bradford Washburn Award presented by the Museum of Science, Boston — an honor also bestowed upon Jacques Cousteau, Walter Cronkite, Dr. Jane Goodall and Alan Alda, among others. In 1988, he received the Lewis Thomas Award for Communications from the American College of Physicians, and in 1987 and 1989, he won the Howard W. Blakeslee Award given by the American Heart Association. Johnson is the founding editor of the Harvard Medical School Health Letter and co-editor of the "Harvard Medical School Health Letter Book." He is also co-editor of the book "Your Good Health," co-author of "Let's Talk," and author of "Dr. Timothy Johnson's OnCall Guide to Men's Heath" and "Finding God in the Questions: A Personal Journey."
Naomi Judd Naomi Judd has always dared to do the impossible. A former nurse and single mother, she turned a musical pairing with daughter Wynonna into a six-time Grammy Award-winning country music phenomenon. She is the best-selling author of Love Can Build a Bridge, a moving story of the human spirit. Although she would modestly insist otherwise, there has never been anything simple or commonplace about Naomi Judd - not her vision, her life, her faith, nor the music she and her daughter, Wynonna, created as The Judds. She dreamed bigger, worked harder, took greater risks and triumphed more resoundingly than most people ever will. From the beginning of The Judds' meteoric rise, her "china doll" looks and magnetic personality paralleled the duo's music for the public's attention and appreciation. As their songs became #1 hits, their RCA albums went platinum and their concerts became sellouts. Their popularity kept them undefeated for eight consecutive years at all three major country award shows. They received six Grammys and a vast array of other awards and honors. Bringing values and insistence on integrity to every aspect of her public and personal life, Judd helped The Judds set new standards of excellence and ushered in the resurgence of country music's popularity. America fell in love with the self-proclaimed country girl from Ashland, Kentucky. From small town humble beginnings, this daughter of a gas station owner father and riverboat cook mother became a hope seller to the duo's legions of fans. The music industry labeled her the "Cinderella" of country music because of her real life rags-to-riches story. During the Judds' eight-year reign as superstars, she became infinitely more to the public than a singer, songwriter and engaging performer. She came to represent every woman. Having been an R.N., a secretary, waitress and clerk, the divorced, working mother stood for the modern American family, with all its defects and glories.
Karl Kani Leading African-American fashion designer who is known as the originator of urban fashion in America, Karl Kani has quickly became on e of the most respected and renowned leaders in the fashion industry today. As a designer innovator, entrepreneur and educator, founder of Karl Kani Infinity, he has built an empire that 12 years later has quadrupled in size. In 2001, Kani founded his own record label called Kani Life. Karl has also pioneered an entrepreneurial program that educates children and teaches them how to run their own business.
Doris Kearns Doris Kearns first came to the attention of President Lyndon Johnson when she co-wrote a very critical article on Johnson for the New Republic magazine. Several months later, when they met in person at the White House, Johnson asked her to work with him in the White House. He soon asked her to help write his memoirs. During and after Johnson's Presidency, Kearns visited Johnson many times, and, three years after his death, published her first book, Lyndon Johnson & the American Dream. She drew on the friendship and conversations with Johnson, supplemented by careful research and critical analysis, to present a picture of his accomplishments, failures and motivations. She married Richard Goodwin in 1975. Her husband, an advisor to John and Robert Kennedy as well as a writer, helped her to gain access to people and papers for her story on the Kennedy family, begun in 1977 and finished ten years later. This book, too, was acclaimed critically, and was made into a television movie. In 1995 Doris Kearns Goodwin was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her biography of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, No Ordinary Time. She then turned to writing a memoir of her own, about growing up as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Wait Till Next Year. She is a regular political commentator for television and radio.
Joseph Kett One of America's leading authorities on cultural literacy, Dr. Kett collaborated with E.D. Hirsch on the book Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and went on to co-author with him the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Dr. Kett is also the author of the widely acclaimed book Rites of Passage.
Thom King Relationship expert and author of Good Girls Guide to Great Sex; Sex, Intimacy and Lying about Love plus three other new books on love, romance and relationships. His presentation of An Evening of Foreplay is an adventure in human desire, sexuality and relationships.
