Jun 19, 2023
Honor Juneteenth: Spark Conversations and Inspire Change with Black Keynote Speakers
Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19th each year that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, it took until June 19th, 1865 for the news to reach Texas where slavery still persisted. This momentous occasion is now celebrated with parades, music, and educational events. For your upcoming event, consider supporting Black keynote speakers who can share personal stories and motivational insights about the ongoing fight for racial justice.
Jeffery Robinson is a deputy legal director and the director of the ACLU Trone Center for Justice and Equality, which houses the organization’s work on criminal justice, racial justice, and reform issues. Jeffery has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 1993. He has been selected as one of the top 100 Black lawyers in America by Black Enterprise magazine and is an elected fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, whose membership is limited to one percent of the attorneys in any state.
Angela has been deeply involved in some of the major social movements over the last 50 years. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Ala., by parents who were active community organizers. As a teenager, she marched and picketed against racial segregation. Angela went on earn a doctorate in philosophy. She became known as a radical feminist and activist, a member of the Communist Party USA, and an associate of the Black Panther Party.
A business attorney and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute (ANI), Kwame Christian took his place among the world’s top negotiation experts when his TEDx talk went viral, spurring his bestselling books, Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life and How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race: Practical Tools for Necessary Change in the Workplace and Beyond, as well as Negotiate Anything, the #1 negotiation podcast in the world. Defining negotiation as “any conversation in which somebody in the conversation wants something,” Kwame has worked with the Fortune 500 to apply the fundamentals of negotiation to virtually all aspects of corporate success. He has also helped thousands, from all walks of life, acquire a negotiation mindset that can be applied to universal situations, conflicts, and difficult conversations. As Kwame is frequently quoted, “The best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations.”
Wema Hoover is a culture and DEI expert who has dedicated her career to serving as a catalyst for change and as a transformational leader. Her expertise centers on diversity, equity, & inclusion, authentic leadership and women’s empowerment with a reputation for creating systemic organizational change into people, processes, and products on a global scale. As a trusted C-suite and board-level advisor, Wema has leveraged her background leading global DEI efforts for companies like Google, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Bristol-Myers Squibb to help inform and guide corporate leadership through evolving corporate culture, creating inclusive work environments and integrating DEI and sustainability to build high performance organizations and drive business results.
Magic Johnson is a top business keynote speaker, former NBA great, and Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises. Still a commanding presence in popular culture, Johnson made history in 2012 when he became co-owner of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers. He also co-owns the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club, and eSports franchise Team Liquid.
Risha Grant is a top diversity and inclusion keynote speaker, founder & CEO of Risha Grant LLC, an award-winning diversity consulting and communications firm, and author of That’s BS! How Bias Synapse Disrupts Inclusive Cultures. Through her interactive keynotes and deep-dive training sessions, Risha teaches and empowers attendees with D&I tools to increase their bottom line.
MK Palmore ascended the ranks of one of the most esteemed institutions in the world and then assumed an executive position within the cybersecurity industry. The lack of women and minorities in one of the largest growth industries in the world is startling by all accounts. MK talks about the need to build and develop diverse teams to solve the worlds challenges in information security. More importantly, MK talks about his journey from an underprivileged section of our nation’s capital; to the shores of Annapolis, Maryland; to a career where Black and brown leaders can experience unique challenges when aspiring to positions of leadership. Lessons of determination, confidence building, mentorship and striving for excellence can be gleaned from chronicling this journey.
Cassandra Worthy is a top change and transformation keynote speaker and Founder & CEO of Change Enthusiasm® Global, a well-respected Growth Enablement firm serving its client base through keynote speaking, training, and consulting. She is a former Fortune 100 Innovation Leader, highly dynamic speaker & presenter, chemical engineer, but above all else the world’s leading expert on Change Enthusiasm®.
Omar Johnson is a top marketing and branding keynote speaker, entrepreneur, former CMO at Beats by Dre, and former VP Marketing at Apple. Adweek named Johnson a “Brand Genius,” and Business Insider named him one of the “Most Innovative CMO’s.”
FlyGirl is a top inspirational speaker, America’s first African-American female combat pilot, and the author of Zero to Breakthrough. FlyGirl’s fresh, edgy style, high, contagious energy and unique, gutsy essence jump off the stage, page, and screen and moves people to action.
Interested in inviting a Black keynote speaker to speak at your upcoming event, meeting or conference? Contact BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, a leading speaking agency. Please email info@bigspeak.com to inquire.