April Ryan is an American journalist and author who has served as a White House correspondent in Washington D.C. for American Urban Radio Networks for years. Most recently, Ryan has began working for CNN as a political analyst and has been named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists. Ryan was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and... read full bio
Jarrett Adams is an Attorney at Law and is co-founder of Life After Justice. When Adams was only 17 years old, he was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and was sentenced to 28 years in a maximum security prison. Adams went on to serve for nearly 10 years and filed multiple appeals over the years before finally being exonerated with... read full bio
Katori Hall is an American playwright, journalist, activist and actress from Memphis, Tennessee. Hall earned her B.A. in African-American studies and creative writing from Columbia University where she was awarded with top departmental honors from the Institute for Research in African-American Studies. Hall went on to earn her M.F.A. from the American Repertory Theater’s Institute for Advanced Theater Training at... read full bio
Nia DaCosta is an American film director and screenwriter from Brooklyn, New York. She is best known for her breakthrough as the writer and director of her first feature film, “Little Woods,” a crime thriller western film that stars Tessa Thompson and Lily James and premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. DaCosta knew she wanted to be a writer at a... read full bio
Nzinga Shaw is the global chief inclusion and diversity officer at Starbucks and is the company’s first person of the position. Shaw is experienced in inclusion and diversity, change and crisis management, organizational planning, branding, community engagement, employee relations, and more. Shaw has earned her B.A. in English language and literature from Spelman College and went on to earn her... read full bio
Shaka Senghor is the author of the New York Times Best-Selling “Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison.” Writing My Wrongs is a memoir of Senghor’s story after being sent to prison at 19 years old for second-degree murder. While incarcerated, Senghor began reading and writing which he used as an outlet for the pain he... read full bio
Elvis Mitchell is an American film critic who is known for being the host of the KCRW public radio show, The Treatment, a nationally syndicated pop culture and entertainment show. He has also been a visiting lecturer at Harvard University. Mitchell was born in Highland Park, Michigan and went on to earn his bachelor’s in English from Wayne State University.... read full bio
Courtney Kemp is an American television writer and producer who is best known for creating the television series “Power” and for being a television writer for series such as “The Good Wife” and “Beauty & the Beast.” Kemp was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, and when she was only 10 years old she began reading plays of William Shakespeare, which led... read full bio
Audie Cornish is an American journalist who is the co-host of NPR’s award-winning newsmagazine, All Things Considered. Cornish was raised in Randolph, Massachusetts, and she went on to earn her degree at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. While studying at the University of Massachusetts, Cornish began interning with NPR and also worked with the campus radio station. Before working as co-host... read full bio
Alexi McCammond is a political reporter at Axios where she covers the presidential election, cultural concerns, and trends that will help decide the next President. McCammond is based out of Washington, D.C. and was a lead reporter of covering the midterm elections and it’s aftermath. McCammond has earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. McCammond began her career... read full bio
Amani Toomer is a former professional American football wide receiver and punt returner from Berkeley, California. Toomer’s father had played college football and Toomer began playing football as a lineman for the Berkeley Cougars and went on to play for the Richmond Steelers. Toomer also played football in high school where he was selected as a Parade All-American and a... read full bio
Dean Spanos is the son of Alex Spanos, and is the chairman and owner of the NFL team, the Los Angeles Chargers and it’s franchise. Spanos was born in Stockton, California, and he studied at Lincoln High School where he played in football and golf and later earned the Lincoln High Hall of Fame Award. He also went on to... read full bio
Thelma Golden is a museum director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City, New York. Golden grew up in Queens, New York, and while in high school, she began training as a curatorial apprentice at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She went on to earn her B.A. in Art History and African-American Studies from Smith... read full bio
Susan L. Taylor is an American editor, writer, and journalist from Harlem, New York City. She has previously been the editor-in-chief of Essence and is one of the most influential black woman in journalism. Taylor began her career at Essence as a freelance fashion and beauty editor when the magazine was founded. After working for Essence for 11 years, Taylor... read full bio
Sherrilyn Ifill is an American lawyer, law professor, and President and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which is the nation’s premier civil rights law organization that fights for racial justice and equality. With the NAACP, Ifill has been the seventh president of the Legal Defense Fund and has also been the second woman to lead the organization. Ifill... read full bio
Jamal-Harrison Bryant is an American minister who is currently the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which is located at Lithonia, Georgia. Bryant was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and he has graduated from Morehouse College where he majored in political science and international studies and Duke University where he earned his masters of divinity. Bryant has previously founded... read full bio
Maggie Anderson is an American activist, author, and CEO and co-founder of the Empowerment Experiment, a year-long study that finds out what happens when people only buy from black-owned businesses. Anderson was born in Miami, Florida, and she earned her B.A. in political science from Emory University and her M.B.A. and J.D. from University of Chicago. While studying at University... read full bio
Judy Richardson is an American activist, filmmaker, and lecturer from Tarrytown, New York. Richardson went on to study at Swarthmore College where she joined the Swarthmore Political Action Committee, which is a Students for a Democratic Society affiliate. Her work led to her joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee where she worked in projects in Alabama and Georgia. She also... read full bio
Ilyasah Shabazz is an American author, motivational speaker, community organizer, and social activist who is best known for being the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. As an author, Shabazz is best known for her memoir, “Growing Up X.” Shabazz was born in Queens, New York, and she has earned her degrees from the State University of New York... read full bio
Bobby Seale is an American political activist who is best known for co-founding the Black Panther Party with Huey P. Newton. Seale was born in Liberty, Texas, and while growing up, his family lived in poverty most of his life. When he was 8, Seale and his family moved to Oakland, California, and he later in life dropped out of... read full bio
