From today’s most prominent activists to Civil Rights icons, our motivational black speakers celebrate the evolution of African-American race relations and diversity, as well as the ongoing battle for black female empowerment.
Jay Smooth
<p>Jay Smooth enlightens with poignant observations about music, race, politics and other important cultural and social issues, while promoting the importance of mutual respect.</p><p>As the former host of <i>The Underground Railroad</i>, New York City’s longest-running hip-hop radio program and the popular video blog, <i>The Ill Doctrine</i>, Jay has established himself as a unique and leading voice at the nexus of sociopolitical issues who brings a singular perspective on society and culture.</p><p>Through thoughtful examination, Jay m
Angelica Ross
<p>From the board room, to film/TV sets and even the Obama White House, Angelica Ross is a leading figure of success and strength in the movement for transgender and racial equality and a star in Ryan Murphy’s hit FX series <em>Pose</em>.</p><p>Making TV history, the show features the largest transgender cast ever for a scripted series - five transgender women of color cast to play five series regular roles, including Angelica’s role as the witty and fiesty ‘Candy Abundance,’ the brashest member of the ‘House of Abundance.’ Angelica’s performance is receiving r
Janaya Khan
With a timely message about the transformational power of protest, Janaya Khan is a leading activist who engages you in a profound discussion about social justice and equality.
Known as ‘Future’ within the Black Lives Matter movement, Janaya is a black, queer, gender-nonconforming activist (pronouns: they, them, theirs), staunch Afrofuturist and social-justice educator who presents an enlightening point of view on police brutality and systemic racism.
Alicia Garza
<p>Alicia believes that Black communities deserve what all communities deserve -- to be powerful in every aspect of their lives.</p><p>An author, political strategist, organizer, and cheeseburger enthusiast, Alicia founded the Black Futures Lab to make Black communities powerful in politics.
Payton Head
<p>A rising community leader, Payton Head is invested in developing institutional cultures that are grounded in equity. He empowers students and campus administrators to fight hatred with radical love for others and themselves.</p><p>Following the events in Ferguson, he spearheaded conversations about improving race relations in the state of Missouri. Head’s viral Facebook post detailing his experience with fighting systemic injustice at Mizzou ignited the student body to fight for a more inclusive campus and be a change agent in higher education.