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Race Relations in America Charles Moskos, a white sociology professor and John Sibley Butler, a black professor of sociology, are the nation's foremost authorities on race relations in the armed forces and in the United States. Moskos and Butler offer a blueprint for organizations to provide opportunities for all and to improve race relations at the same time. They are the co-authors of All That We Can Be: Black Leadership and Racial Integration the Army Way.
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.
Paper Clips Paper Clips is an inspiring 2004 documentary about a consciousness-raising project that blossomed into something beautiful at a rural Tennessee school. When the principal of Whitwell Middle School sought a program that would teach diversity to a predominantly white, Protestant student body, the notion of focusing on the Holocaust--specifically Hitler's extermination of six million Jews--seemed like an obvious way to go. But understanding what "six million" looks like became a challenge. Thus was born the idea of collecting that number of paper clips at Whitwell as a visual reference. But then it turned out paper clips actually have, in historical terms, symbolic value where the Holocaust is concerned. In this moving film, one sees Whitwell students dig into research on Germany's genocidal campaign, solicit clips from a variety of leaders and celebrities, and make a name for themselves on the national news. In time, the world comes to Whitwell's doorstep, via unsolicited donations of clips from people around the world, and in a tearful meeting of students and Holocaust survivors. The dimensions of the project, the lessons about prejudice and intolerance, are stunning to watch grow beyond anyone's wildest expectations. This is a great film for families and classrooms to watch together. --Tom Keogh
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell is well known as one of the most respected and charismatic leaders in the US Congress over the past 15 years. An inspiration to everyone who meets him, Senator Campbell is a rancher, jewelry designer, former educator, Olympian, and sheriff. Above all, he is a family man and an outspoken champion of American values. Senator Campbell was first elected to the Senate in 1992, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for five years. Sen. Campbell was the only American Indian to serve in the United States Senate at the time, and is one of the 44 Chiefs of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Before entering college Sen. Campbell served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951-1953. Stationed in Korea, he attained the rank of Airman 2nd Class. Sen. Campbell received a bachelor's degree in physical education and fine arts from San Jose State University in 1957 and later attended Meiji University in Tokyo in 1960 as a special research student. He was the U.S. Judo Champion 1961-1963, and All-American 1964. Also in 1964, he was captain of the U.S. Olympic judo team and placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. Sen. Campbell is a renowned jewelry designer, rancher, and trainer of champion quarter horses. He has been married to his wife Linda for more than 35 years. He is the father of two grown children, Colin Campbell and Shanan Longfellow. He is grandfather to Luke and Saylor Longfellow and Lauren Campbell. First elected to the Senate in 1992, Sen. Campbell was re-elected in 1998 with 62% of the vote. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Sen. Campbell served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-1992 and served in the Colorado State General Assembly from 1982-1986. Throughout his career, he has fought to reduce spending in order to balance the federal budget and lower tax rates across the board. He has worked steadily to decrease crime, improve education, and support veterans' issues. In 1997 Sen. Campbell became the first American Indian to chair the Indian Affairs Committee. In addition to furthering several lands projects that are significant to American Indian history, he has sponsored legislation aimed at addressing Indian health, education, and economic needs. During the 106th Congress, Sen. Campbell had more free-standing Senate legislation passed into law (12 public laws) than any other member of Congress. Today, he continues his efforts to champion projects important to Colorado and to improve the safety and well being of all Americans. A true original, Senator Campbell has been known to park his motorcycle in front of the Capitol on the way to work, drive delivery trucks around his home state in the off time, and will never shy away from telling you exactly what he thinks about a particular issue.
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.
William Allen Civil rights advocate, professor of political science and a political conservative, William Allen is a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and served as its chairman from 1987-1989. Allen is an eloquent and dynamic speaker whose topics include: One America for All Americans; Law and Morality in Our Politics; and America Proves Its Principles.
Aida Alvarez The first Hispanic to graduate from Harvard University, Aida Alvarez developed and wrote the National Hispanic Agenda, a nonpartisan consensus document of issues for presidential candidates. She also served on the advisory panel for the Republican Senate Task Force on Hispanic Affairs. Ms. Alvarez was Director of the Office of Federal Housing and the administrator of the Small Business Administration during the Clinton administration.
Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr Juan is a Presidential Medal recipient, honored for “the performance of exemplary deeds of service for the nation”. The Medal was presented by President Bill Clinton for extraordinary accomplishments in promoting civic participation and leadership development. He has earned five college degrees: a B.A. from Howard Payne University, a M.Ed. from Antioch College, a Ed.S. and Doctorate from Northern Illinois University, and a post-doctorate M.A. from Loyola University Chicago. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumni by Howard Payne and Northern Illinois, and received the Damon Award from the graduate school at Loyola University. He has also received four honorary degrees. He is President of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute: The Institute has trained over 200,000 present & future leaders, registered over two million new voters, published 425 studies on Hispanic demographics, since 1982. USHLI sponsors the largest Latino leadership conference in the nation. Juan was a political commentator on ABC-7 television for six years in Chicago; the only Latino commentator in the nation appearing on English language radio or television. He has worked and participated in the democratization of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and Haiti. He has been recognized three times as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America. He was inducted into the “Society of Life Models” by OMNI Youth Services for the impact of his work in promoting education and leadership development for high school and college students. He has received numerous awards for distinguished service and lifetime achievement.
Oscar Arias Arias was elected president of Costa Rica in 1986 and through negotiations drafted the Arias Peace Plan, which called for internal dialogue, cease-fire, freedom of speech, and free elections in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. This initiative culminated in the signing of the Esquipulas II Accords, or the Procedure to Establish a Firm and Lasting Peace in Central America, by all the Central American Presidents on August 7, 1987. Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. He used the monetary award to establish the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress. Under the auspices of the Foundation, three programs were established: The Center for Human Progress to promote equal opportunities for women and gender equality; the Center for Organized Participation to strengthen the participation and action of civil society in Central America; and the Center for Peace and Reconciliation to work for demilitarization and conflict resolution in the developing world.
Karen Armstrong Armstrong is a writer, lecturer, broadcaster and author of 12 books. Her best-known book is A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which was on the New York Times best-seller list for many months. She teaches at the Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism and the Training of Rabbis and Teachers in London, England. A limited number of tickets ($10) are on sale at the Greensboro Coliseum box office, online (www.Tickets.com), by phone (1-888-397-3100) or at selected Lowes Food Stores in the Greensboro area. There is a service charge for all tickets purchased online or by phone. Subject to availabilty, Guilford students and employees may receive one free ticket at the door with valid ID the night of the event. Educated at Oxford University, Armstrong taught modern literature at the University of London. She was a Catholic nun from 1962-69, and in 1982, she became a freelance writer and broadcaster. Armstrong's books include Through the Narrow Gate, a best-seller in Britain, The Gospel According to Women, Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World, Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, and The Battle for God. Her latest book, published in 2004, is a memoir, The Spiral Staircase: My Climb out of Darkness.
Dennis Banks Native American leader, activist, teacher, lecturer and co-founder of the American Indian movement (AIM). He is the author of his autobiography, Sacred Soul.
Julian Bond From his student days to his current Chairmanship of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Julian Bond has been an active participant in the movements for civil rights and economic justice. As an activist who has faced jail for his convictions, as a veteran of more than 20 years service in the Georgia General Assembly, a university professor and a writer, he has been on the cutting edge of social change since 1960. He was a founder, in 1960 while a student at Morehouse College of the Atlanta student sit-in and anti-segregation organization and of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). As SNCC's Communications Director, Bond was active in protests and registration campaigns throughout the South. Elected in 1965 to the Georgia House of Representatives, Bond was prevented from taking his seat by members who objected to his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was re-elected to his own vacant seat and un-seated again, and seated only after a third election and a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court. He was co-chair of a challenge delegation from Georgia to the 1968 Democratic Convention. The challengers were successful in unseating Georgia's regular Democrats, and Bond was nominated for Vice-President, but had to decline because he was too young. Bond serves as Chairman of the Premier Auto Group PAG (Volvo, Land Rover, Aston-Martin, and Jaguar) Diversity Council and is on the Boards of People for the American Way, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Council for a Livable World, and the advisory board of the Harvard Business School Initiative on Social Enterprise, among others. He was a commentator on America's Black Forum, the oldest black-owned show in television syndication. His poetry and articles have appeared in numerous publications. He has narrated numerous documentaries, including the Academy Award winning "A Time For Justice" and the prize-winning and critically acclaimed series "Eyes On The Prize." He has served since 1998 as Chairman of the Board of the NAACP, the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States. In 2002, he received the prestigious National Freedom Award.
