Intercultural
Civil Rights & Social Justice
Civil Rights & Social Justice:
Award-Winning Conflict Navigator
With a TEDx talk at over 10 million views, Davis examines the truths about conflict, hate, intolerance, and communication. His extraordinary journey is chronicled in his first book, Klan-Destine Relationships.
National Book Award-Nominated Author & Executive Editor of YES! Media
Evette Dionne, known across the internet as @freeblackgirl, is a journalist, critic, and magazine editor. She’s the National Book Award-nominated and Coretta Scott King honor author of Lifting As We Climb.
Political Strategist, Social Activist & Writer
Marcia L. Dyson has been hailed as one of our nation's foremost religious figures. Using her special brand of wisdom, Rev. Dyson's speeches address issues on race, gender inequality, and other national concerns.
Child Advocate
Founder and Director of the Children's Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman achieved victories in mandatory education for children with disabilities and health benefits for uninsured children.
Teacher & Diversity Trainer
Chosen as one of Peter Jennings' ABC-TV's "Person of the Week," Jane is the adaptor of the "Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes" discrimination experiment. This ground breaking exercise is the pinnacle of all other diversity programming in the country today.
National Award Winning Author, Professor & Activist
Sanderia Faye (Smith) is an Assistant Professor of Practice at Southern Methodist University (SMU). She is also a professional speaker, activist and sommelier, where she pairs wine with books.
Nationally Acclaimed Litigator
Kristen Feden concentrates her practice on complex commercial litigation, securities litigation, education law, employment & labor, and white-collar defense. Most recently, she was prosecutor in the trial and re-trial of Commonwealth v. Cosby.
Brother of George Floyd & Activist
On May 26, 2020, Floyd learned that his older brother, George “Perry” Floyd, Jr. had been murdered by four police officers in Minneapolis after a store clerk alleged that he passed a counterfeit $20 bill.
Executive Director at Waic Up, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Member
Jerome Foster II is an environmental justice activist, social entrepreneur, and renowned public speaker. At 18, he made history becoming the youngest person ever to advise the White House.
Mother of Trayvon Martin
After the death of her son made national headlines, Fulton channeled her loss to become a gun control law activist and motivational speaker.
Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter
Alicia Garza is someone who believes that black communities deserve what all communities deserve — to be powerful in every aspect of their lives. That’s what drives Garza as an innovator, strategist, internationally recognized organizer and writer.
Afghan American Actress & Activist
Azita Ghanizada began her journey to the U.S. as a political refugee when her family fled Afghanistan, where they gained asylum. It was the world of TV that captured her imagination and set her on a strictly tabooed path for a girl from Afghanistan.
Best-Selling Author & Harvard Professor of Education and African American Studies
Jarvis R. Givens is a professor of education and faculty affiliate in the department of African & African American studies at Harvard University.
Actor & Activist
The recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Academy Award, actor, producer and humanitarian Danny Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage and television for more than 30 years.
Intersectional Activist & Co-Founder of March For Our Lives
X González (they/them) is a gun-violence prevention activist born and raised in Parkland, Florida. A survivor of the Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School shooting, X became a leading voice in the gun-violence prevention movement.
Acclaimed Director of Straight Outta Compton
F Gary Gray is one of the industry’s most prolific directors as the mind behind Straight Outta Compton and The Italian Job. He is known for consistently pushing the envelope and spotting new trends and talent.
Member of the "Little Rock Nine" / Consultant
One of the nine students that integrated Central High School in 1957, Green speaks out on the vestiges of past injustices, connecting them to present-day issues of race and education.
Activist, Pastor & Thought Leader
The Rev. Stephen A. Green is a global thought leader at the intersection of faith and social justice. He leads with radical love in action through his ministry at St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church in NYC.
Professor & Writer
Melissa Harris-Perry is a college professor and an award winning writer, speaker, and media host.
Former President of the American Civil Liberties Union
Former President of the ACLU, Susan Herman helps audiences understand today’s social issues in national security, marriage equality, women’s and voting rights, the criminal justice system and civil liberties.
New York Times Politics Reporter & Podcast Host
Astead W. Herndon is a national politics reporter for the New York Times and a political analyst for CNN. He reports and hosts "The Run Up," a political podcast from The New York Times that debuted ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Writer & Social Justice Educator Focused on Gender, Race & Media
Dr. Higgins is a speaker, writer, and social justice educator who focuses on issues related to gender, race, and media. Named Business Equality Magazine’s “Top 40 LGBTQ Under 40” for 2020, they have written for numerous media outlets.
Expert on Anti-Black Violence & Historical Remembrance
Dr. Karlos K. Hill founded the Distinguished African American History Month Lecture Series at TTU. His research explores how black Americans have resisted racial violence and how black resistance has changed.
Award-Winning Journalist
Civil Rights trailblazer Hunter-Gault discusses her historic entry into the University of Georgia as its first black female student and the road she took through the Jim Crow South to get there.
Attorney & Legal Analyst for CNN
Joey Jackson is a nationally recognized Attorney who has for more than two decades represented individuals and Labor Unions in State and Federal Court.
NAACP President & CEO
In 2017, the executive committee of the NAACP National Board of Directors elected Derrick Johnson President and CEO. Derrick Johnson formerly served as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors.
Activist & Survivor
Alice is an icon for the prison reform movement and a humble servant who embraces gratitude and God for her freedom. She recalls all of the firsts she has experienced through her activism and provides an authentic portrait of mass incarceration.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Advisor & Speechwriter
An influential confidant of Dr. King, Jones played a pivotal role in drafting the “I Have a Dream” speech. He delivers passionate presentations on the challenges still facing civil rights.
Thought Leader & Founding Director, LBJ School of Public Affairs CSRD
In Fall 2015, Dr. Peniel E. Joseph joined the University of Texas at Austin as Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.
Founder of the Global Soap Project, Executive Director for Clean Production Action & Renowned Human Rights Activist
Derreck Kayongo's remarkable journey exemplifies the power of combining profit with purpose. As a successful entrepreneur, CEO, and renowned human rights activist, Derreck has demonstrated that businesses can thrive while making a positive impact on the world.
Son of Martin Luther King, Jr. & Civil Rights Activist
As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III serves as an ambassador of his parent’s legacy of nonviolent social change.
Award-Winning Artist & Subject of the Hulu Series, Woke
Keith Knight is one of the funniest and most highly regarded cartoonists in America, and the creator of three popular comic strips. His life and cartoons are the inspiration of the Hulu streaming-series Woke, which he also co-created.