Keynote speakers

Dr. Joy DeGruy-Leary - an internationally renowned author and speaker is a professor at Portland State University. Dr. Leary is author of the book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Enduring Legacy of Injury and Healing, which addresses the residual impacts of trauma on African Descendants in the Americas. In addition to her book, she developed a culturally based educational model for working with children and adults of color. She has been interviewed for BBC radio (UK), C-Span, Essence Magazine, The Tavis Smiley Show, The Michael Baisden Show, Like it is, and many other local print, radio, television, and online publications.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux - President of Bennett College for Women is recognized for her progressive and insightful observations on issues concerning race, culture, gender, and economics relative to African American people. She is an economics, author and commentator and syndicated columnist, her writing appears regularly in the USA Today, Black Issues Higher Education, Ms. Magazine, Essence magazine, and the Progressive. Her weekly columns appear in numerous newspapers across the country including the Los Angeles Times, The Charlotte Observer, The New Orleans Tribune, The Detroit Free Press, and the San Francisco Examiner. She appears regularly on CNN, BET, PBS, and has appeared on Fox News, O’Reilly Factor, C-Spann, MSNBC and CNBC on various occasions. Her authored or edited books includes Voices of Vision: African American Women on the Issues; Slipping Through the Cracks: The Status of Black Women; and The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism.

Dr. Safisha Nzinga Hill - an Afrocentric Educator, lector, writer and activist is the creator and Director of the Act of Change, Inc. Instieute of Cultural Arts. She is the author of Afrocentric Perspective Towards Black Student Development: From Theory to Practice; Peace, Power, Love and Blessings: For Sistahs on the Journey to Black Womanhood; and Speak Sistah Speak: Notes from a Revolutionary Sistah.

Dr. Jeffery Menzise - a lecturer in psychology and the former Assistant Director of the Race Relations Institute at Fisk University is a licensed School Psychologist. He a Kemetic priest that combines ancient traditions with modern concepts in his healing craft.

Brotha Keepa - The Conscious Spoken Poets from Memphis, Tennessee.