J. Jorge Klor de Alva An authority on multicultural education and the president and CEO of Apollo International Inc., Dr. Jorge Klor de Alva founded the company when he was President of the University of Phoenix. Apollo International provides affordable accredited education programs to students outside the United States. A frequent lecturer on the subject of multicultural education, Dr. de Alva co-developed the Latino Heritage curriculum for the New York State education department.
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.
Richard Lederer America’s wittiest verbalist, nationally syndicated language columnist and author of such books as, Anguished English the most widely sold language/humor book in publishing history.
Dr. Henry Lee Dr. Henry C. Lee is one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists. Dr. Lee’s work has made him a landmark in modern-day criminal investigations. He has been a prominent player in many of the most challenging cases of the last 45 years. Dr. Lee has worked with law enforcement agencies in helping to solve more than 6000 cases. In recent years, his travels have taken him to England, Bosnia, China, Brunei, Bermuda, Middle East, South America and other locations around the world. Dr. Lee’s testimony figured prominently in the O. J. Simpson trial, and in convictions of the “Woodchipper” murderer as well as hundreds of other murder cases. Dr. Lee has assisted local and state police in their investigations of other famous crimes, such as the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado, the 1993 suicide of White House Counsel Vincent Foster, the murder of Chandra Levy, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart and the reinvestigation of the Kennedy assassination. Dr. Lee is currently the Chief Emeritus for the Scientific Services and was the Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Connecticut from 1998 to 2000 and served as Chief Criminalist for the State of Connecticut from 1979 to 2000. Dr. Lee was the driving force in establishing a modern State Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Connecticut. In 1975, Dr. Lee joined the University of New Haven, where he created the school’s Forensic Sciences program. He has also taught as a professor at more than a dozen universities, law schools, and medical schools. Though challenged with the demands on his time, Dr. Lee still lectures throughout the country and world to police, Universities and civic organizations. Dr. Lee has authored hundreds of articles in professional journals and has co-authored more than 30 books, covering the areas, such as; DNA, Fingerprints, Trace Evidence, Crime Scene Investigation and Crime scene reconstruction. His recent books; Famous Crimes Revisited, Cracking Cases and Blood Evidence have been well received by the public. Dr. Lee has been the recipient of numerous medals and awards, including the 1996 Medal of Justice from the Justice Foundation, and the 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Science and Engineer Association. He has also been the recipient of the Distinguished Criminalist Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences; the J. Donero Award from the International Association of Identification, and in 1992 was elected a distinguished Fellow of the AAFS. Dr. Lee was born in China and grew up in Taiwan. Dr. Lee first worked for the Taipei Police Department, attaining the rank of Captain. With his wife, Margaret, Dr. Lee came to the United States in 1965, and he earned his B.S. in Forensic Science from John Jay College in 1972. Dr. Lee continued his studies in biochemistry at NYU where he earned his Masters Degree in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1975. He has also received special training from the FBI Academy, ATF, RCMP, and other organizations. He is a recipient of seven honorary Doctorate Degrees from Universities in recognition of his contributions to Law and Science.
Sara Lawrence Lightfoot Eminent educator, sociologist and author of such books as Worlds Apart: Relationships Between Families and Schools; and I've Known Rivers: African American Stories of Loss and Liberation.
Dennis Lormel Dennis retired from the FBI following over 30 years of government service, 28 years as a Special Agent in the FBI. During his distinguished career, Dennis amassed extensive major case experience, particularly in complex, document and labor intensive financial investigative matters. As a Senior Executive, Dennis served as Section Chief for Financial Crimes where he was responsible for managing the FBI’s White Collar Crime Program. Immediately following the terrorist attacks of September 2001, Dennis formulated, established and directed the FBI’s comprehensive terrorist financing initiative. He developed and implemented a variety of proactive and progressive investigative methodologies. These efforts evolved into the formation of a formal Section within the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI, known as The Terrorist Financing Operations Section. This entity attained international recognition as one of the world’s elite operations for tracking, investigating and disrupting terrorist-related financial activity. As an avid contributor to the The Counterterrorism Blog, Dennis produces reports that focus on counterterrorism issues. Dennis received numerous commendations and awards to include the Department of Justice, Criminal Division’s, Assistant Attorney General Award for Investigative Initiative and the Central Intelligence Agency’s George H. W. Bush Award for Excellence in Counterterrorism and now on FoxNews as an expert.
