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NEIL
deGRASSE TYSON
 As Director of the Hayden Planetarium and the new host of the PBS magazine "NOVA Science NOW", Dr. Tyson is one of the most high profile astrophysicists in America. He hopes to use the state-of-the-art Hayden to capture the scientific curiosity of a new generation of young people. His recent books include One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos, Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries, and Origins, the companion book to his acclaimed four-hour miniseries on the PBS program "NOVA."
http://research.amnh.org/users/tyson
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RICHARD
RODRIGUEZ
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Essayist Richard Rodriguez discusses how America – and
every American - is shaped
by the continual interaction
of cultures, blurring boundaries
between “black”
and “white”, Hispanic
and Anglo. He is the author
of the critically acclaimed
books Hunger
of Memory, Days of Obligation:
An Argument With My Mexican
Father
and Brown:
The Last Discovery of America.
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BERNICE
JOHNSON REAGON
Dr.
Reagon is a Freedom Singer who highlights her forty year
journey as a cultural activist,
scholar and artist. Founder
of Sweet Honey In the Rock,
she renders her passionate
convictions in a moving and
memorable mixture of song
and spoken word, drawing on
the life stories of 19th and
20th century African American
women whose struggles for
freedom guide her in this
moving presentation.
http://www.bjreagon.com
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DR.
CHARLES JOHNSON
National
Book Award winner Charles
Johnson is a storyteller who
ingeniously braids history,
philosophy, and imagination
in making post-modern fiction
of the highest order, weaving
intellect and artistry to
express his belief in the
power of the past to shape
the present. A philosopher,
literary critic, cartoonist,
essayist, novelist, short
story writer and screenwriter,
his books include Middle Passage, Dreamer and Dr. King’s Refrigerator: And Other Bedtime Stories.
More on this speaker. (PDF 300K) FRANK
DEFORD
Among the most honored and versatile of writers, Frank Deford's work has appeared in virtually every medium. The dean of America's sportswriters, he exposes the hype and hypocrisy that often goes on in sports today. Best known for his commentary in Sports Illustrated and on National Public Radio, he is also the author of Everybody's All American and other books. NIKKI
GIOVANNI
A world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator, and one of the most widely read American poets, Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others.
View a video clip of this speaker. ROBIN
WRIGHT
Traveling for years with Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and other diplomats, Wright brings her experience as Senior Diplomatic Correspondent for the Washington Post to bring light to the rise of freedom in the Middle East, the continuing challenge of Islamic extremism, and America's relations with the rest of the world. She is the author of four books including the critically acclaimed The Last Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran.
More on this speaker. (PDF 564K) cleve jones
 As founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, he has collected thousands of panels representing individual lives lost to the disease. Jones offers an eye-opening and heart-felt presentation on how this epidemic impacts victims’ friends, families and communities across America and around the world. His autobiography is Stitching a Revolution: The Making of an Activist. Cleve Jones will be portrayed by Emile Hirsch in Gus Van Sant's upcoming movie MILK.
jeffrey birnbaum
 Who is Jack Abramoff, and how did he turn Washington upside down? What really goes on behind the scenes in the nation’s capital? Author and Washington Post columnist Jeff Birnbaum is an expert in both the financial and political worlds. Like few others, his unique perspective enables him to decode the complex connections between politics, business, lobbying and campaign fund-raising.
lisa myers
 NBC News National Correspondent Lisa Myers is a frequent panelist on “Meet The Press” and “NBC Today”. She has covered six Presidential elections, and is highly regarded for her investigative reports. Her political reporting has been called “astute and clever”.
charles cameron mann
 A powerful storyteller, Mann’s most recent book 1491 explores the history of the Americas before Columbus. A three-time National Magazine Award finalist, he has received awards for his articles and books on everything from emerging technologies to the business of medicine to endangered species.
