<p>An award-winning journalist, <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author, and one of the most recognized voices in radio, Michele Norris engages audiences in candid discussion about current events, social issues, and bridging the divide in America. </p><p>From the radio airwaves of NPR to <em>The Washington Post </em>to her current role as MSNBC Senior Contributor, Michele Norris is one of the most trusted voices in American journalism. </p><p>For a decade, as host of National Public Radio’s longest-running program, “All Things Considered,” she captivated audiences nationwide while earning some of journalism’s highest honors. As a <em>Washington Pos</em>t Opinions Columnist, Norris sparked important dialogue on current events, social issues and the power to make change. At MSNBC she brings her compelling insights to cover current events as a Senior Contributing Editor.</p><p>Norris is also host of “Your Mama’s Kitchen,” an acclaimed podcast produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s media company. With an incredible range of guests including actors, authors, chefs, and musicians, she explores family histories, memories, and cultures through rich conversations flowing from the simple prompt: “Tell me about your mama’s kitchen.” </p><p>On stage, Norris inspires open and honest dialogue, with memorable stories and fascinating perspectives drawn from her personal journey, investigative research, and interviews with world leaders, Nobel Laureates and influential newsmakers. She makes complex and taboo issues remarkably accessible. Audiences walk away empowered to stimulate discussion around challenging topics within their communities.</p>
MSNBC Senior Contributing Editor, former <i>Washington Post</i> columnist, former NPR "All Things Considered" host, Peabody Award-winner
<ul><li><strong>The Race Card Project - Eavesdropping on America's Conversation on Race<span style="color: rgb(62, 62, 60);"></strong></span></li><li>Join us for a discussion on race and identity in America, with Peabody Award-winning journalist Michele Norris, founder of The Race Card Project™. The Race Card Project creates sturdy cultural bridges through candid conversation using real stories on race, culture and identity. In 2010, former NPR journalist Michele Norris began inviting people to distill their thoughts on the word race to only six words. Since then, The Race Card Project™ has collected more than 500,000 “postcards” from all 50 states and 96 countries. People often send backstories and photos to share more about what is behind their six-word statements. Many of these essays contain sentiments and hard truths rarely expressed out loud. Today, these powerful six-word memoirs kickstart honest conversations that leave people with a better sense of each other, and themselves, through a variety of tools and resources. The goal is to tap into the stories, people and threads that make up our complex cultural landscape and then engage people to talk across difference, race, inclusion and identity.</li><li><span style="color: rgb(62, 62, 60);"><strong></span><i>The Grace of Silence</i> and the Power of Words<span style="color: rgb(62, 62, 60);"></strong></span></li><li>Award-winning journalist Michele Norris's 2010 book The Grace of Silence started out as a quest to uncover how America talked about race in the wake of the Obama presidential election. What resulted was what Norris calls an "accidental memoir." Named one of the year's best books by <i>The Christian Science Monitor</i>, the book became an eye-opening family history lesson revealing her own family's racial legacy and the larger conversation surrounding race in America. The book has also led to the spinoff blog "The Race Card Project" and a deeper look at our attitudes and beliefs about race.</li><li><span style="color: rgb(62, 62, 60);"><strong></span>If You Meant It Then You Should Have Put a Stamp On It<span style="color: rgb(62, 62, 60);"></strong></span></li><li>In this unique presentation, Michele Norris examines how old fashioned handwritten letters have helped define what is best about America, and explores how we hold on to that in the age of email, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. This refreshing talk looks at the profound impact and importance of letters written by presidents, CEOs, sportsmen, soldiers, pioneer women and pioneering scientists -- and examines how we communicate today and what it may tell us about our tomorrow.</li></ul>