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.
Bob Lujano "Murderball" is a documentary about tough, highly competitive quadraplegic rugby players and their journey to the Paralympics in Greece. Bob Lujano received his Bachelor's degree in History and Pre-Law at UT Arlington. He is currently training for the US Quadraplegic Rugby National team to attend the World Championships of Rugby in New Zealand.
Phil Martelli Named head coach for the 2005 USA Men’s U21 World Championship Team on May 9, 2005, this summer marks Saint Joseph’s University (Pa.) head coach Phil Martelli's third assignment with USA Basketball after assisting U.S. teams to gold at the 2001 FIBA World Championship For Young Men and 1998 Goodwill Games. As an assistant to Clem Haskins in ‘98, Martelli was part of the memorable 1998 USA Goodwill Games Team, that despite being comprised of collegians, captured the gold medal after posting a 93-85 overtime win over the Australian Senior National Team. In 2001, as an assistant to Jim Boeheim, the USA Young Men swept its competition to claim the top spot with an 8-0 record.
BODY IMAGES MTV's Amaya and Veronica Discuss Eating Disorders & Self-Esteem MTV's Real World: Hawaii and Road Rules: Semester at Sea cast members team up to offer a frank and open interactive program on eating disorders and self-esteem... It seems that every year an increased emphasis is placed on weight and looks. As a result, girls of all ages struggle to live up to unrealistic physical expectations. This has led to problems such as eating disorders, depression, and lack of confidence. During college, young women are dealing with a new set of pressures and, oftentimes, get lost along the way and become afraid to ask for help. After sharing personal stories of their own battles with anorexia and bulimia, Amaya and Veronica explore the types and roots of eating disorders through a multi-media presentation. They take a hard look at societal influences on body image as well as how the media tends to falsely represent the true body of a woman. The lecture closes with positive, esteem-building tips and a question and answer session.
Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an attorney and political activist. Issues he has promoted include consumer rights, feminism, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government. Nader has also been a strong critic of American foreign policy in recent decades, which he views as corporatist, imperialist, and contrary to fundamental values of democracy and human rights. His activism has played a large part in the creation of many governmental and non-governmental organisations, such as the EPA, OSHA, Public Citizen, PIRGs and many more. Nader has run for President of the United States three times (1996, 2000, 2004). In 1996 and 2000 he was the nominee of the Green Party; Winona LaDuke was his vice-presidential running mate. In 2004 he ran as an independent with Green activist Peter Miguel Camejo as his vice-presidential nominee.
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.
Parker Palmer Parker Palmer is known for his work in education, spirituality and social change in institutions including schools, community organizations, primary, secondary and higher education, and business and corporations. He is author of numerous books, including A Hidden Wholeness (2004), Let Your Life Speak: Listening to the Voice of Vocation (2000), and The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity and Caring (1990). Palmer's writing has earned numerous awards and citations and has been translated into several languages. His work has been cited in the major voices in the media, including the New York Times, National Public Radio and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He travels extensively as a speaker, facilitator and workshop and retreat leader. A native of Chicago and graduate of Carleton College and the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a doctorate in sociology, Palmer serves as a senior associate of the American Association of Higher Education, a senior advisor to the Fetzer Institute and the founder of Courage to Teach, for k-12 teachers nationwide
Dr. Ruby K. Payne Well known educator, consultant, lecturer and author of the best selling book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty.