Yvonne Burke Supervisor of Los Angeles County, Yvonne Burke is a former United States congresswoman and the first Black woman to be elected to congress from California. A prominent attorney, Ms. Burke is a civil rights activist and an advocate of women's rights. She is featured in the book and exhibit, "I Dream a World, Potraits of Black Women who Changed America."
John Sibley Butler One of the Nation's foremost authorities on race relations both in the armed forces and American society, Dr. Butler offers a blueprint to provide opportunities for all and to improve race relations at the same time. He is the co-author of All That We Can Be: Black Leadership and Racial Integration the Army Way. A past president of the American Association of Black Sociologists, Butler is also the author of Entrepreneurship and Self-Help Among Black Americans. Topic: Managing in a Post Affirmative Action Era: Lessons for Corporate America.
Calvin Butts A leading social activist, minister and educator, Calvin Butts is the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City and president of the State University of New York.
Linda Chavez Conservative director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the Reagan administration, Linda Chavez also served as Deputy Assistant to President Reagan and was the highest-ranking Hispanic in the Reagan administration. She was nominated by President George W. Bush to be Secretary of Labor. Ms. Chavez is now a nationally syndicated political columnist and a commentator on National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS). She is the author of Out of the Barrio: Toward a New Politics of Hispanic Assimilation; and a book on multiculturalism in the United States, A Nation Divided: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Race.
Sheyann Webb Christburg Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Smallest Freedom Fighter" and co-author of the book, Selma, Lord, Selma. As an eight year old, Sheyann Webb-Christburg marched with Dr. King in the Selma March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965 known as "Bloody Sunday." Selma, Lord, Selma is the moving, often dramatic story of a young courageous girl who for three turbulent months in 1965 was caught up in the tumult of the civil rights demonstrations in Selma, Alabama. Sheyann is also a major part of "Eyes On The Prize," talking with Dr. King as a child and talking about her experience as an adult and the impact Dr. King made on her life. Disney Films recently produced a made-for-television movie about her experiences during the Selma march entitled "Selma, Lord, Selma".
Kathleen Cleaver Kathleen Cleaver, a major voice in the Black liberation movements of the 1960s and 70s, continues today, to speak out against racism, sexism and economic inequality. In 1966, Cleaver fist became active in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). From 1967 to 1971, she was the Communications Secretary of the Black Panther Party and the first woman member of its Central Committee. After sharing years of exile with her former husband Eldridge Cleaver, she returned to the United States in late 1975. Since graduating from Yale Law School in 1987, Cleaver has combined legal work, teaching and activism. She has taught at numerous universities including Emory, Yale and Sara Lawrence. She served on the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts and became a Board Member of the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights. She has been active in the campaigns to free death row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal and former Panther Geronimo Pratt (released in 1997). Her writings and essays have appeared in numerous magazines, books and newspapers and her memoir, Memories of Love and War, is forthcoming from Random House.
Max Cleland Former U.S. Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) is a member of the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). President George Bush nominated Cleland on Nov. 21, 2003. He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on Dec. 15, 2003 for a term expiring January 20, 2007. Cleland has a long and distinguished career in public service at the state and national levels in both the executive and legislative branches of government. In 2002, Cleland was appointed to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States to report findings and recommendations to prevent future terrorist attacks. More recently he has served as a Distinguished Adjunct Professor to American Universitys (AU) Washington Semester Program, and as a Fellow in AU’s Center for Congressional & Presidential Studies. Cleland successfully ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Sam Nunn in 1995. He served on four Senate Committees: Armed Services; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Governmental Affairs; and Small Business. Previously, Cleland had the distinction of serving as the youngest Secretary of State in Georgia’s history, and the youngest member of the Georgia State Senate. Under President Jimmy Carter, Cleland became the youngest head of the U.S. Veterans Administration. In that capacity, he instituted the revolutionary Vets Center program that, for the first time, offered psychological counseling to combat veterans to heal the emotional wounds of war. Cleland volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1968. He was seriously wounded in a grenade explosion that year, costing him both legs and his right arm. He was awarded the Bronze Star and a Silver Star for gallantry in action. Cleland holds a master’s degree in American History from Emory University. He majored in history at Stetson University. Both institutions subsequently awarded him honorary doctorate degrees. Cleland grew up in Lithonia, GA.
Dorothy Cotton Dorothy Cotton translates years of experience and learning into words and song bearing messages of hope. Through "Songs of the Movement," laughter and storytelling, Dorothy synthesizes the lessons from our history into a working vision for the future. Dorothy gets us to laugh, sing, and join together to create a more caring and humane world. Dorothy Cotton was the Education Director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for twelve years under the direct supervision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Working closely with Dr. King, Dorothy served on his executive staff and was part of his entourage to Oslo, Norway, where he received the Nobel Peace Prize. She served as the Vice President for Field Operations for the Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. Dr. Cotton was the Director of Student Activities at Cornell University for nine years, and served as the Southeastern Regional Director of ACTION, the Federal Government's Agency for volunteer programs for three years. She holds a Masters Degree from Boston University in the area of Special Education. Dorothy has designed and conducted training programs for corporations, schools, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working with well over 100,000 participants. She has delivered commencement speeches and has addressed students at hundreds of colleges and universities including The University of New England and Spelman College (both of which gave her an Honorary Doctorate degree for her public work), Stanford University, The Albuquerque Academy, Brown University, City College of New Jersey and many more.Dorothy was recently featured in an ABC special "The Century" with Peter Jennings. She has spoken and traveled extensively throughout the world, including India, Africa, the People's Republic of China, Switzerland, the former Soviet Union, and Vietnam. Dorothy serves as a valuable resource to organizations on diverse topics addressing race relations, multiculturalism/diversity, communication, personal development, spiritual growth, human relations, citizenship education, civic organizing for the 21st century and nonviolence education. Currently she is involved in the expansion of the National Citizenship School in conjunction with Civic Organizing, Inc. of Minnesota. Dorothy's upcoming book will focus on lessons from the historic citizenship education program and her work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Kerry Cuomo Radio correspondent interviewing human rights leaders for the Voice of America, Ms. Kennedy Cuomo has lectured about human rights throughout the United State, and has led human rights delegations to many locations around the world.
Chuck D As leader and co-founder of legendary rap group Public Enemy, Chuck D redefined rap music and hip hop culture with the release of PE's explosive debut album, Yo Bum Rush The Show, in 1987. His messages addressed weighty issues about race, rage and inequality with a jolting combination of intelligence and eloquence never seen before. Chuck D and Public Enemy were celebrated in the May 2004 issue of Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "fifty most important performers in rock & roll history." Chuck D is also a national spokesperson for Rock the Vote, the National Urban League, and the National Alliance for African American Athletes. He has appeared in numerous public service announcements for national peace and the Partnership for a Drug Free America. As he continues to work on commentary, music, and writing on rap, race, and reality, it is clear that there are few who have transcended music and have made an impact as loud of Chuck D.
