Omékongo was one of five international recipients out of 750,000 to win the first-ever “CNN iReport Spirit Award.” He has received over 1 million views on CNN.com. He is a weekly contributor to SiriusXM’s Urban View, the “Roland Martin Unfiltered” show, as well as a regular contributor to “In Real Time” with Areva Martin on KBLA News in Los Angeles.

Omékongo’s writings and performances have appeared in O Magazine, as well as on TV and radio from CNN, BET and the BBC to NPR, Music Choice and Voice of America in millions of homes in over 150 countries. He has also written songs for major motion pictures and organizations such as NASA and the Enough! Project. These songs focus on discovering our common humanity and creating a community where everyone can be celebrated and not tolerated. He has spoken at the United Nations, partners with the State Department to conduct leadership trainings overseas, in part to reduce the proliferation of child soldiers and sexual trafficking. In the United States, he speaks to corporate, government and educational organizations on issues centered on leadership, antiracism, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Omékongo’s music and writings have appeared alongside artists such as Sheryl Crow, Angelina Jolie, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Angélique Kidjo, Don Cheadle and Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def). He has shared stages with Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Sheen, OutKast, Sonia Sanchez, The Last Poets and NFL great Aaron Rodgers. Internationally, he has shared his work in nearly 30 countries on three continents.

Omékongo has studied at Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, Morehouse and The Fletcher School, where he earned his master’s in Law and Diplomacy. He earned his Ph.D. in International Education Policy at The University of Maryland (UMD) where his dissertation centered on the global hip-hop phenomenon and JAY-Z. At UMD, he also worked with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Teaching Diverse Students Initiative.” Across the country, he has worked with school districts on culturally relevant instruction including Washington, D.C., Texas, New York, Ohio, Florida, Massachusetts, Kentucky and California. He worked for four years as the lead Teaching Assistant to Dr. Michael Eric Dyson at Georgetown University. He provides leadership, educational and diversity empowerment as a consultant and motivational speaker for organizations, associations and institutions.

Omékongo has featured/lectured nationwide in venues from TEDx (four-time speaker) and Harvard to Russell Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit and the Nuyorican Poets Café. His rap mixtape series “Bootleg” promotes positive hip-hop with remixes of songs by Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., JAY-Z, Nas, 50 Cent and others. His 1 Million Youth Campaign has directly impacted youth across the globe to date. He has also partnered with Intel on its campaign to make their computer processors free of minerals that come from the war in the Congo and end up in our electronics products like cell phones, laptops and video game consoles.

Omékongo has published and produced seven books, eight fusion music and motivational CDs   and one independent DVD. His motivational book G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness! 10 Steps to Living Your Best Life has received praise from great motivational speakers such as Les Brown (who wrote the foreword) and Willie Jolley. His book The UPstander’s Guide to an Outstanding Life is a life balance book for students. His latest and bestselling book Lies About Black People: How to Combat Racist Stereotypes and Why it Matters was published in 2023 (foreword by Dr. Michael Eric Dyson). 

Widely regarded as one of America’s top speakers, Omékongo is inspiring, informative and insightful. He customizes his keynotes/workshops for each market, including writing custom poetry or songs for organizations upon request. Read Less ^