Ty Pennington Ty Pennington has certainly carved out a niche for himself as the lovable, off-the-wall, hunk-of-a-carpenter and home design guru. During his four-year stint on Trading Spaces, Ty became well-known as the cute and playful carpenter who would sometimes work shirtless. So it is not surprising that dozens of women desperately hope to catch a glimpse of Ty in action. Beyond cracking jokes, though, Ty enjoys designing, building and working with contractors and his fellow designers to help create magical homes for deserving families. A self-proclaimed "Jack of all Trades, Master of None," Ty can add bestselling author to his vast list of skills. His first book, Ty's Tricks, published by Hyperion in 2003, was a New York Times bestseller. In addition to being an author, Pennington has just signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with Sears. He will be partnering with Sears in a broad range of activities, including product design and development, merchandising and advertising, and is the ambassador for the Sears American Dream Campaign. Ty spent most of his childhood in Atlanta. Following high school, he attended Kennesaw College, focusing on art and history. After one year his art professor suggested a career in graphic design, so Ty started working as a carpenter by day and attending classes at the Atlanta Art Institute by night. After graduation he continued his education at the Atlanta College of Art, studying painting and sculpture while honing his carpentry skills to pay for his education. During his final semester, Ty was approached by a modeling scout and soon began an exciting and lucrative career. He traveled the world and modeled for various clothing companies and appeared in television commercials. He recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career, and appeared in the independent film, The Adventures of Ociee Nash, playing aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright.
Peter Raven Peter H. Raven, one of the worlds leading botanists, served the AAAS Board as president elect, president, and chairman of the board and has been the director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and a Professor of Botany at Washington University since 1971. Prior to that, he was a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. He was a member of President Bill Clintons Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, and served as president of the XVI International Botanical Congress in 1999, where he received the Engler medal for distinguished lifetime service to plant taxonomy. He also served for twelve years as home secretary of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Raven is the recipient of numerous environmental prizes and awards. His publications, both popular and scientific, include leading textbooks in botany and the environment. Described by Time magazine as a "Hero for the Planet," he champions research around the world to preserve endangered plants and is a leading advocate for conservation and a sustainable environment. Raven completed his undergraduate work at the University of California at Berkeley and received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Roger Rosenblatt Roger Rosenblatt is a journalist, author, playwright and teacher. His essays for The NewsHour have won a Peabody and an Emmy award. His essays for Time magazine have won two George Polk Awards, awards from the American Bar Association, the Overseas Press Club, and others.Roger's journalism career began in 1975 as literary editor of The New Republic. He has also been a columnist and editor-at-large for Life magazine, the editor of U.S. News & World Report, a columnist and editorial board member of The Washington Post and editor-at-large of Time, Inc. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, The New Republic, Esquire and elsewhere.A Fulbright scholar with five honorary doctorates, Roger has a Ph.D. from Harvard, where he taught writing and modern literature from 1968-73 and was, at age 29, the youngest House Master in Harvard's history. He is the author of ten books, including a collection of his writings, "The Man in the Water," "Coming Apart: A Memoir of the Harvard Wars of 1969," and the national bestseller, "Rules for Aging." His Children of War (1983) won the Robert F. Kennedy Book Prize and has been published in seven languages. Roger is married, has three children and lives in New York City.
Dennis Ross Ross is a distinguished fellow and counselor for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. For more than twelve years, Ross played the leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process and in dealing directly with the the parties in negotiations. A highly skilled diplomat, Ambassador Ross was this country's point man on the peace process in both the Bush and Clinton administrations. He was instrumental in assisting Israelis and Palestinians in reaching the 1995 Interim Agreement; he also successfully brokered the Hebron Accord in 1997, facilitated the Israeli-Jordan peace treaty, and intensively worked to bring Israel and Syria together. A scholar and diplomat with more than two decades of experience in Soviet and Middle Eastern policy, Ambassador Ross worked closely with Secretaries of State James Baker, Warren Christopher, and Madeleine Albright. Prior to his service as Special Middle East Coordinator under President Clinton, Ross served as director of the State Department's Policy Planning office in the first Bush administration. In that position, he played a prominent role in developing U.S. policy toward the former Soviet Union, the unification of Germany and its integration into NATO, arms control negotiations, and the development of the Gulf War coalition. He served as director of Near East and South Asian affairs on the National Security Council staff during the Reagan administration, and as deputy director of the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment.