Darryl Davis He is not white. He's not even light-skinned. Make no mistake about it; he is black. Yet, Klan-Destine Relationships author Daryl Davis has come in closer contact with members of the Ku Klux Klan than most white non-members and certainly most blacks -- short of being on the wrong end of a rope. What's more? He continues to do so, making him one of the most unique lecturers on the college speaking circuit today. Over the last ten years, Daryl Davis walked on the edge with one foot dangling over the precipice. His stories of setting up surprise meetings with Klan leaders unaware of his skin color and attending KKK rallies, has the suspense of Hitchcock, keeping audiences riveted to their seats in disbelief. On a quest to do nothing more than explore racism and gather information for his book, Klan-Destine Relationships, Daryl Davis eventually became the recipient of robes and hoods by Klan members who came to him to rescind their beliefs. Davis had inadvertently stumbled upon a successful method of forming friendships between sworn enemies. His methods have made him the center of controversy. In some white circles he has been deemed "politically incorrect" and in some black circles he has been called "Uncle Tom." Daryl Davis often makes supporters out of his detractors by proving his methods work and issuing this challenge: "I have Klan robes and hoods hanging in my closet, given to me voluntarily by members who have quit the Klan since coming to know me. That's what I've done to improve race relations. How many robes and hoods have you received as a result of your methods?"
Norman Dorsen Law professor, human rights activist and president of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman was born in and grew up in Bennettsville, South Carolina, one of five children. Her father, Arthur Wright, was a Baptist preacher who taught his children that Christianity required service in this world and who was influenced by A. Phillip Randolph. He died when Marian was only fourteen, urging in his last words to her, "Don't let anything get in the way of your education." Marian Wright Edelman went on to study at Spelman College, abroad on a Merrill scholarship, and she traveled to the Soviet Union with a Lisle fellowship. When she returned to Spelman in 1959, she became involved in the civil rights movement, inspiring her to drop her plans to enter the foreign service, and instead to study law. She studied law at Yale and worked as a student on a project to register African American voters in Mississippi. In 1963, after graduating from Yale Law School, Marian Wright Edelman worked first in New York for the NAACP Legal and Defense Fund, and then in Mississippi for the same organization. There, she became the first African American woman to practice law. During her time in Mississippi, she worked on racial justice issues connected with the civil rights movement, and she also helped get a Head Start program established in her community. During a tour by Robert Kennedy and Joseph Clark of Mississippi's poverty-ridden Delta slums, Marian met Peter Edelman, an assistant to Kennedy, and the next year she moved to Washington, D.C., to marry him and to work for social justice in the center of America's political scene. They had three sons. In Washington, Marian Wright Edelman continued her work, helping to get the Poor People's Campaign organized. She also began to focus more on issues relating to child development and children in poverty. Marian Wright Edelman established the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) in 1973 as a voice for poor, minority and handicapped children. She served as a public speaker on behalf of these children, and also as a lobbyist in Congress, as well as president and administrative head of the organization. The agency served not only as an advocacy organization, but as a research center, documenting the problems and possible solutions to children in need. To keep the agency independent, she saw that it was financed entirely with private funds. Marian Wright Edelman also published her ideas in several books. The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours was a surprising success. In the 1990s, when Bill Clinton was elected President, Hillary Clinton's involvement with the Children's Defense Fund meant that there was significantly more attention given to the organization. But Edelman did not pull her punches in criticizing the Clinton administration's legislative agenda -- such as its "welfare reform" initiatives -- when she believed these would be disadvantageous to the nation's neediest children. As part of the efforts of Marian Wright Edelman and the Children's Defense Fund on behalf of children, she has also advocated pregnancy prevention, child care funding, health care funding, prenatal care, parental responsibility for education in values, reducing the violent images presented to children, and selective gun control in the wake of school shootings.
Floyd Flake Prominent minister and former United States Congressman from New York.
Christopher Gardner Christopher Gardner is president and CEO of the Chicago-based brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co., which he founded in 1987. Prior to launching his own firm, Mr. Gardner worked for several prestigious Wall Street firms. He landed his first job in the securities industry in 1981 with Dean Witter Reynolds, coming out of their training program. Later, he spent four years with Bear Stearns & Co., where he became a top earner. A self-made multi-millionaire, Gardner is intent on giving back to the communities where he conducts business because he has never forgotten his humble beginnings or the odds he has surmounted. Christopher Gardner's accomplishments are extraordinary on their own merit, but are all the more astonishing because of the unimaginable obstacles he encountered on the road to success. Always hard working and tenacious, a series of circumstances in the early 1980's left Gardner homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up Chris Jr. or his dream of financial independence, Gardner started at the very bottom of the financial industry ladder and pulled his way up, often spending his nights in a church shelter or a bathroom at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Oakland. The amazing story of Gardner's life will be soon be published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, by Amistad/Harper Collins on May 23, 2006, and will also be the subject of a movie with the same title starring Will Smith as Gardner to be released by Columbia Pictures in December 2006. Born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Gardner never knew his father. He lived with his mother, Bettye Jean Gardner, and her family and, when necessary, in foster homes. Despite a life of hardship and emotional scarring, he always had supreme love and admiration for his mother, who was a trained schoolteacher. His mother taught him some of the greatest lessons of his life, which he follows to this day. When Gardner told her he wanted to be the great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis she said, "Son, there's only one Miles Davis and he got that job. So you have to do something else." He understood from that day forward that his job was to be Chris Gardner - whatever that entailed. Bettye Jean also taught him that in spite of where he came from, he could attain whatever goals he set for himself by saying, "If you want to, one day you could make a million dollars." Gardner believed this to be fact, and it allowed him to persevere through the years when and his son were struggling for survival and a better life. Straight out of high school, Gardner enlisted in the Navy, just like his uncles, his role models, had done previously. After the military, Gardner went to San Francisco and took a job as a medical supply salesman. Then he reached a turning point in his life. In a parking lot, he met a man driving a red Ferrari. "He was looking for a parking space. I said, 'You can have mine, but I gotta ask you two questions.' The two questions were: What do you do? And how do you do that? Turns out this guy was a stockbroker and he was making $80,000 a month." That pivotal encounter gave Gardner a clear career goal, but he still needed a way into the world of high finance. Without experience, connections, a degree, or pedigree, Gardner began knocking on doors, applying for training programs at brokerages, even though it meant he would have to live on next to nothing while he learned. When he was finally accepted into a program, he left his job in medical sales. But his plans collapsed when the man who offered him the training slot was fired, and Gardner had no job to go back to. Things got worse. He was put in jail for $1,200 in parking violations that he couldn't pay. Chris Jr.'s mother left and Gardner, despite his circumstances, fought to keep his son because, as he says, "I made up my mind as a young kid that when I had children, my children were gonna know who their father was." With a network of offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, GRC has grown by focusing on its commitment to provide quality service and excellent trade executions for clients. The firm executes trades for some of the nations largest institutions, public pension plans and unions. Under Mr. Gardner's directions, GRC has adopted a "give back to the community" program. The Company donates 10% or more of the company's earnings toward school and educational projects in the communities it serves. Chris Gardner's remarkable story of struggle, faith, entrepreneurialism, and fatherly devotion has catapulted him beyond the notoriety he has found on Wall Street. He has been featured on CBS' "Evening News with Dan Rather" and ABC's "20/20," as well as being the subject of profiles in many newspapers and national magazines.
Dorothy Butler Gilliam Highly respected columnist for The Washington Post, Dorothy Gilliam was the only black woman journalist covering the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960's. She was the president of the 2400 member National Association of Black Journalists and has served as chair of the Institute for Journalism Education, a national organization which promotes opportunities for minority students in journalism. A frequent panelist on the political talk show, "To The Contrary," Ms. Gilliam appears nationwide on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
Mary Glendon Attorney, noted conservative legal scholar and law professor.
Danny Glover From Places in the Heart and the Lethal Weapon series to the award-winning To Sleep with Anger (which he also executive produced), Danny Glover is one of Hollywood's most renowned and respected leading men. An actor, producer, and director, this versatile superstar has impacted stage, screen, and television for over a decade.Glover's impressive and diverse body of work has earned him a host of awards, including several NAACP Image Awards, an ACE Award and Emmy nominations. Off-screen, Glover is a powerful advocate for literacy and has spoken to grammar and high school students around the nation about the joys of reading and education.
