Black History Month & MLK

Jeanette J. Epps was born in Syracuse, New York. She graduated from Thomas J. Corcoran High School, Syracuse, New York in 1988..

Jeannine Carter's is the former Head of Diversity Engagement at Facebook. Her inspirational style delivers a rare blend of impactful stories and lessons learned with actionable strategies for race, diversity,…

An entrepreneur, activist, politician and a philanthropist, Dr. Joyce Banda is the former president of Malawi, making her the country's first female president and Africa's second. Voted as Africa's most powerful…

Jessamyn Stanley is an internationally acclaimed voice in wellness, highly sought after for her insights on 21st-century yoga

Justin Simien is the creator, writer, director and producer of the critically acclaimed feature, Dear White People, which debuted at Sundance where it won the Breakthrough Talent Award, then was nominated…

A two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning recording artist, Academy Award-winning actress and best-selling author, Jennifer Hudson is an extraordinary talent. From humble beginnings, Hudson began singing in a small Chicago church where, week after…

My whole life people told me what I could not do. And every step of the way, I told them the same thing; “Watch me. Watch me beat the odds.” -…

ESPN Analyst and Bestselling Author Jay Williams is considered one of the most prolific college basketball players in history. The #2 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Williams is an…

Jim Lucas has received acclaim across the nation for his stirring and dramatic recitations and interpretive readings depicting the life and times of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.…

Jennifer White arrived in Chicago in 2016. She was previously local host of All Things Considered and community outreach manager at NPR member station Michigan Radio. Jenn has served as…

Jasmine Rand is not only a, professor, national legal analyst, international legal consultant, lecturer, columnist and civil rights leader, she is also the founding attorney of RAND LAW, L.L.C., a…

Jamila Lyiscott is a social justice education scholar, nationally renowned speaker, spoken word artist, and educational consultant. She was recently appointed as an Assistant Professor of Social Justice Education at…

Jalen Rose is a host of ESPN’s morning show Get Up!, alongside Michelle Beadle and Mike Greenberg. Additionally, Rose has been a studio analyst for NBA Countdown — ABC and…

Emmy Award winning journalist, Jemele Hill is the Co-founder of Lodge Freeway Media and a staff writer for The Atlantic. Hill was previously the chief correspondent and senior columnist for…

Josina Anderson primarily appears on NFL Live, NFL Insiders, Sunday NFL Countdown and SportsCenter. Her role spans enterprise feature reporting, serving as a game-day reporter for Countdown, and regular in-studio…

Jesse Williams, who plays Dr. Jackson Avery in ABC’s hit series “Grey’s Anatomy,” served as senior producer and correspondent for EPIX docuseries “America Divided” and executive-produced the documentary “Stay Woke:…

Janice Bryant Howroyd is the Founder and CEO of the ACT•1 Group, a global leader in deploying talent and resource management solutions. International in scope and resources, her company creates…

Dr. Joe Martin is a nationally known, award-winning speaker, respected university professor, author, and educational consultant. At the age of 24, Joe became the youngest faculty member ever hired to…

Internationally renowned education academic, Professor Jonathan David Jansen, is one of South Africa’s leading intellectual experts. He has a solid academic grounding, is a captivating speaker, a master story teller…

Jill Scott is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Times best-selling poet, and critically acclaimed actress. Named People Magazine’s “Top TV Breakout Star of 2010,” Jill has been featured…

Multi-faceted television personality, Lauren Lake, is a certified Renaissance woman who doesn't just talk the talk when it comes to life, love, law and living. As the judge on the…

Social ethicist and scholar of American religions Jonathan L. Walton, Ph.D., is the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard University and Pusey Minister in Harvard's Memorial Church. He is…

Jeh Charles Johnson was sworn in on Dec. 23, 2013, as the fourth Secretary of Homeland Security. Prior to joining DHS, Secretary Johnson served as general counsel for the Department…

One of the most influential men in American pop culture, Joseph “Reverend Run” Simmons knows how to leave a legacy. After all, as the front man of seminal hip hop…