Dr. Abdul Sattar Edhi Dr Abdul Sattar Edhi, or Maulana Edhi, as he is often known, is one of the most active philanthropists of the world. He is head of the Edhi Foundation. His wife Begum Bilquis Edhi, heads the Bilquis Edhi Foundation. They both received 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. He is also the recipient of the Lenin Peace Prize. Maulana Edhi, as he is often referred to, is of the Memon community. Edhi was born in 1928 in Bantva in the Gujarat state of present day India. His father was a textile trader and earned a modest income for his family. He was a natural born leader and would encourage his friends to hold tiny circuses and perform gymnastics for the locals. When his mother would send him to school she would give him two paisa, one to spend for himself and the other to spend for another. At the age of eleven he started to take care of his mother who suffered paralysis from severe diabetes. From an early age Edhi learned to help others before himself - this would be crucial to success in his life later on.
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."
Curtis Sliwa Over the past three decades, Curtis Sliwa's programs and initiatives have been recognized by Presidents and Prime Ministers, Governors, Senators and Mayors, as well as by leading businessmen, veterans groups and many other associations. more Curtis speaks often now to groups about the power of one, the importance of volunteer service, and rolemodelling. Public safety entities, which years ago rejected him, are now seeking his assistance. Other volunteer organizations seek his help in perfecting their recruitment and retention techniques. Curtis continues to implement and enhance programs of personal, neighborhood, cyberspace and educational safety. While the street patrol component continues to thrive, his ultimate objective is to provide viable solutions to educational and classroom safety challenges. With Curtis at the helm, The Guardian Angels has evolved into a renowned organization focused on their groundbreaking work in developing curriculums to address the critical issues that threaten safe and effective education. Sliwa is now the co-host, with Ron Kuby, of the "Curtis and Kuby in the Morning" program aired weekdays from 5 A.M. to 10 A.M. on WABC. Sliwa and Kuby also co-hosted a television version of "Curtis & Kuby" on MSNBC in the afternoons for a time in 2002-2003. The "Curtis and Kuby" radio show has won many broadcasting awards and is produced by Frank Morano.
Dr. Ian Smith Dr. Ian Smith is currently the medical/diet expert on VH1s highly rated Celebrity Fit Club, host of Meet the Faith on BET, and the creator and founder of The 50 Million Pound Challenge. Dr. Smith is also the host of his own nationally syndicated radio show HealthWatch on American Urban Radio Networks. He is the former medical correspondent for NBC News network and for NewsChannel 4 where he filed reports for NBCs "Nightly News" and the "Today" show as well as WNBC's various news broadcasts. He has appeared extensively on various broadcasts including The View, The Tyra Banks Show, Larry King Live, and Anderson Cooper 3600. He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, Mens Health, and the New York Daily News, and has been featured in several other publications including, People, Essence, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, and University of Chicago Medicine on the Midway. Dr. Smith's work has been honored by several organizations, including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his coverage on the momentous events beginning on Sept. 11, 2001. Dr. Smith is very active in charitable causes, serving on several boards including the New York City Mission Society, American Council on Exercise, and the New York Council for the Humanities. Dr. Smith graduated from Harvard College with an AB and received a masters in science education from Teachers College of Columbia University. He attended Dartmouth Medical School and completed the last two years of his medical education and graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Smith is also the author of five books, the #1 New York Times Bestseller Extreme Fat Smash Diet, the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Fat Smash Diet, the critically acclaimed The Blackbird Papers (2005 BCALA fiction Honor Book Award winner), Dr. Ian Smith's Guide to Medical Websites, and The Take-Control Diet. He is currently at work on his second novel
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.