Mikhail Gorbachev Gorbachev was the leader of the former U.S.S.R. from 1985-91 and is credited by many in the West with ending the Cold War. He streamlined and decentralized the oppressive Soviet Communist system he inherited and taught the world two new words: perestroika (governmental restructuring) and glasnost (political openness). He signed two broad disarmament pacts and brought an end to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Gorbachev was recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. After graduating from Moscow State University with a law degree, Gorbachev joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1952. In 1971, he was elected to the Central Committee, Communist Party (CCCP), and from 1978-85 he served as secretary. From 1985-90, he was president of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., and in 1990-91 he was president of the Soviet Union. Time magazine named Gorbachev 1987 Man of the Year and 1980s Person of the Decade. He was one of Time's 100 Most Important People of the Twentieth Century. This year, he shared a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Children's Album with President Clinton and Sophia Loren. In 1992, Gorbachev became President of the Gorbachev Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational foundation, which articulates and addresses the challenges of the post Cold War world through the re-visioning of global priorities. In 1993, he founded the environmental organization, Green Cross International, which is a three-pronged program with a mission to clean up military toxins, assist in the creation of global ecological law and foster a value shift on the environment.
Lawrence Otis Graham Nationally known author, attorney and commentator on race, politics and diversity in America. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Larry is the author of 13 non-fiction books including Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class. His business diversity book Proversity: Getting Past Face Value was selected by the Society of Human Resource Managers and is used widely by coporate diversity managers. He previously wrote The Best Companies for Minorities.
Fred D. Gray The leading civil rights lawyer in America, Fred Gray's legal career spans a time period of over forty years. His career began in 1954 when he represented Rosa parks who was arrested because she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, which ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He was also Martin Luther King Jr.'s first civil rights attorney. Fred Gray is the author of Bus Ride to Justice (1995) and The Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1998).
Ernest Green Ernest Green Member of the "Little Rock Nine" Consultant born in Little Rock, Arkansas, September 22, 1941, Green earned his high school diploma from Central High School in Little Rock. He and eight other black students were the first to integrate Central High, following the 1954 US Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education that declared segregation illegal. They later would become known as the "Little Rock Nine." Green then went on to receive his bachelors in social science and masters in sociology from Michigan State University. He also received honorary doctorates from Michigan State University, Tougaloo College, and Central State University. Ernest G. Green is presently the Managing Director of Public Finance for Lehman Brothers' Washington, DC office. Since joining Lehman Brothers in 1987, Green has served as senior investment banker on transactions for such key clients as the City of New York, State of New York, and the City of Chicago to name a few. He has also been appointed as chairman of the African Development Foundation, by President Clinton, and chairman of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Advisory Board by Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley. Prior to joining Lehman Brothers, Green was president of Ernest Green & Associates, a minority consulting firm that provided technical assistance in marketing, financial management, and economic forecasting. Green served as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training during the Carter Administration where he formulated the US Presidential Policy and directed implementation of a vast range of activities. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, Green served as Executive Director of the Recruitment and Training Program, Inc., an organization that recruits minorities for apprenticeship programs in the building trades. Green is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Executive Leadership Council, the Legislative Action Committee of the Public Securities Association, and chairs the National Association of Securities Professionals and Africare. Recently, he joined Winrock International's board of directors. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the March of Dimes Foundation and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The recipient of numerous awards Green was the youngest recipient of the NAACP's Spingard Medal, at the age of seventeen. On November 9, 1999, President Clinton presented Green, along with the rest of the "Little Rock nine," the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor given to a civilian, for outstanding bravery during the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Several books, movies and documentaries have been produced chronicling Green and his eight classmates historic year at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas - the most recent being the Ernest Green Story, produced and distributed by the Walt Disney Corporation.
Barbara C. Harris First woman to be consecrated as an Episcopal Bishop, Rev. Harris is an outspoken advocate of racial and sexual equality.
Judge Glenda Hatchett Judge Hatchett is a nationally-syndicated television program produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It stars the Honorable Glenda Hatchett and is modeled after "judge shows" such as The People's Court and Judge Judy. In addition to dealing with traditional small-claims lawsuits (with a plaintiff, a defendant, and monetary awards sought), she also handles DNA Paternity Tests and Out of Control Teens. Judge Hatchett is criticised by some for being overly harsh to younger defendants, especially minors in her "Out of Control Teens" situations. Her fans, however, interpret her seemingly harsh demeanor as "tough love" and proof that she cares about them and wants to set them on the right path. Judge hatchett's program is featured on the news station Fox 5 at 3 P.M. through 4 P.M., after the hour-long Judge Alex and preceded by another hour-long Fox 5 News At 5 program. It features real cases in a variety of different kinds of civil cases, from unprotected sex and pregnancy at a young age to fights at an older age, as well as rich cases of harassment and classic civil lawsuits.
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.
Immaculee Ilibagiza Immaculee Ilibagiza is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and author of Left to Tell and Led by Faith. Immaculee is a living example of faith put into action. Immaculees life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan genocide when she and seven other women spent 91 days hiding, huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastors house. She emerged to find that nearly her entire family had been brutally murdered. Immaculee found solace and peace in prayer and began to pray from the time she opened her eyes in the morning to the time she closed her eyes at night. Through prayer, she eventually found it possible, and in fact imperative, to forgive her tormentors and her familys murderers. This is a powerful presentation of faith and forgiveness.
Juan Roberto Job Motivational speaker, multicultural consultant and author of the best selling book, Just Because I'm Latin doesn't mean I Mambo: A Success Guide For Hispanic Americans. Juan Roberto Job is highly regarded for his work in multicultural settings and is an expert on worksite diversity, ethnic recruiting and cross cultural business protocol.
Ben Johnson Assistant to the President of the United States and Director of the White House Office On The President's Initiative For One America, during the Clinton Administration. Ben Johnson also served as Deputy Assistant to President Clinton where he was responsible for all areas of outreach to the African American community as well as the Hispanic and Jewish community, the disabled and senior citizens.
Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis was born in Hungary and is descended from a great rabbinic dynasty that can trace its lineage back to thedays of King David. Prior to the Holocaust there were 85 rabbis bearing the name“Jungreis” in Hungary. Following W.W.II, only ten remained. Having experienced the Holocaust first hand as an inmate of Bergen Belsen, the Rebbetzin.
Maulana Karenga Historian, educator, civil rights leader and author of The African American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family; Community and Culture. In 1966, Dr. Karenga introduced Kwanzaa ("first fruits" in Swahili) to the U.S. It is a non religious cultural observance celebrated by millions of African Americans.
Randall Kennedy African-American scholar, distinguished law professor and author of the controversial new book, Nigger.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a nationally known attorney, environmental activist, university professor and author. He serves as chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper Program; as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council; and as a clinical professor and supervising attorney at the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University School of Law in New York. He is regarded as a pioneer in the area of municipal and government responsibility for environmental problems. Kennedy's reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of legal actions which include the prosecution of governmental agencies and industrial companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, winning settlements for the Hudson Riverkeeper, arguing cases to expand citizen access to the shoreline, and suing sewage treatment plants to force compliance with the Clean Water Act. Kennedy is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply. The New York City watershed agreement, which he negotiated of behalf of environmentalists across the state, is regarded as an international model in stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development. On the national front, he was instrumental in helping defeat several anti-environmental bills during the 104th Congress. He has also worked to tackle environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in successfully negotiating treaties protecting traditional homelands. Although Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known as an activist for environmental protection everywhere, he considers fighting pollution in the Hudson River a priority. In an interview with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Kennedy avowed that he would continue to fight pollution in the Hudson River, despite the many governmental barriers that have been erected to discourage the works of citizens who wish to hold polluting agencies accountable. Kennedy stated, "The Hudson is my backyard, and the primary obligation of anyone in the environmental community is to clean his or her own backyard first. Global reform starts with local reform." Earlier in his career, Kennedy served as assistant district attorney in New York City. He has worked on several presidential campaigns, including those of Edward M. Kennedy in 1980 and Al Gore in 2000. Kennedy is the author of numerous articles and three books, including Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., A Biography (1977), the New York State Apprentice Falconer's Manual, and his latest book, The Riverkeepers (1997), co-written with John Cronin. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, among other publications. Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation he attended Pace University School of Law, where he was awarded a master's degree in environmental law. March 20, 2003 Quick LinksAcademics @ Guilford Academic Departments Academic Skills Center BannerWeb Certification Programs College Calendar Course Catalog Course Schedules First Year Program Guilford Writing Manual Library Study Abroad Programs What's Going On @ Guilford? Art Gallery Athletics Campus Life Guilfordian Guilford Buzz Local Events and Activities News Services Where Can I Find Help? Admission Information Adult Programs Campus Ministry Campus Map Employment Opportunities Information Technology International Student Info Office of College Relations Office of Public Safety Services & Administration Ways of Giving.
