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

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

Emily Ladau

Disability rights activist, writer, and speaker

More Social Justice Speakers

Adam Benforado

New York Times bestselling author of A Minor Revolution and Unfair

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

June Eric-Udorie

Feminist activist, Editor of Can We All Be Feminists? and DEI Programme Manager for Flexa

Dr. Thomas Fisher

Emergency room physician and author of The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER

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

Jill Leovy

Author of the New York Times-bestselling book, Ghettoside

Jason De León

Anthropologist, professor, and author of The Land of Open Graves and Soldiers and Kings

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

Award-winning author of Oprah’s Book Club selection Nightcrawling and former Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland

Eduardo Porter

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

Carla Power

Journalist and author of Pulitzer Prize finalist If the Oceans Were Ink

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

Chris Smalls

Labor organizer and president and co-founder of the Amazon Labor Union

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

Alora Young

Spoken word poet and author of Walking Gentry Home

Javier Zamora

Memoirist, poet, and author of Solito, and a winner of the 2023 American Book Award.