As we look ahead to Black History Month, there’s no better time to start thinking about how to make your event meaningful and memorable. Bringing in a powerful African American speaker can be a transformative experience for your audience, sparking inspiration and sparking important conversations. Whether you’re planning a community event, a corporate celebration, or an educational program, the right speaker can bring these stories to life in a way that resonates and sticks.
We’ve put together a list of incredible speakers for you to consider—leaders, activists, authors, and visionaries who’ve made waves in their fields and beyond. These speakers aren’t just sharing history; they’re living examples of the strength, talent, and passion that define Black history. They’ll connect with your audience on a personal level, leaving everyone with new perspectives, powerful insights, and a renewed sense of the importance of these stories. So, dive into our lineup and find the perfect voice to make this Black History Month unforgettable!
Shola Richards: Founder & CEO, Go Together Global & Best-Selling Author
Shola Richards is a dynamic keynote speaker, the best-selling author of Making Work Work, and Go Together, he’s an in-demand workplace civility expert, and he is a prolific writer with passionate worldwide following. His articles and wildly-popular Monday morning “Positivity Solution” email series have been read by readers in over 160 countries, and his work has been featured on the Today Show, CBS This Morning, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Complete Wellbeing India, and Business Insider Australia.
Charity Blackwell: Spoken Word Artist + DEI Practitioner
Charity Blackwell is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioner, spoken word artist, host, emcee, and poetry specialist who has spent several years contributing to the arts scene in DC and across national platforms. She has performed her original work on national and international networks and platforms such as BBC News, TEDxTysons, NBA, DC UNITED, the Woman’s Sports Foundation, Nike, Major League Soccer Network, The Lincoln Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Hirshhorn Museum, and numerous others.
Natalie W. Nixon: Creativity Strategist, President: Figure 8 Thinking LLC
Kaplan Mobray: Award-Winning Author, Motivational Speaker & Career Consultant
Recognized by Meetings & Conventions magazine as one of the nation’s top business speakers, Kaplan Mobray is one of the world’s most dynamic and inspirational business speakers and best-selling author of The 10Ks of Personal Branding. An innovative mastermind, Kaplan has inspired and transformed countless lives through his insightful and groundbreaking approach to personal branding and leadership development. Kaplan has been a frequent main platform speaker at the prestigious Million Dollar Roundtable (MDRT) national and global conferences.
Dr. Adia Gooden: TEDx Speaker & Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Adia Gooden, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist; she received her BA in Psychology from Stanford University and her PhD in Clinical Community Psychology from DePaul University. Dr. Adia is a sought-after, dynamic speaker who gives talks on unconditional self-worth, imposter syndrome, and Black women and mental health. Dr. Adia gave a TEDx talk on “Cultivating Unconditional Self-Worth” which has over 950k views. Dr. Adia has a podcast and online courses and programs designed to help people to build healthy relationships with themselves and embrace their unconditional self-worth.
Janet Stovall: Senior Client Strategist, NeuroLeadership Institute; Former CEO Speechwriter and DEI Communications Lead, UPS “It’s Time for Business to Get Serious about Inclusion”
Janet M. Stovall has flourished in the highly competitive corporate Fortune 500 world. A long history of driving change and building culture in large, complex organizations has given her deep expertise around DEI practices and principles, especially in the area of communications. In fact, she broke barriers as one of the few Black C-level speechwriters in the Fortune 100.
Carla Harris: Senior Client Advisor. Former Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Morgan Stanley & Author of Expect to Win: 10 Proven Strategies to Surviving in the Workplace
Carla Harris is a Senior Client Advisor, Former Vice Chairman, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley. The breadth of her industry experience enables her to move effortlessly from topics of technology, retail, or media sectors to healthcare, telecommunications, and transportation.
Mike Africa Jr.: Hip Hop Artist, Writer, Member of MOVE who was born in prison
Mike Africa, Jr. is a member of The MOVE Organization. He is a conscious hip hop artist and a motivational resilience speaker. He pushes his revolutionary message with his dynamic stage performances mixing music with speeches.
Wendee Lee Curtis: MC, Moderator & Host
Wendee Lee Curtis is a veteran news anchor and Broadway performer bringing the art of news-level production, live entertainment, and the magic of connection to your virtual and in-person events. Her experience in both the corporate world and theatrical world makes her an ideal presenter for hybrid events that need to reach all attendees, virtual or in-house, to be memorable. With her expert knowledge and powerful presence, Wendee will keep your audience engaged from beginning to end.
Cynt Marshall: CEO, Dallas Mavericks
Cynthia Marshall has been a dynamic force for inclusion and diversity within the Mavericks organization and over a 36-year career at AT&T. When Cynt was hired as new the CEO of the Mavs in March 2018, she set her sights on a culture transformation. Her vision was for the Mavericks organization to become the NBA standard for inclusion and diversity, and brought transparency, trust, and her values-based leadership style that evolved the company culture in her first 100 days.
If you are organizing events specifically for college audiences, check out our comprehensive list of African American speakers who are perfect for Black History Month college events.