Kwame Kilpatrick Since taking office in 2002 as the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city, Kwame M. Kilpatrick has led tremendous growth in the city of Detroit including the biggest housing and commercial construction boom in 50 years, the largest road and infrastructure improvement program in decades, and a $2-billion overhaul of Detroit’s riverfront. After decades of decline, Detroit is experiencing a revival thanks to Mayor Kilpatrick’s leadership that has been recognized by media including the New York Times, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and the Financial Times of London.
Martin King, III Son of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. he is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Martin Luther King, III is founder of the civil rights organization, American United for Affirmative Action.
Ron Kuby Ron Kuby is a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer, radio talk show host and TV commentator. Kuby is now the co-host, with Curtis Sliwa, of the popular "Curtis and Kuby in the Morning" program which is aired on weekdays from 5 to 10 am on WABC-AM 770 in New York City. He is also a frequent pundit and fill-in anchor on Court TV. Previously he and Sliwa shared a short-lived mid-day television program on MSNBC (Kuby admits that he has "a face meant for radio.")
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.
Joseph Lowery A leading African American spokesperson, veteran of the civil rights movement and former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Chief Ronnie Lupe Charismatic chief and tribal chairman of the Apache Tribe.
Nelson Mandela Human Rights leader and former President of South Africa.
Morris Massey Expert on conflict resolution, human behavior and diversity issues, known for his program, “Flashpoint: When Values Collide.”
Judge Greg Mathis Popular television judge who is featured on the nationally syndicated TV show "Judge Mathis". The youngest judge in Michigan history, Greg Mathis was a Michigan Superior Court Judge before the start of his television series. Mathis worked hard to win the judgeship in the city of Detroit. He had many obstacles to overcome. He had failed the Michigan bar exam once, and had been denied a license to practice law for several years after graduating from law school because of his criminal past. He had not accrued an extensive portfolio of legal work, and he was seen by the establishment as someone who lacked the necessary experience and insight to handle the hectic and heavy docket. Yet in 1995, he was elected a superior court judge for Michigan's 36th District, making him the youngest man in the state to hold the post. During the five years he was on the bench, he was rated in the top five of all judges in the 36th District; there are about thirty judges each year. He was trying to have a movie made about his youth when a partner was contacted by Blackpearl Productions about starting a television show. He has been hosting a television series, Judge Mathis, since 1999, in which he mediates disputes much like a real courtroom. In 2001, Mathis appeared in "1st Annual BET Awards" as himself. He also was a guest star as himself in the Steve Harvey show episode "Here Comes the Judge". Mathis has been parodied on Saturday Night Live by Tracy Morgan in the "Judge Horace" persona. At a rally commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Mathis said, "They (the Bush administration) all need to be locked up because they are all criminals and they are all thieves. It is indeed criminal to steal an election and within two years run up a federal deficit of half-a-trillion dollars, send our young people over to Iraq to die for an unjust war. What they are doing is criminal."
Billy Mills In 1964, on a arm summer night in Tokyo, Japan American Billy Mills shone brighter than any star in the Oriental sky. Unheralded, unappreciated, virtually unknown to the world, Billy Mills scored one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, winning the 10,000 meter run with a stunning come-from-behind finish that left the world's best runners in his wake, and the rest of the world in disbelief. In the 100 years of the Games, Mills is the only American ever to win this event. Mills, a Lakota (Sioux) Indian born on the reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, learned early that life doesn't always come easy. It was exactly this harsh realization that brought him to the pinnacle of the athletic world. Mills fought prejudice, jealousy, and scorn to become one of America's best distance runners of his day. Through high school, the University of Kansas, and the Marine Corps, he was often the target of envy and contempt. His ancestry was ridiculed, his integrity questioned, and his talents ignored. But while his detractors made every attempt to strip Billy Mills of his dignity, they could never extinguish the fiery determination in his soul.
George Mitchell Mitchell, a Maine native and graduate of Bowdoin College, served in the U.S. Senate from 1980-95, including the last six years as Majority Leader. He was appointed to complete the un-expired term of Edmund Muskie, who resigned to become Secretary of State, and was elected to full terms in 1982 and 1988. While in the Senate, Mitchell led the Senate to passage of the nation's first childcare bill and was principal author of the low-income housing tax credit program. He was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and a higher education bill, and he led the Senate to ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and creation of the World Trade Organization. He served on the Senate's Finance, Veterans Affairs and Environment and Public Works Committees. Mitchell served as chairman of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, and under his leadership, the governments of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland agreed upon an historic accord ending decades of conflict. In May 1998, the voters of Ireland, North and South, in a referendum, overwhelmingly endorsed the agreement. For his service in Northern Ireland, Mitchell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that the U.S. Government can give, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, the Truman Institute Peace Prize, the German Peace Prize and the United Nations Peace Prize. At the request of the governments of the United States and Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Mitchell served as chairman of an international fact finding committee on violence in the Middle East. Following graduation from Bowdoin in 1954, he served in Berlin, Germany, as an officer in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps until 1956. He received an LLB degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1960. From 1960-62 he was a trial lawyer in the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. From 1962-65 he served as executive assistant to Sen. Muskie. In 1965 he returned to Maine where he engaged in the private practice of law in Portland until 1977. He was then appointed U.S. District Attorney for Maine, a position he held until 1979, when he was appointed U.S. District Judge for Maine. Mitchell is the author of four books. With his colleague, Sen. Bill Cohen of Maine, he wrote Men of Zeal, describing the Iran-Contra investigation. In 1990, he wrote World on Fire, describing the threat of the greenhouse effect and recommending steps to curb it. His next book was Not For America Alone: The Triumph of Democracy and The Fall of Communism. In 1999, Mitchell wrote Making Peace, an account of his experience in Northern Ireland.
Peter Morley Filmmaker, Peter Morley is widely acknowledged as one of the leading television producer/directors in the United Kingdom. Among a host of national and international awards his work has attracted, a special mention should be made of Kitty -Return to Auschwitz, winner of five international awards, including the Clarion Award for the Best U.S. Network Program after its prime-time airing on ABC TV. This classic film is now considered to have made a major and permanent contribution to the awareness of the horrors of the Nazi regime in World War II. It has been shown on television in almost every country around the world.
Kellye Nakahara Asian American actress best known for her portrayal of "Nurse Kellye" in the hit television series, "M*A*S*H." Topics: Minority Stereotyping; Making it as a Minority Woman in Show Business; and The World of M*A*S*H.
Andrew Napolitano Andrew P. Napolitano joined FOX News Channel in May 1998, and currently serves as a senior judicial analyst. He appears daily on The Big Story with John Gibson, co-hosts FOX and Friends once a week and is a regular on The O’Reilly Factor. Napolitano is the youngest life-tenured Superior Court Judge in the history of the State of New Jersey. While on the bench from 1987-95, Judge Napolitano tried over 150 jury trials, and sat in all parts of the Superior Court — Criminal, Civil, Equity and Family. For eleven years, Napolitano served as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School, where he taught constitutional law and jurisprudence. He returned to private law practice in 1995, the same year he began his career in broadcasting. Napolitano received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame.
Jill Nelson Author of the provocative serio-comic memoir, Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience, a funny, sassy and sad book about a contemporary woman trying to reconcile the worlds of work and self. An award winning journalist for The Washington Post, Jill Nelson is a contributor to Ms. magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Her new book is entitled, Straight No Chaser.
