Social Justice Speakers

These author speakers challenge the status quo, fight for civil rights, and seek to transform the criminal justice system. Their talks reveal pathways to change and compelling visions for the future.

Ta-Nehisi Coates

#1 New York Times-bestselling author of Between the World and Me and The Water Dancer

Anand Giridharadas

Author of Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World and on-air political analyst for MSNBC

Eric Holder

Former U.S. attorney general and esteemed civil rights leader

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

National Book Award-winning historian and New York Times-bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist

More Social Justice Speakers

Ken Armstrong

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and co-author of Unbelievable

Adam Benforado

Law professor and author of Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice

Brit Bennett

Novelist of National Book Award nominated, New York Times-bestselling The Vanishing Half, and National Book Foundation 2016 5 Under 35 Honoree

Rosa Brooks

American law professor and author of Tangled Up in Blue

Dr. Matthew Delmont

Expert on African-American history and author of Black Quotidian and Half American

June Eric-Udorie

Feminist activist, Editor of Can We All Be Feminists? and Commissioning Editor for Diversity & Social Justice at SAGE Publishing

Dr. Michele Harper

Emergency room physician and author of the New York Times-bestselling The Beauty in Breaking

Kristin Henning

Professor of Law at Georgetown University and author of The Rage of Innocence

Carlotta Walls LaNier

Youngest of the Little Rock Nine, civil rights advocate, National Women's Hall of Fame inductee

Emily Ladau

Disability rights activist, writer, and speaker

Jill Leovy

Author of the New York Times-bestselling book, Ghettoside

Amanda Lucidon

Obama White House photographer, award-winning filmmaker, and New York Times-bestselling author

Ian Manuel

Advocate for criminal justice reform, poet, and motivational speaker

Sarah McBride

Delaware State Senator, LGBTQ activist, and National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign

Chanel Miller

Artist, activist, and author of the New York Times bestseller Know My Name

Leila Mottley

2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate and author of Nightcrawling

Eduardo Porter

Economics reporter at The New York Times and author of American Poison

Kiley Reid

Debut novelist of instant New York Times-bestselling Such a Fun Age

Marjane Satrapi

Academy Award-nominated director, cartoonist, and author of Persepolis

Shaka Senghor

Author of Letters to the Sons of Society and Writing My Wrongs and leading voice on criminal justice reform

David Treuer

Author of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee and Rez Life

Colson Whitehead

Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys

Isabel Wilkerson

Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste

Jacqueline Woodson

National Book Award and four-time Newbery Honor Winner, MacArthur Fellow, and bestselling author of Red at the Bone

Alora Young

Spoken word poet and author of Walking Gentry Home