Byron Hurt Speaking Fee: $10,000 to $20,000

Byron Hurt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, and activist whose work explores the intersections of race, gender, and culture in America. He began his career as a college quarterback at Northeastern University, where he developed a passion for social justice and media storytelling. After college, Hurt co-founded the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program, a pioneering initiative aimed at educating young men about gender violence and promoting healthy masculinity. His commitment to these issues led him to produce and direct the documentary "I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America," which marked the beginning of his filmmaking journey. Hurt's 2006 film, "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes," premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was later broadcast nationally on PBS's Emmy-winning series "Independent Lens." The documentary, which examines masculinity in hip-hop culture, screened at over 150 film festivals worldwide and has been a catalyst for discussions about gender and race in music. His subsequent film, "Soul Food Junkies," won Best Documentary at the 2012 American Black Film Festival and aired on PBS in 2013. In 2022, Hurt released "Hazing," a deeply personal exploration of hazing rituals in fraternities, sororities, and other organizations, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was broadcast on PBS. Beyond filmmaking, Hurt has dedicated over two decades to gender violence prevention education. He served as the Associate Director of the first gender violence prevention program in the United States Marine Corps and has lectured at numerous colleges and universities across the country. His work focuses on how hypermasculinity in popular culture normalizes male violence, the links between race, class, and gender oppression, and the importance of positive male leadership in ending gender-based violence. Hurt's writings have been featured in several anthologies and publications, including "Know What I Mean?" edited by Michael Eric Dyson and "The Black Male Handbook" edited by Kevin Powell. He has been featured in various media outlets ranging from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; O, The Oprah Magazine, Mother Jones, The Chronicle for Higher Education, Black Enterprise, and The Source and Double XL Magazines. He has also appeared or been heard on MSNBC, NPR, PBS, CNN, FOX News, FOX Soul, Access Hollywood, MTV, BET, ABC News World Tonight, NBC-New York, and C-Span. Currently, Hurt serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University and continues to create documentaries that challenge societal norms and promote social justice. His work remains a vital contribution to conversations about identity, culture, and the pursuit of equity in America.