Logo for Racism Forum on Thurs., Dec. 3, 2015 at The Bushnell

 

WES MOORE: Veteran. Scholar. Author. Superstar.                            Photo of Wes Moore

Wes Moore's life could have taken a very different path.

In his first book, the New York Times bestseller The Other Wes Moore, Moore tells the tale of two Baltimore kids with the same name.

One grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar and White House Fellow after serving in the prestigious 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army. The other is currently serving a life sentence for the killing of a police officer during an armed robbery.

Strong mentors and support networks made all the difference for Moore, and now he's paying it forward as a vocal advocate for youth and veterans.  

Moore will be a panelist at Racism on Thurs., Dec. 3 at The Bushnell.

LISTEN to Moore's NPR interview with Michele Norris
WATCH Moore's PBS series, Coming Back with Wes Moore
READ about BridgeEDU, the innovative college platform Moore founded

 

MORRIS DEES: Civil Rights Activist. The Southern Poverty Law Center. Superhero.    Photo of Morris Dees

Morris Dees may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but he definitely uses his amazing powers in a never-ending battle for truth and justice.

Since 1970, Dees and his colleagues at the Southern Poverty Law Center - the nonprofit group he co-founded that's "dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society" - have won historic jury verdicts against hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan ($7 million), the Aryan Nations ($6 million), the California-based White Aryan Resistance ($12.5 million), and the Carolina Klan ($26 million).

They've also been tireless advocates for tolerance, education, and justice. The Center has won two Oscars for its tolerance education films, and its "Teaching Tolerance" videos and education materials are used by nearly 500,000 teachers.

Dees was a panelist at the 1997 Forum, Heroes Among Us, and we can't wait to welcome him back on Thurs., Dec. 3 at Racism.

LEARN MORE about The Southern Poverty Law Center
READ Dees' article, "Ghost of Jim Crow..."

 

 JESSICA WILLIAMS: Writer. Actor. Comedian. Truth-teller.  Photo of Jessica Williams

Jessica Williams is the first black woman ever to be a correspondent on The Daily Show.

Known for incisive commentary and humorous bits that play off her youth and race, Williams tells it like it is.

Her Daily Show segments on race, racism and privilege are among some of her most popular, most notably the segment “Frisky Business” in which she argues that if New York City’s stop-and-frisking cops really want to catch criminals, they should head over to Wall Street and profile white guys in suits.

For Williams, there's “…truth in comedy, and that resonates with people of all races.”

Williams was recently featured on Variety’s “Top 10 Comics To Watch” and appeared in HBO’s hit comedy, Girls, and the film, People, Places, Things.

Williams will be a panelist at Racism on Thurs., Dec. 3 at The Bushnell. 

WATCH Williams' Daily Show video on Terrible, Unending National Tragedies
READ this Mother Jones interview with WIllams on Race and Comedy

 

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA: Leader. Former Mayor of Los Angeles. Photo of Antonio Villaraigosa

In 2005, TIME magazine named him one of their “25 most influential Latinos.”

And from 2005-2013, the people of Los Angeles, California called him "Mayor."

Antonio Villaraigosa is a respected voice in American politics, a prominent policymaker and strategist with a keen understanding of America’s mainstream and emerging communities.

He has more than 20 years of leadership experience at the highest levels of state and municipal government, as well as business, political, educational and nonprofit organizations. 

Villaraigosa will be a panelist at Racism on Thurs., Dec. 3 at The Bushnell.

READ Villaraigosa's Education Week article, "To Protect Children at Risk..."
READ Villaraigosa's LA Times article about "Black Minds Matter"