Joy Reid is the former host of The Reid Report on MSNBC. Reid is the former Managing Editor of theGrio.com, a daily online news and opinion platform devoted to delivering…

Jerrod Carmichael is a Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is currently the executive producer, writer, and star of the NBC comedy The Carmichael Show. In…

Jean-Pierre Bekolo is an avant-garde filmmaker and socio-cultural activist whose imaginative work overturns stereotypes of Africa and African cinema. His entertaining films operate on multiple layers, engaging viewers with thrilling…

Jimi Izrael is an award-winning reporter and culture-critic from Shaker Heights, Ohio who currently moderates “The Barbershop” for National Public Radio’s “Tell Me More with Michel Martin” and blogs “The Hardline”…

Julieanna L. Richardson followed a unique path in heading up the largest national collection effort of African American video oral histories on record.

James Chapman is a well-known innovator in both the civic and entrepreneurial community. He was nominated for the 2015 White House Demo Day for being Founder of Oil Drop; an…

Jason Collins, the first openly gay National Basketball Association "NBA" player, recently was in a Sports Illustrated cover story, Collins became the first active male player in any of the…

The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, president and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, is one of America's foremost political figures. Called the "conscience of the nation" and "the great unifier," he…

Judge Greg Mathis is a national figure known for his advocacy campaigns for equal justice. His inspirational life story as a street youth who rose from jail to judge has…

Juan Williams, Political Analyst, Fox News Channel; Author, We the People: The Modern-Day Figures Who Have Reshaped and Affirmed the Founding Fathers’ Vision of America; Drawing on his nearly 10…

J.C. Watts is chairman of the J.C. Watts Companies, a multi-industry holding company headquartered in Washington, DC, with operations in Texas and Oklahoma. As chairman, Watts provides strategic focus and…

Inspirational speaker, columnist, author, poet, radio and TV personality Jewel Diamond Taylor's high energy keynotes and workshops go beyond the average. Jewel Diamond Taylor lifts the low, pushes the slow,…

Judge Lynn Toler is currently the host of the nationally syndicated and Emmy Nominated television show, Divorce Court.  She is a graduate of Harvard University and The University of Pennsylvania…

Jada Pinkett Smith has proven herself to be one of today's most versatile and gifted young actresses. Recently, she landed one of Hollywood's most sought after roles, as Niobe in…

Joseph Sebarenzi lost his parents, seven siblings, and countless other family members when 800,000 Tutsi were brutally murdered over the course of 90 days in 1994 by extremist Rwandan Hutu…

John Quinones is anchor of ABCs What Would You Do?, a co-anchor of Primetime, a correspondent for 20/20, and the author of Heroes Among Us: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Choices (Harper).

Author and journalist Joan Morgan began her writing career freelancing for the Village Voice. Her first article, “The Pro-Rape Culture,” explored the issues of race and gender in the case…

Nine-time Grammy award-winning R&B artist John Legend and the “All of Me” crooner has earned millions of fans with his chart-topping albums.

Sociologist Dr. Joyce Ladner is one of the nation’s pre-eminent thought leaders. Her career has been shaped through her first hand involvement with the civil rights movement in Mississippi and…

Jeff Johnson is an award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator, and author.  From his celebrated conversations with marquee world figures in the political, business and entertainment arenas to his…

Nobody gets results like Judge Glenda Hatchett. A visionary on the bench, she is renowned for her unique way of determining justice in an innovative, authoritative manner. Well known for…

Joan Hecht of the Lost Boys will share their heartfelt and inspirational stories of being refugees. Hecht founded the Alliance for the Lost Boys of Sudan Foundation in 2004. The…

Jon Haggins, a motivational speaker who inspires people to get up and go, that anything is possible

Democracy works and Jehmu Greene will speak at every college campus, go on every news show, and shout it from the rooftops until all of America knows it. A widely…

Judge Mablean Ephriam is one of the most recognized jurists in America. She attributes her success to God, her family and close friends. Her faith, religion and trust in God…

When she was sworn in as Surgeon General, Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders became the first African American and the second woman to hold that post. As Surgeon General, Dr. Elders…