Shelby Steele African American educator and an authority on race relations, Shelby Steele is the author of the highly acclaimed books, The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America, and A Dream Deferred: The Second Betrayal fo Black Freedom in America.Steele has written widely on race in American society and the consequences of contemporary social programs on race relations. In 2006, Steele received the Bradley Prize for his contributions to the study of race in America. In 2004, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal. In 1991, his work on the documentary Seven Days in Bensonhurst was recognized with an Emmy Award and two awards for television documentary writing the Writer's Guild Award and the San Francisco Film Festival Award. Steele received the National Book Critic's Circle Award in 1990 in the general nonfiction category for his book The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America. Steele's most recent book is White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era (HarperCollins 2006). He is also the author of A Dream Deferred: The Second Betrayal of Black Freedom in America, in which he argues that too much of what has been done since the Great Society in the name of black rights has far more to do with the moral redemption or self-satisfaction of whites than with any real improvement in the lives of blacks. Steele has written extensively for major publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He is a contributing editor at Harper's magazine. He has also spoken before hundreds of groups and appeared on national current affairs news programs including Nightline and 60 Minutes. Steele is a member of the National Association of Scholars, the national board of the American Academy for Liberal Education, the University Accreditation Association, and the national board at the Center for the New American Community at the Manhattan Institute.
Will Steger International Arctic explorer, environmentalist and educator.
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.
Johnnie Tuitel To many, Johnnie Tuitel's disability is a struggle. But to Johnnie, it's just the way things are. Much of his positive attitude can be attributed to his upbringing. In 1963, doctors told Johnnie's Dutch-immigrant parents that their son had cerebral palsy. "He'll be a burden," they said. "He won't be able to lead a normal life." Ignoring the doctors, the Tuitels took their baby home to love him and to raise him. They encouraged him to focus on his abilities and to try anything and everything. Yes, there were cuts and bruises along the way, but they just increased his determination and toughened his resolve. Each struggle was a stepping-stone to a higher, yet undefined goal. The goal became clearer in 1974 when Johnnie became the first student with a disability to be mainstreamed into the public school system. He not only completed public schooling, but went on to receive a bachelor's degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. And all this from a young man who wasn't supposed to be able to lead a "normal" life. Speaker, author, entrepreneur, visionary, family man and world-traveler, Johnnie Tuitel is a man who thinks outside the wheelchair. And he helps others to focus on life's potentials rather than its limitations.
Edward Walker Ambassador Edward S. Walker, Jr. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Middle East Institute, a highly regarded Washington-based institution focused on Middle East policy. He possesses a unique depth of knowledge and experience in the regions issues. Before assuming his current position in 2001, Walker worked in the first Administration of George W. Bush as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, a position he had previously held under Madeleine Albright during the second Clinton Administration. During that time he helped initiate and negotiate US policy toward Iraq, including a complete revision of US sanctions policy. He also engaged in recalibrating US policies toward Iran and the Middle East peace process. Walkers diplomatic career includes positions as US Ambassador to Israel (1997-1999), the Arab Republic of Egypt (1994-1997), and the United Arab Emirates (1989-1992), as well as Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations (1992-1993). In the course of his 35 year career, Walker has worked with every Israeli Prime Minister since Golda Meir, with Presidents Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Kings Fahd and Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and Kings Hussein and Abdullah of Jordan, among others. During his time as Ambassador in Israel, Walker worked closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu in preparation for and during the Wye negotiations. In Egypt he worked with US Vice President Gore and President Mubarak on a major initiative to reform the Egyptian economy. Walker also worked with US and Egyptian intelligence officials to counter terrorist threats in Egypt. Walker appears regularly on US and Arab television news broadcasts to offer an American perspective on current issues and on matters critical to building better relations between the peoples of the Middle East and Americans. In addition, Walker is frequently quoted in domestic and international publications, and writes articles and editorials on topics such as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and the peace process. An accomplished speaker known for his work on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Walker offers intimate knowledge and even-handed analysis of the Middle East, its politics and its people. Walker has been a consistent advocate for tolerance and peace and a constant, strong opponent of terrorism as both inhumane and counterproductive.
