Celebrate the legacy, courage and vision of Black leaders during February and all year long with these inspiring Black History Month speakers.
Host one of these renowned thought leaders, Civil Rights activists, influencers and C-Suite changemakers to amplify Black voices that empower organizations to engage in meaningful conversations and create a more inclusive and understanding community.
Bakari Sellers
<p>Bakari Sellers recently released a <i>New York Times </i>Best Seller <i>My Vanishing Country: A Memoir</i>. The book has been described as part memoir, part historical and cultural analysis illustrating the lives of America’s forgotten black working-class men and women.</p><p>Bakari recently expanded his audience with the <i>Bakari Sellers Podcast</i>, a twice-a-week show that is part of The Ringer Podcast Network.
Martin Luther King III
<p>As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III serves as an ambassador of his parent’s legacy of nonviolent social change.</p>
Kevin Blackistone
<p>Kevin Blackistone has been a national sports columnist since 1990, last at <em>The Washington Post</em>. </p><p>He was a panelist on ESPN’s long-running talk show “Around the Horn. He is cohost of an award-winning podcast <em>Our New South</em>, a contributor to NPR, and a University of Maryland journalism professor.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch
<p>One of the most highly accomplished public figures in America today, Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch has been a leading progressive voice during her 30+ year highly distinguished career.</p><p>She is the first female African American Attorney General of the United States, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015. She also served as the head of the U.S.
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson
<p>Named one of the 150 most powerful African Americans by <i>Ebony</i> magazine, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, an American Book Award recipient and two-time NAACP Image Award winner, “is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time.” </p><p>Dr.
Keith Boykin
<p>Keith Boykin is a national political commentator, TV and film producer, <em>New York Times</em> best-selling author, and a former White House aide to President Bill Clinton.
Soledad O'Brien
<p>Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, philanthropist, and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues. </p><p>She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in May 2023, authored a critically acclaimed memoir <em>The Next Big Story,</em> and has 1.4 million followers on social media.
Angela Davis
<p>Iconic activist Angela Davis has made it her mission to share her life story and challenge her audiences to join the struggle for racial, economic, and gender justice. </p><p>Angela has been deeply involved in some of the major social movements over the last 50 years. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Ala., by parents who were active community organizers. As a teenager, she marched and picketed against racial segregation. Angela went on earn a doctorate in philosophy.
Michelle Alexander
<p>Michelle Alexander’s acclaimed best-seller,<i> The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness</i> released a special 10th anniversary edition in January 2020.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
<p>Earvin "Magic" Johnson has become one of the most powerful African-American businessmen in the world. He is Major League Baseball owner, an NBA legend, a two-time Hall of Famer, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and popular keynote speaker.