Community & Nonprofit

APB speaker Herman Boone, a beloved football coach, mentor, leader and motivator that touched the hearts of thousands, has passed away at the age of 84 in his home in Alexandria, Virginia. Boone is best known for uniting two racially diverse football teams in the '70s as newfound head coach of the T.C. Williams High School. The incredible story, including his journey with assistant Bill Yoast, was memorialized in the mega-hit film Remember the Titans, in which Boone was played by Denzel Washington to great acclaim. Coach Boone was a larger-than-life figure in the Alexandria community, and he became a symbol of steadfastness in the fight for racial integration and equality nationwide.

The 42nd annual Kennedy Center Honors are set to take place at the Kennedy Center Opera House on December 8th. This year’s showcase marks the first time a television program will receive an award, with Sesame Street being honored as the iconic cultural institution that it is. APB’s Sonia Manzano, known for her longtime role as “Maria” on Sesame Street, is set to introduce the co-founders of the program who will be accepting the award. Manzano, who won many Emmy Awards as part of the Sesame Street writing team, is a core part of the show’s legacy. 

In a recent interview in Variety, Cameron Douglas, son of Academy Award-winning actor and producer Michael and grandson of Hollywood legend, Kirk, explained why he wrote his new bestseller, Long Way Home. “I can’t go back and change a lot of my decisions and the pain and the wreckage that some of those decisions have caused,” he said. “What I did endeavor to do is take those experiences and turn them into something useful.” In Long Way Home, which has climbed to #1 on Amazon, Cameron provides an unflinching account of his dangerous descent into years of addiction and incarceration—and his inspiring rise to recovery and return to society and family. Contrasting what it is like to grow up as Hollywood royalty with hitting rock bottom as a heroin addict, Cameron shares his struggle to return to society and family after almost eight years in federal prison.

APB speaker Sonia Manzano is set to appear in the 50^th Anniversary Special of Sesame Street on HBO, Saturday November 9^th at 7 P.M. EST. Considered a cultural landmark widely praised for its approach to children’s programming, Sesame Street is not only educational, but provides special support and guidance on such topics as military families, autism, addiction and more. In 1971, Manzano landed the career-making character of “Maria” on the show.

“I want my kids to know when you’re chasing big dreams, you may fail, but if you get back up again — that’s how you fly.” Thirteen-time best-selling author and APB speaker Brad Meltzer appeared on Good Morning America to discuss the release of his two new children’s books: I am Walt Disney and I am Marie Curie. “I was tired of my kids looking at people who are famous for being famous and thinking that’s our hero,” said Meltzer, on what inspired him to write the children’s biography of Walt Disney.

Popular mental health speaker Mike Veny openly shares his personal experience dealing with psychological disorders and offers actionable advice on managing them. His life-long struggle with mental illness began as a child when he was hospitalized and attempted suicide at the age of 10. His childhood was characterized with expulsions from school due to anger outbursts, a manifestation of his depression and anxiety. However, he was able to pull himself through his challenges by relying on his passion for drumming.

Best-selling author of The Sports Gene, APB speaker David Epstein published his new book, the #1 NYT best-selling Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World to rave reviews from Malcolm Gladwell, The New York Times, NPR and more.

Paralympic medalist and APB speaker Patrick "Blake" Leeper finished fifth in the 400 meter race at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships this past Saturday, which would qualify him for the world championships team. Born without legs from a congenital birth defect, Leeper has never been one for excuses. He has defied the odds and won countless titles as a Paralympic runner.

Mental health advocate and APB speaker Mike Veny created a video with OC87 Recovery Diaries where he shared his struggles with mental health and how it relates to his masculinity. His authenticity and vulnerability when sharing his journey sets him apart from other voices in the industry. 

Caylin Moore's remarkable, against-all-odds journey from the cruel poverty of gang-ridden Los Angeles to becoming a Rhodes Scholar attending Oxford University is a true testament to the power of the human spirit. His message is simple: “You have to dream dreams that are so big, so unimaginable, so unfathomable, so unrealistic that they’re destined to fail without divine intervention.” Through the power of education, Caylin did just that.