John Walsh A tireless advocate for victims’ rights and missing children, John Walsh has turned his passion for justice into the nation's number-one crime-fighting show, FOX’s America's Most Wanted. Then, from 2002 to February, 2004, NBC daytime aired The John Walsh Show; a new platform for Walsh to comment on current events and issues that are of concern to him. Walsh is no stranger to violent crime; in fact, his incredibly successful career as a host of a nationally televised program, and as an advocate for victims’ rights, was a career Walsh never anticipated. In the summer of 1981, Walsh was a partner in a hotel management company in Hollywood, Florida. He was living the American dream. He and his wife, Revé, had a beautiful six-year-old son, Adam, the joy of their lives. They never thought crime could touch them. But that joy was shattered on July 27th, 1981, when Adam was abducted and later found murdered. The Walshes have never received the closure that America's Most Wanted has brought the lives of so many crime victims. The prime suspect in Adam's murder, Ottis Toole, was never charged in the Adam Walsh case; he died in prison while serving life for other crimes, taking the truth to the grave with him. The story of the Walsh family's tragedy has been dramatized in the 1983 NBC television movie, Adam, and a 1986 sequel, Adam: His Song Continues. Following the airing of the broadcasts, a roll of missing children was featured, leading to the recovery of 65 youngsters. It wasn't long after Adam's death that the Walshes turned their grief into positive energy to help missing and exploited children. Battling bureaucratic resistance and legislative nightmares, John and Revé's work led to the passage of the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984. The latter Bill founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which maintains a toll-free hotline number (1-800-THE-LOST) to report a missing child or the sighting of one. In their son's memory, they also founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to legislative reform. Recently, the centers, originally located in West Palm Beach, Florida, Columbia, South Carolina, Orange County, California, and Rochester, New York, merged with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Walsh serves on the board of directors of the National Center. Back in 1984, Esquire Magazine voted John Walsh "one of the best of the new generation." Since then, Walsh's endless quest for justice has been trumpeted across the pages of newspapers and magazines around the nation including The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and People Magazine, where Walsh was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People for 1996. And CBS portraits named him one of the 100 Americans Who Changed History. Walsh’s life has also been chronicled on A & E’s Biography program as well as on MSNBC’s Headliners and Legends with Matt Lauer. Law Enforcement officials around the nation have also honored Walsh for his efforts. In 1988 he was named the U.S. Marshals Man Of The Year, and two years later received the same honor from the FBI " the Bureau's highest civilian award. The U.S. Marshals also made Walsh an Honorary US Marshal in 2003 – an honor only bestowed upon seven other people in the agency’s history. Walsh has received hundreds of other honors, including the 1984 Father of the Year Award from the National Father's Day Committee. Walsh is the only private citizen to receive a Special Recognition Award by a U.S. Attorney General, and he's been honored in the Rose Garden four times by three presidents: Clinton, Bush (Sr.), and Reagan (twice). Today, Walsh continues his lobbying efforts, testifying before Congress and state legislatures on crime, missing children and victims' issues. His latest efforts include lobbying for a Constitutional Amendment for victims' rights.
Barbara Walters Barbara Walters has arguably interviewed more statesmen and stars than any other journalist in history. She is so well known that her name and a brief biography is listed in the American Heritage Dictionary. Her numerous and timely interviews- which appear regularly on the weekly newsmagazine 20/20 and on The Barbara Walters Specials- read like a "Who's Who" of newsmakers. This past season, she did the first interview for American television with Russia's President Vladimir Putin and the first interview with President and Mrs. Bush following September 11th. She also did a one-hour special on Saudi Arabia following her visit there. Through the years she has interviewed such world figures as Russia's Boris Yeltsin, China's Premier Jiang Zemin, Great Britain's former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Libia's Moammar Quadaffi and Iraq's President Sadaam Hussein. At the other extreme, in 1999 Walters conducted the first interview with Monica Lewinsky, which became the highest-rated news program ever broadcast by a single network. She has interviewed every American President and First Lady since Richard Nixon. She made journalism history by arranging the first joint interview with Egypt's President Anwar Sadat and Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin in November, 1977. Another of her "firsts" was an hour-long primetime conversation with Cuban President Fidel Castro- an interview which has been printed in half a dozen languages and shown all over the world. The Barbara Walters Specials are continuously the top-rated specials of the year and have included such legends as Sir Oliver, Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Bette Davis and Audrey Hepburn. More recent interviews of superstars have included Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Ms. Walters' The Ten Most Fascinating People special broadcast, launched in 1993 offers a year-end