Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr.
New York Times Bestselling Author & James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University
Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr.
New York Times Bestselling Author & James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University
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Biography
One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America, We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For, and the New York Times bestseller Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own, take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy.
In his most recent New York Times bestselling book, America, U.S.A., Glaude turns his attention to the state of the nation itself, examining the deep tensions shaping American democracy in the twenty-first century. Drawing on history, philosophy, and contemporary politics, he explores the distance between the ideals the country professes and the realities many Americans experience. With characteristic clarity and moral urgency, Glaude challenges readers to confront difficult truths about the nation’s past and present while asking what it would take to imagine a more honest and inclusive American future.
In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s complexities, vulnerabilities and hope into full view. Hope that is, in one of his favorite quotes from W.E.B. Du Bois, "not hopeless, but a bit unhopeful."
Some like to describe Glaude as the quintessential Morehouse man, having left his home in Moss Point, Mississippi at age 16 to begin studies at the HBCU and alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He holds a master’s degree in African American Studies from Temple University and a Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University.
Glaude is known both for his inspiring oratory and his ability to convene conversations that engage fellow citizens from all backgrounds, from young activists to corporate audiences looking for a fresh perspective on DEI. In 2011, he delivered Harvard’s DuBois lectures. His 2015 commencement remarks at Colgate University titled "Turning Our Backs" was recognized by the New York Times as one of the best commencement speeches of the year.
Beyond academia, Glaude’s scholarship and media commentary have helped shape national conversations about race, citizenship and the future of American democracy. A frequent voice in major public forums and media outlets, he brings his insights to audiences across higher education, civic and cultural institutions, corporations and community organizations seeking deeper understanding of the American story and their role within it. Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.
Combining a scholar’s knowledge of history, a commentator’s perspective on current events, and an activist’s passion for social justice, Glaude challenges audiences to examine our collective American conscience, "not to posit the greatness of America, but to establish the ground upon which to imagine the country anew."
Speaker Videos
Unsettle in Order to Reimagine
Oneness
Choosing Who We Will Be
Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.'s Hot Takes on Identity, Higher Education, and Diversity
Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Ph.D. & Marcus Campbell, Ed.D. -- We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For
Eddie Glaude — We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For - with Clint Smith
Eddie Glaude Jr.: To Save Democracy, Americans Have to Become Better People | Amanpour and Company
The Value Gap: Who Do We Take Ourselves to Be
Build a World Where We See Each Other
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. On the Heroism of Malcolm X
Your Choice
Imagine A New World
Lessons from the Later Dr. King
“Begin Again” & Lessons from James Baldwin | The Daily Show
America is Always Changing, But America Never Changes
Race & Democracy
Colgate University Commencement Speech
Speech Topics
America, U.S.A.: Confronting Our Past to Reimagine Our Future
Drawing on his New York Times bestselling book America, U.S.A., Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. challenges audiences to examine the stories America tells about itself and the truths too often left untold. Blending history, philosophy, politics, and personal reflection, he explores how myths of innocence and exceptionalism have shaped the nation's identity while obscuring the realities of race, democracy, and freedom. Looking across pivotal moments in American history, Dr. Glaude reveals why the nation's democratic promise has too often remained out of reach for many Americans and why confronting that history is essential to building a more just future. Rather than offering easy answers, he invites audiences to wrestle with difficult questions about who we are, whose voices have been left out of the national narrative, and what it will take to realize the country's democratic ideals. Thought-provoking and deeply human, this keynote challenges audiences to confront the past with honesty, reimagine what is possible, and help shape a more inclusive American future.
Audiences will learn:
How the stories America tells about itself continue to shape our understanding of race, democracy, and national identity
Why confronting difficult truths about the past is essential to building a more just future
A framework for engaging America's history with honesty, courage, and democratic purpose
We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For
Real change begins not with extraordinary leaders, but with ordinary people willing to take responsibility for the world they want to create. Drawing on his book We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. challenges audiences to rethink leadership as a moral practice rooted in courage, accountability, and collective action. Through powerful reflections on the lives and legacies of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Ella Baker, he explores what these leaders can teach us about democracy, citizenship, and the responsibility each of us bears for shaping a more just society. Rather than placing our hopes in charismatic figures or political institutions alone, Dr. Glaude argues that lasting change depends on the everyday choices of engaged citizens. With characteristic insight and moral clarity, he offers a hopeful vision of leadership grounded in personal transformation and shared responsibility. This inspiring keynote reminds audiences that the future of democracy ultimately rests in our own hands.