Dr. Antonia Novello Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., was nominated by Governor George Pataki and confirmed as the thirteenth Commissioner of Health for the State of New York on June 15, 1999. Dr. Novello was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, and earned her B.S. and M.D. degrees at the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Novello served a pediatric internship and residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and completed subspecialty training in pediatric nephrology at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University. She also earned Masters of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health degrees from Johns Hopkins University. She is a board-certified pediatrician. Dr. Novello has a long and illustrious career in public health. From 1979 to 1990, she worked for the U.S. Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health, where she served in various capacities, rising to Deputy Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In 1990, Dr. Novello was appointed by President George Bush as the U.S. Surgeon General, a position she held until 1993. From 1993 to 1996, Dr. Novello served as the Special Representative for Health and Nutrition with UNICEF. Immediately prior to joining the New York State Department of Health, she served as Visiting Professor and Special Director of Community Health Policies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Novello is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is also Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan and Adjunct Professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Novello is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, the American Pediatrics Society, and the Society for Pediatric Research. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medallion and Medal, Distinguished Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service, the American Medical Association's Nathan B. Davis Award, the National Women's Hall of Fame, the American Academy of Pediatrics Excellence in Public Service Award, the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars Award, the Elizabeth Blackwell Award, the Public Health Service Commissioned Officer's Association Health Leader of the Year Award, the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Scientific Excellence, and the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities Award of Excellence. She holds over 45 honorary degrees.
Edward James Olmos Edward James Olmos an actor Olmos has often become involved in social issues, especially those affecting the Hispanic-American community in the United States. In 1998 Olmos founded Latino Public Broadcasting and currently serves as its Chairman. The Latino Public Broadcasting funds programming for public television which focuses on issues affecting Hispanic-Americans and advocates for diverse prespectives in public television. Also, in 1998, Olmos stared in the uplifting and Latino movie The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, that breaks stereotypes and transcends the normal stigmas of most Latino oriented movies. Olmos also makes frequent appearances at juvenile halls and detention centers to speak to teenagers at risk. He has also been an international ambassador for UNICEF. In 2001, he was arrested and spent 20 days in prison for taking part in the Navy-Vieques protests against United States Navy target practice bombings of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Edward James Olmos in Blade RunnerOlmos played Rafael Leonidas Trujillo in the 2001 movie In the Time of the Butterflies. He also appeared as a recurring character, Justice Mendoza, in the TV series The West Wing. In the early 2000s he starred as the recently widowed father in a Latin L.A.-family, in the PBS drama American Family. Olmos was married to actress Lorraine Bracco, but she filed for divorce in January 2002. He is currently married to actress Lymari Nadal. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2003, he starred as Commander Adama in the Sci Fi Channel mini-series remake of the series Battlestar Galactica and has since appeared in every season of the new Battlestar Galactica TV series. In 2006, Olmos produced and played the bit part of Julian Nava in the HBO movie Walkout about the 1968 Chicano Blowouts.
Frank Ortiz Leading Hispanic NASA aerospace engineer and a Hispanic American civil rights activist.
Dr. Orlando Patterson Professor of sociology at Harvard University and the author of Rituals of Blood, the second volume of trilogy on race relations. His study of slavery and domination prompted interest in the study of the nature and development of its shadow concept of freedom. He also focused his research on contemporary America with special emphasis on race, immigration and multiculturalism.
Judea Pearl Pearl received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, Israel, in 1960, a Master degree in Physics from Rutgers University, U.S.A, in 1965, and a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, U.S.A, in 1965. He worked at RCA Research Laboratories on superconductive parametric and storage devices and at Electronic Memories, Inc., on advanced memory systems. He then joined UCLA in 1970, where he currently works. In 2002, his son Daniel Pearl was killed in Pakistan, leading Judea and the other members of the family and friends to create the Daniel Pearl Foundation.
Sidney Poitier Poitier is known the world over for his consistent, sensitive and powerful portrayals in such socially charged films as No Way Out, Blackboard Jungle, Something of Value, The Defiant Ones, A Raisin in the Sun, A Patch of Blue, To Sir With Love, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Lilies of the Field and many others. He has been walking tall among Hollywood's most respected and honored stars for more than five decades. He made his motion picture debut in No Way Out, garnered critical acclaim and national recognition in Blackboard Jungle, received his first Academy Award nomination for The Defiant Ones in 1958, and won the coveted Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. In addition to Poitier's personal success, he has been a leading figure among African American achievers. He serves as the Ambassador to Japan from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1968. He has received the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award and the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.
Colin L. Powell General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) became the 65th Secretary of State on January 20, 2001. As he stated at his confirmation hearing, the guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy during his tenure was that "America stands ready to help any country that wishes to join the democratic world." General Powell brought extensive experience with him to his office. Before becoming Secretary of State, Colin Powell served as a key aide to the Secretary of Defense and as National Security Advisor to President Reagan. He also served 35 years in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Four-Star General and serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989 – 1993). During this time he oversaw 28 crises to include the Panama intervention of 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in the victorious 1991 Persian Gulf War. That experience served him well, both before and particularly after the events of September 11, 2001, the day of the greatest tragedy on American soil since Pearl Harbor. As Secretary he stood shoulder to shoulder with the President and the other members of the President's cabinet in fighting the war on terrorism. As he often said, "winning that war is our first priority, and it will remain so for as long as necessary." A fervent purveyor of democratic values, Colin Powell stressed that fighting the war on terrorism is not just a military but also a diplomatic task – the two go hand in hand. He led the State Department in major efforts to solve regional and civil conflicts – in the Middle East, between Israel and its Arab neighbors; in Sudan, Congo and Liberia; in the Balkans, Cyprus, Haiti, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. He was especially concerned with the peace and security of Afghanistan and Iraq, countries where winning the peace is as important as Coalition battlefield victories. In all areas, he used the power of diplomacy and the universal ideal of democracy to build trust, forge alliances and then begin to transform these once-unstable regions into areas where societies and cultures prosper. General Powell was devoted to grasping opportunities as well as to confronting the global and regional security challenges of the 21st century. He was at the forefront of the administration's efforts to advance economic and social development worldwide – in the fight against HIV/AIDS, in the promise of the Millennium Challenge Account, the most significant change in helping needy nations since the Marshall Plan, and in pursuing a freer trading and investment climate worldwide. These efforts, too, are not separate from the nation's security agenda. Indeed, in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, then Secretary Powell affirmed that our main purpose is to extend democracy, prosperity, and freedom to every corner of the world. It is a process that is establishing a balance of power that favors freedom across the globe.
William Raspberry Washington Post columnist whose political and urban affairs column is nationally syndicated. Time magazine has hailed him as "the most respected Black voice on any white U.S. newspaper."
Bari-Ellen Roberts One of America's most courageous African-Americans who has been hailed as a "modern day Rosa Parks," Bari-Ellen Roberts, a former executive with Texaco, made national headlines when she sued the giant oil company for racial discrimination. After a long court battle Texaco agreed to pay Bari-Ellen and fourteen hundred other African-Americans one hundred and seventy six million dollars, which made it the largest discrimination settlement in the United States corporate history. The author of Roberts vs. Texaco: The True Story of Race in Corporate America.
Randall Robinson Well known advocate for human rights and democracy, Randall Robinson has served as Executive Director and President of TransAfrica and TransAfrica Forum. His efforts led to the dismantling of apatheid in South Africa and the return of democracy to Haiti.