review of the most prominent newsmakers of the year, as well as the selection of the "most fascinating" individual. Walters is also co-owner, co-executive producer and co-host of The View, the original forum where real women discuss relevant, everyday issues and share their daily, no-holds-barred opinions and lively, colorful, conversations. The show premiered in August, 1997 and is broadcast live from New York City. Walters joined ABC News in 1976 as the first woman to co-host the network news. In 1984, she became co-host of the ABC newsmagazine 20/20, which is currently in its 24th season on the network. Prior to joining ABC she appeared on NBC's Today Show for 15 years. She began as a writer on the Today Show, and within a year became a co-host of the program without the official title, but in 1974 NBC officially designated her as the program's first female co-host. Walters was a member of the NBC News team that went to the People's Republic of China to cover the visits of President Richard Nixon in 1972 and President Herald Ford in 1975. In addition to the Today Show, Walters for five years has also hosted her own popular syndicated series, Not For Women Only. The program went off the air when she left for ABC. Early in her career she was a writer for CBS News and, before that, she was the youngest producer with NBC-TV's New York station (WNBC-TV). Over the years Walters has received national recognition for her work and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious honors and awards. Among these include her 1990 induction into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame and also her acceptance of the Lowell Thomas Award for a career in journalism excellence by Marist College. She received the Overseas Press Club's highest award, the President's Award in 1988 and also won three Lifetime Achievement Awards in 1991, 1993, and 2000. Walters is the recipient of honorary doctoral degrees from Sarah Lawrence, her alma mater, as well as Ohio State University, Temple University, Marymount College, Wheaton College, Hofstra University and Ben-Gurion University in Jerusalem.
Faye Wattleton Faye Wattleton is the president of the Center for Gender Equality, a not-for-profit research, policy development and education institution created in 1995 to promote strategies for dismantling the obstacles that impede full equallity for women. The Centers mission is to educate policy makers and opinion leaders, and deliver broad-based information to the general public. Ms. Wattletons holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Ohio State University and a master of science degree in maternal and infant care with certification as a nurse-midwife, from Columbia University. Her mark in many walks of life is evidenced by her impressive list of awards and twelve honorary degrees.
Linda Wertheimer Before assuming this post in 2002, she spent 13 years as a host of NPR's daily news program, "All Things Considered." In this position, she helped build the afternoon news program's audience to record levels.Having joined NPR in 1971, she has been with the organization almost since its inception. She served as NPR's congressional correspondent and, in 1976, was named political correspondent- a position she held until 1989 when she became an "All Things Considered" host.In 1976, she became the first woman to anchor network coverage of a presidential nomination convention and of election night. She also is the first person to broadcast live from inside the U.S. Senate chamber.
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
Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize winner, author and professor, Elie Wiesel has worked on behalf of oppressed people for most of his adult life. His own experience as a Holocaust survivor has made him sensitive to people all over the world who have been deprived of their basic human rights. He has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States Congressional Gold Medal and more than 90 honorary degrees.
Edward O. Wilson Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Research Professor, Emeritus, at Harvard University, is one of the most highly respected scientists in the world today. Hailed as "the new Darwin" by Thomas Wolfe, and one of "America's 25 Most Influential People" by TIME Magazine, he has twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for The Ants and On Human Nature. Wilson's book The Diversity of Life, which brought together knowledge of the magnitude of biodiversity and the threats to it, had a major public impact. Today he continues entomological and environmental research at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge draws together the sciences, humanities, and the arts into a broad study of human knowledge, and his The Future of Life offers a plan for saving Earth's biological heritage. In his new book, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, Wilson sounds the alarm that the earth is in danger and its destruction threatens us all—no matter what we believe about its origins. The fate of the planet rests in our hands, he writes, and the only way the earth can be saved is if science and religion join forces. Wilson has received 75 awards in international recognition for his contributions to science and humanity, including the U.S. National Medal of Science, Japan's International Prize for Biology, the Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Germany's Terrestrial Ecology Prize, and the Franklin Medal of the American Philosophical Society. For his conservation work he has received the Audubon Medal of the National Audubon Society and the Gold Medal of the World Wide Fund for Nature. He is also the recipient of 27 honorary doctoral degrees from North America and Europe.
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.