Audiences will learn:
Why leadership begins with personal responsibility rather than positional authority
Lessons from Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Ella Baker that remain relevant today
How ordinary people can strengthen democracy through courage, accountability, and collective action
Everyday People in Leadership
Democracy is not sustained by extraordinary people—it is strengthened by ordinary citizens who choose to act. Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. challenges audiences to rethink leadership as something practiced every day, not reserved for those in positions of power. Drawing on history, politics, and the enduring examples of individuals who transformed their communities through courage and collective action, he argues that the future of our democracy depends on citizens who refuse to outsource responsibility to others. Rather than waiting for the right leader to emerge, Dr. Glaude invites audiences to recognize their own capacity to shape institutions, influence communities, and advance the common good. With moral clarity and characteristic insight, he offers a hopeful vision of civic engagement rooted in shared responsibility, everyday action, and democratic possibility. This inspiring keynote reminds audiences that meaningful leadership begins wherever people choose to make a difference.
Audiences will learn:
Why democracy depends on active citizenship rather than individual heroes
How everyday acts of leadership can strengthen communities and democratic institutions
Practical ways to embrace personal responsibility and create meaningful change
Lessons from the Later Dr. King
Most Americans remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the triumphs of Montgomery or the soaring optimism of the "I Have a Dream" speech. Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. invites audiences to consider a different chapter of King's life—his final years, when he wrestled with disappointment, moral uncertainty, and the growing belief that America had turned away from its democratic promise. Drawing on King's evolving relationship with James Baldwin and the challenges of the late civil rights movement, Dr. Glaude explores how these moments of doubt ultimately deepened King's moral vision rather than diminished it. He argues that King's later years offer some of his most important lessons about courage, democratic responsibility, and the difficult work of pursuing justice when progress feels elusive. Rather than searching for another singular leader, Dr. Glaude challenges audiences to recognize that democracy depends on ordinary people willing to answer the call to lead in their own communities. This thought-provoking keynote offers a timely reflection on hope, responsibility, and what it means to continue Dr. King's unfinished work.
Audiences will learn:
New insights into Dr. King's later years and how they reshaped his vision for America
Why moral courage and perseverance matter most during periods of uncertainty and disappointment
How ordinary citizens can carry forward the work of strengthening democracy and advancing justice
The Transformative Power of Imagination
Every movement for justice begins with someone who refuses to accept the world as it is. Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. draws on the remarkable story of Fannie Lou Hamer, who found the courage to imagine freedom long before she became one of the nation's most influential voices for civil rights. As she traveled with fellow Black sharecroppers to register to vote in the Jim Crow South, Hamer lifted their spirits by singing, embodying the belief that hope and imagination can sustain people even in the face of fear and unimaginable risk. Through her story and others like it, Dr. Glaude explores how the courage to envision a more just world has always been the spark behind democratic progress. He argues that imagination is not wishful thinking but a moral act that enables ordinary people to challenge injustice, reject cynicism, and create lasting change. This inspiring keynote reminds audiences that every meaningful transformation begins with the willingness to believe the future can be different from the present.
Audiences will learn:
Why imagination is essential to creating meaningful social and democratic change
How hope and courage empower ordinary people to challenge injustice
Practical ways to cultivate curiosity, possibility, and purpose in times of uncertainty
Testimonials
Books & Media
Books
America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries
We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For
Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own
Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul
Media
Eddie Glaude Jr. On His New Book And What America Can Learn From James Baldwin
In The News
Articles
Eddie Glaude Jr., an Expert on James Baldwin, Reveals His Favorite Baldwin Book
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