Mary Robinson Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and more recently United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is the superb example of a woman politician who puts her humanity very much at the forefront of her politics. She is currently the president of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, chairs the Council of Women World Leaders and is a member of the Global Commission on International Migration. As an academic, legislator and barrister, Robinson has always sought to use law as an instrument for social change, arguing landmark cases before the European Court of Human Rights as well as in the Irish courts and the European Court in Luxembourg. In 1988, Robinson and her husband, Nicholas Robinson, founded the Irish Centre for European Law at the University of Dublin, where she has served as chancellor since 1998. She was a member of the Irish senate from 1969-89 before her election as president (1990-97). Robinson served as the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002. Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary-general, said of Robinson's tenure as high commissioner: "The job of United Nations HIgh Commissioner for Human Rights is not for the faint of heart ... (Mary) brought to the task a leader's vision, a lawyer's precision and a believer's conviction ... she was able to convey the very essence of human rights ... And she never shied away from controversial issues ... When Mary left the United Nations in 2002, she left the world a better place than she had found it." Her newest project, the Ethical Globalization Initiative, is supported by a partnership of the Aspen Institute, Columbia University and the Swiss-based International Council on Human Rights Policy. Its goal is to bring the norms and standards of human rights into the globalization process and to support capacity building in good governance in developing countries. The recipient of numerous honors and awards throughout the world, President Robinson is a member of the Royal Irish Academy and the American Philosophical Society and is Honorary President of Oxfam International as well as Penal Reform International. A member of the Club of Madrid (a group of former heads of state and government), Robinson was educated at the University of Dublin (Trinity College), King's Inns Dublin, and Harvard Law School. She holds honorary doctorates from more than 40 universities around the world. Since 2004, Robinson has been Professor of Practice in International Affairs at Columbia University, where she teaches international human rights. She was named one of Glamour's Women of the Year in 2005
Loretta Ross Loretta J. Ross Womens Rights are Human Rights Loretta J. Ross is a founder and the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, composed of 70 women of color organizations across the country. She was the Co-Director of the April 25, 2004 National March for Womens Lives in Washington D.C., the largest protest in U.S. history. She is also the co-author of Undivided Right: Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice (2004, South End Press). Ross areas of expertise are reproductive rights, human rights, womens issues, diversity issues, hate groups and bias crimes. Ross is the founder and former Executive Director of the National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE), a training and resource center for grassroots activists on using human rights education to address social injustices in the United States. Prior to that, from 1990 to 1995, she served as the national program research director for the Atlanta-based Center for Democratic Renewal (CDR) (formerly the National Anti-Klan Network). CDR is a national, non-profit clearinghouse for information on hate groups and bigoted violence, including the Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazi movement. Ross directed specific projects on far right organizations in South Africa and Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi involvement in anti-abortion violence in the U.S. Rosss involvement in women’s health issues was initiated as a result of a personal triumph. She was one of the first African American women to direct the first rape crisis center in the United States in the 1970s. Womens human rights are of significant concern for Ross because she was sterilized at age 23. Ross was also one of the first black women to win a suit against A.H. Robins, manufacturer of the Dalkon Shield that sterilized thousands of women worldwide. As an advocate for social justice, she has coordinated several conferences that address the reproductive rights movement and violence against Third World women. She co-coordinated the first national conference on Violence Against Third World Women in 1980. From 1985 to 1989, she served as the Director of Women of Color Programs for the National Organization for Women. She also organized a second “first,” a national conference on Women of Color and Reproductive Rights in 1987. She successfully organized women of color delegations for the massive pro-choice marches sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1986 and 1989. In 1990, she coordinated the first national conference of African American Women and Reproductive Rights as Program Director for the National Black Women’s Health Project. The year 1989 was marked by the publication of a popular brochure for African American women called “We Remember.” A quarter million copies were distributed in a project she co-coordinated with Donna Brazile, then director of the National Political Congress of Black Women. Ross is co-author, with 3 other writers, of the book Beyond the Politics of Inclusion: Women of Color in the Reproductive Rights Movement (2004, South End Press). She is currently authoring a book on a black women’s activism in the reproductive rights movement called Black Abortion. Other writing projects include editorials for the Progressive Media Project for the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain and she serves as a political analyst for Pacifica News Service and Alternative Radio. Ross has appeared on talk shows such as The Donahue Show, The Charlie Rose Show, CNN, BET Lead Story, and Good Morning America. She has also been featured in Emerge Magazine, Biography Magazine, San Antonio Express News, and the Los Angeles Times. For the last two years, she has also been collecting oral histories of elder feminists of color for archives at Smith College. Ross was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and the Food and Drug Administration on women’s health and human rights issues. She served eight years on the Washington D.C. Commission for Women. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Foundation for African American Women, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the Committee on Women, Population and the Environment, and SisterLove Women’s AIDS Project. Ross received an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law degree in 2003 from Arca
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.
Bobby Seale With the success of Mario Van Peebles' film Panther, a new generation of film-goers discovered the lives and legacies of the Black Panthers. But until you've heard and seen legendary co-founder Bobby Seale, you still haven't experienced the real story. Co-founder and former chairman of the Black Panther Party, Seale is the last surviving architect of one of the most important movements in American and African-American history. Together with Huey P. Newton, Seale formed the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in 1966. They advocated the right to self-defense and moved to organize a realistic "Power to the People" revolution, putting their lives on the line against institutionalized racism, discrimination and police brutality. They began with only 400 members, but Seale's national membership drive swelled the ranks to over 5,000, in over 40 chapters and branches across America. Taking to the stage with his famous charisma and eloquence, he sheds light on the true birth of the Panthers (which grew from student activism, not the streets), transporting the audience back to the turbulence of the late '60s and early '70s, when the image of young black men with guns was unheard of. "Today, you don't need the guns," charges Bobby. "If you want to observe the police, do it with a camcorder!" Dubbing himself a "revolutionary humanist," Seale also brings the movement full circle, showing how times have changed, and giving a rousing call for a new '90s breed of social and political activism.
Ilyasah Shabazz Ilyasah Shabazz (pronounced ILL-YAH-SAH SHA-BOZZ) leads a life dedicated to four passions: 1) the continued growth and understanding of her Family Legacy; 2) Education; 3) Government, and 4) the enrichment and balance that Entertainment provides for a full life. Following in the footsteps of her parents, Ilyasah Shabazz is working to convey a message of self-empowerment to future generations. She is currently leading a team of individuals to resurrect the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center at The Audubon, the place of her father’s assassination in 1965. Inspired by her father’s Legacy to appreciate her rich heritage and nurtured by her mother’s unending perseverance and strength, Ilyasah is indeed a compassionate humanitarian. In the field of Education, Ilyasah was led to the post of Assistant Coordinator for the Office of Academic Affairs - City University of New York, where she organized training programs to encourage higher education for inner-city at-risk youth. Her most prized project includes an interactive youth publication entitled, "The Way We Feel." Ilyasah has both tutored and mentored at various academic and lock-up facilities. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Education & Human Resource Development and a Bachelors of Science in Biology. In the area of Government, Ilyasah served on the Executive Youth Board for the City of Mount Vernon, New York and is presently the Director of Cultural Affairs. She further served as an official member of the United States Delegation that accompanied President Bill Clinton on the historic tour of South Africa. Ilyasah has also retraced her father’s footsteps to the Pyramids and Sphinx of Ghizeh in Egypt and explored religious and historical sites in Jordan. Extensive travels to Africa, the "Middle East", Europe, the Caribbean and throughout the United States, inform Ilyasah’s unique brand of teaching about world history and culture. With a diverse career in the Entertainment Industry, Ms. Shabazz believes that entertainment fosters a more balanced and harmonious lifestyle, and can also serve as a powerful tool to reach and teach the young people of the world. She has served as Vice President for SME Entertainment, Director of Operations for KEDAR Entertainment, Coordinator of Promotions & Marketing for Pendulum Records (a Time Warner Division), and Assistant Music Agent for the William Morris Agency. She has had small Acting Roles on ABC Soaps’ All My Children and One Life to Live, and has appeared in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever. Shabazz also worked for 40 Acres + a Mule Film Works (a Spike Lee company) during the filming of X as an assistant technical advisor and Production Assistant.
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.
