Every February, organizations across the country dedicate the month to celebrating Black History Month and the rich legacy of African American culture, achievements, and resilience. Booking dynamic speakers for Black History Month events can elevate your program, offering fresh perspectives on topics like racial equity, civil rights, leadership, and social justice.
In addition to leaders in activism, we also feature celebrated speakers from the across the arts. These voices bring rich insights into the influence of African American culture on creative expression. From award-winning authors and poets to chefs who use food as a tool for cultural connection to community builders who empower grassroots movements and uplift marginalized voices, discover how these powerful voices can inspire and educate your audience, leaving a lasting impact this Black History Month.
Reach out to us and start planning a memorable Black History Month program.
Percival Everett
Internationally acclaimed author and Pulitzer Prize finalist
- Explores the power of literature to change the way we see the world and the unique influences that inspire us to create art.
Isabel Wilkerson
Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste
- Reveals the untold story of The Great Migration, its influence on art and music, and the enduring search for the American dream, the origins of our shared commonality.
Carlotta Walls LaNier
Youngest of the Little Rock Nine, civil rights advocate, National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee
- Reveals the untold story of The Great Migration, its influence on art and music, and the enduring search for the American dream, the origins of our shared commonality.
Ta-Nehisi Coates
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Between the World and Me and The Water Dancer
- Uses historical fiction, fantasy, and journalism to explore ways to address and ameliorate the continuing impacts of slavery, Jim Crow, and institutionalized racism on Black Americans.
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
National Book Award-winning historian and #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist
- Draws on historical narratives and insights, to illuminate the interconnectedness of past injustices with present-day disparities and helps individuals and organizations work toward a more equitable future for all.
Prentis Hemphill
Author, political organizer, founder and director of The Embodiment Institute
- Focuses on dismantling systems of oppression and helping organizations navigate leadership transitions, support community accountability, and inspire transformation.
Jasmin Graham
Shark Scientist, environmental educator, and President/CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS)
- Champions the importance of inclusion in the sciences and biodiversity in our oceans, combining conservation with social justice.
Porter Braswell
Executive Chairman and co-founder of Jopwell and author of Let Them See You
- Advises companies on how to achieve more representative workplaces and how to recognize and maximize the unique advantages of a diverse workforce .
Yaa Gyasi
Author of Homegoing and Transcendent Kingdom, and recipient of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” award
- Discusses the craft of writing and using fiction to probe the complexities and intersections of African immigrant and African American identities in the United States today.
Colson Whitehead
Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys
- Discusses the inspirations for his novels, the intersection of writing, history, and culture, and the power of art and imagination to help us make sense of the world.
Dr. Matthew Delmont
Expert on American history, Black American history, and the Civil Rights Movement
- Articulates the importance of Black newspapers, which served as vital forerunners of today’s social media activism.
Donovan X. Ramsey
Storyteller, journalist, and critically acclaimed author of When Crack Was King
- Explores the essential role of Hip Hop and Black rappers in ending the crack epidemic of the 1990s and the lessons we need to learn to prevent another public health crisis.
Leila Mottley
Award-winning author of Oprah’s Book Club selection Nightcrawling and former Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland
- Examines how Black artists through time have subverted established genres and mixed them with Black traditions to create rap, blues, jazz, poetry, and spoken word.
Nicola Yoon
National Book Award finalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also A Star
- Diversifying the YA romance genre with Black representation.
Robert Jones, Jr.
Creator of Son of Baldwin and author of The Prophets
- Cultivates vital conversations on the Black Lives Matter movement, racism, literature, and politics with a uniquely personable and engaging approach.
Bryan Washington
Award-winning author of Memorial and Family Meal
- Delves into the role of identity, place, food, film, and the arts in storytelling and literature.
Kwame Onwuachi
James Beard award-winning chef and Top Chef guest judge
- Addresses the intersection of race, fame, and food, talks about becoming one of the only black chefs working in the rarified world of fine dining.
Dr. Joshua Bennett
Celebrated and award-winning poet, professor, critic, and scholar of the spoken word
- Shares the transformative power of the spoken word and unpacks the hidden literary histories of Black environmentalism, education, and resistance.
Kiley Reid
Bestselling author of the debut novel Such a Fun Age, a Reese’s Book Club pick
- Speaks on writing about one’s experiences through fiction, mastering the art of plot and dialogue, and probing the intersections of race and class structures in our country.
Danielle Evans
Recipient of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” award and author of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self and The Office of Historical Corrections
- Explores racial identity in a post–Civil Rights America and the individual’s struggle to find a place within family and community when loyalty to place, family, and self are divided.
Reach out to us and start planning a memorable Black History Month 2024 program.