The God Squad The Reverend Monsignor Thomas J. Hartman and Rabbi Marc A. Gellman, Ph.D., write the syndicated column GOD SQUAD for Tribune Media Services. They also host a daily, half-hour television talk show of the same name that reaches almost 12 million homes in the New York metropolitan area. Father Tom and Rabbi Gellman have authored four books together. Where Does God Live? Questions and Answers for Parents and Children won the 1991 Christopher Award. How Do You Spell God? Answers to the Big Questions from Around the World (with a forward by the Dalai Lama) was made into an HBO animated special and also won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. Their third book, Lost and Found, was published in 1999, and Religion for Dummies. Father Tom and Rabbi Gellman were recognized as Newsday's Long Islanders of the Century in the category of Leaders and Activists. Father Tom is president and CEO of the Diocese of Rockville Centre's cable television station, Telecare. In 1970 he received a master of divinity degree from Our Lady of Angels Seminary. He was ordained in 1971 and earned a doctor of ministry from Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1979. In the early 1970s, Father Tom was a parish priest in Seaford, New York. Father Tom has been recognized for his professional and pastoral work with four Emmy Awards, a FOLIO award and numerous "Man of the Year" citations and honorary degrees. Rabbi Marc Gellman is the senior rabbi of Temple Beth Torah in Melville, New York, where he has served since 1981. Rabbi Gellman was the first rabbi appointed to the distribution committee of the UJA Federation and he was chairman of the UJA rabbinical advisory committee. He is founding chairman of the Long Island Rabbinical Advisory Council, and is the recipient of the Tzedaka Award from the UJA Federation, as well as the Rabbinical Leadership Award from the Council of Jewish Federations. Rabbi Gellman is the president of the New York Board of Rabbis and is the recipient of its Moshowitz award for rabbinical excellence. Rabbi Gellman received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin with a major in Hebrew and Semitic studies in 1969 and completed his studies at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1971. He was ordained in 1972 and was awarded the senior homiletics prize. Rabbi Gellman received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Northwestern University in 1981. Topics: Inspirational, Attitude, Ethics/Integrity, Life Balance, Religion
John Stoltenberg Pro-feminist activist and author of Refusing to Be a Man: Essays on Sex and Justice and The End of Manhood: A Book for Men of Conscience.
Kathryn Harris Tijerina Native American attorney and activist, Kathryn Harris Tijerina is the Diretor of Indian Resource Development in New Mexico. Ms. Tijerina graduated from Radcliffe-Harvard College and from the Stanford University School of Law.
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.
Cicely Tyson Actress, activist and humanitarian was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine and, with her stunning looks, she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957, she began acting in Off-Broadway productions. She had small roles in feature films before she was cast as Portia in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968) in 1968. Four years later, Cicely was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically acclaimed film Sounder (1972). In 1974, she went on to portray a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) (TV), which earned her two Emmys. While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyality to only portray strong, positive images of Black women, she is without a doubt one of the most talented, beautiful actresses to have ever graced the stage and screen. She holds a record 12 Image Awards as best actress from the NAACP and has received awards from such civil rights organizations as PUSH, CORE, the SCLC and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, among others.In 1974, Tyson co-founded the internationally celebrated Dance Theater of Harlem. She currently serves on its board, as well as on the boards of the American Film Institute, Urban Gateways and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. A founding member of the Coalition for a Healthy and Active America, Tyson in 2002 was appointed by President George W. Bush as a commissioner of the National African American Museum of History and Culture. In 2003, Tyson received the National Women's Law Center Award, the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award and was a featured speaker at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit and has served as Chairperson for UNICEF and works with the United Nations and celebrity organizations in promoting global cultural understanding.and was married to legendary trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1988.
Sol Urbach Schindler’s List Holocaust survivor.
Alice Walker Alice Walker, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for The Color Purple, is internationally honored as an essential writer of our time. She is the author of six novels, including The Third Life of Grange Copeland, Meridian, The Temple of My Familiar, Possessing the Secret of Joy, and By the Light of My Fathers Smile; three collections of short stories: In Love & Trouble, You Cant Keep a Good Woman Down, and The Way Forward is With a Broken Heart; three collections of essays: In Search of Our Mothers Gardens, Living By the Word, and Anything We Love Can Be Saved; and five volumes of poetry: Once, Revolutionary Petunias and Other Poems, Good Night, Willie Lee, Ill See You in the Morning, Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful, and Her Blue Body Everything We Know. She edited the Zora Neale Hurston reader, I Love Myself When I Am Laughing...And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive, and her books for children include To Hell With Dying, Langston Hughes, American Poet, and Finding the Green Stone. In the eighties she was publisher and co-founder with Robert Allen of Wild Trees Press.One of her most recent books, ABSOLUTE TRUST IN THE GOODNESS OF THE EARTH, new poems, was published by Random House in March of 2003. A book of poems and drawings A POEM TRAVELED DOWN MY ARM was published in fall of 2003; two childrens books: WHY WAR IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA and THERE IS A FLOWER AT THE TIP OF MY NOSE SMELLING ME will be published in 2004. Her new novel NOW IS THE TIME TO OPEN YOUR HEART has just been released.
Wyatt Walker Well known civil rights activist and minister.
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.
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
Bryan H. Barrows WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING? Bryan H. Barrows, III, Master of Speech & Communications, will be touring his powerful one-man show this January and February. "WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING?" tells the story of the evolution of the civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s place in it. Barrows, a master of storytelling, has been performing the original play since 1988. In the story, Barrows portrays Aaron, an old man who is appalled to learn that his grandson doesn't know who Martin Luther King, Jr. was. Aaron decides that it is his duty to educate the boy. "What has happened to the dream when the dreamer is no longer with us?" Aaron sighs as he begins his tale. As the story progresses, we relive life in America in the '60s: Rosa Parks, The Montgomery Bus Boycott, the riots, The March on Washington, and the final days of the assassinated civil rights leader. A high point is Barrow's presentation of King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Mr. Barrows has performed at colleges and educational institutions, churches, libraries, and museums across America. "My most amazing audience was at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin--" he said, "--there were over 1,500 teenagers at the program . . . I was surprised at how much they got into the show. They caught all of the jokes--even the ones that adults sometimes don't!--and they were very knowledgeable about Dr. King, the Movement and, of course, Malcolm X . . . a man mentioned extensively in the play."
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.
Armstrong Williams A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. He is the host of The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. He is the author of Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier. A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Williams is Chief Executive Officer of Graham Williams Group, an international public relations firm based in Washington, D.C. Clients of the Graham Williams Group include corporations and individuals from the business community, entertainment industry and political arena, such as Century 21, Computerland executive Terry Giles and poet laureate Maya Angelou. Williams is also a former partner in Premier Limousine, Garden Grove Toyota and Onyx Travel.In addition, he hosts The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. For The Right Side, Williams was voted into Vanity Fair magazine's 1996 Hall of Fame as one of the most visible radio voices in America. The show was also on television on the National Empowerment Television Network, which featured interviews with many of the same stimulating guests and topics broadcast on the radio. Past guests of the programs have included former Vice-President Dan Quayle, Hollywood "Mogul" Norman Lear, Presidential Candidate Malcolm S. Forbes, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and Reverend Robert Schuler. Williams has appeared on a number of acclaimed television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Crossfire, Firing Line with William Buckley, America's Black Forum and The Today Show, and is a frequent guest on several shows on networks such as CNN, CSPAN, ABC, CBS, FOX and CNBC. His book Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier was published by Free Press in May 1995. Williams is also the author of Letters to a Young Victim: Hope and Healing in America's Inner Cities, a moving account of the relationship between Williams and a fellow inner-city youth named Brad. Together, through correspondence, they broke down the dependency barriers that restrain many of us from achieving our goals. A third-generation conservative Republican with a long history of political involvement, Williams has worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Strom Thurmond and served as a confidential assistant to (now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court) Chairman Clarence Thomas of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Congressmen Carroll Campbell and Floyd Spence.Highly opinionated in print, Williams is a syndicated columnist with The Los Angeles Times Syndicate and is read in many major newspapers across the country including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, The Detroit Free Press, The Boston Globe and his hometown newspaper, The Marion Star-Mullins Enterprise. Additionally, he is a frequent guest columnist for USA Today and Reader's Digest.Williams is a native of Marion, South Carolina, and a 1981 graduate of South Carolina State College. His views and opinions continually raise the American conscience as he discusses issues such as the abolishment of welfare, the restoration of morality in today's society and the key to "Right Living."
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.
S.B. Woo As former Lt. Governer of Delaware, S.B. Woo held the highest elected office on a state level ever held by a Chinese-American in the United States, and was the first Chinese-American Senate nominee in the continental U.S. Topics: Mainstreaming Minorities in Science and Technology; Global Competition; Crisis in Higher Education; Political Power and the American Dream.
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.