derrick bell
 One of this country's most distinguished legal scholars and civil rights activists, Derrick Bell explores race, identity, cultural diversity, ethics and the law. He is the author of Silent Covenants: Brown v. Board and the Unfulfilled Hopes for Racial Reform, Ethical Ambition, and Faces at the Bottom of the Well.
patricia schroeder
 Schroeder served twelve terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before being appointed to lead the Association of American Publishers. She speaks to her experiences as a leading voice for women and families in Congress, and the prospects for women’s leadership and civil society for the 21st century.
jianli yang
 A leading organizer in the Chinese student democracy movement, he is among forty-nine individuals blacklisted by the Beijing government. As research fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and President of The Foundation For China In The 21st Century, he continues to provide a forceful and unique perspective on this historic struggle. Jianli Yang, returned to his adopted home in 2007 in the United States after five years in Chinese prisons.
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SPIKE
LEE
With his work both praised and attacked for the forceful vision and social critiques they bring to audiences, the provocative director and producer has become an American film icon, and continues to lead the way in defining the African American experience for millions of people. Lee talks about movies, money, race and the need for greater diversity in film, media and life. WILMA
MANKILLER
 The first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, she took tragedy and made strength. Mankiller tells how she drew inspiration from her people's history and traditions to forge a path towards self-sufficiency. "I want to be remembered as the person who helped us restore faith in ourselves." DAVID
McCULLOUGH
Biographer,
historian, lecturer, teacher,
David McCullough is the author
of six widely-acclaimed books,
including, Truman, one of the most
popular American biographies of all time and winner of
the Pulitzer Prize and most
recently John
Adams,
winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
SENATOR
GEORGE MITCHELL
From
his service in the US Senate,
to brokering peace in Northern
Ireland and the Middle East,
George Mitchell is one of
the nation’s most respected
statesmen. A man who
has influenced the lives of
Americans in uncountable ways,
Senator Mitchell has many
stories to share. His smooth
delivery and unparalleled
content make him one of the
most sought after speakers.
RAY
SUAREZ
Suarez shares more than twenty-five
years of varied experience
in the news business, especially
covering such issues as immigration,
education, and the relationship
of religion in politics. Senior
Correspondent for “The
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer”
and a life member of the National
Association of Hispanic Journalists,
Suarez previously served as
host of the nationwide call-in
news program “Talk of
the Nation” on National
Public Radio. HELEN
THOMAS
Often
called “the First Lady
of the Press,” veteran
White House correspondent
Helen Thomas was one of the
first women to break into
front-page journalism. With
keen wit she shares an “insider”
view of the Presidency from
Eisenhower to George W. Bush.
Her memoir Front Row at the White House was internationally acclaimed. CALVIN
TRILLIN
 Author and columnist Calvin Trillin has been acclaimed in fields of writing that are remarkably diverse. His wry commentary on the American scene and his books chronicling his adventures as a "happy eater" have earned him renown as "a classic American humorist." His books include Remembering Denny, Travels with Alice, About Alice, Alice, Let's Eat: Further Adventures of a Happy Eater, and The Tummy Trilogy. HOWARD
ZINN
Historian, activist, and author of A People's History of the United States, Zinn has been a leader in the civil rights, anti-war and social justice movements for decades. Having spent his life speaking truth to power, Zinn says "I would argue that dissent is the highest form of patriotism."Robert Bullard
 Leading the battle for environmental justice, from dealing with the toxic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to curbing urban sprawl, Dr. Bullard tells the stories of frontline warriors who are fighting environmental and human rights abuses. His research and activism challenges government and industry policies that place people of color and the poor at special risk. He is the author of 14 books, including Growing Smarter: Achieving Livable Communities, Environmental Justice, and Regional Equity and The Black Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century: Race, Power, and the Politics of Place, which were released in 2007.
http://www.ejrc.cau.edu
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spencer overton
 Voters don't choose politicians--politicians choose voters by manipulating election rules. What can we do to restore power to the people? A noted expert on campaign finance and voting rights law, Spencer Overton is the author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression. Overton articulates new ideas for enriching American democracy.
bruce campbell
 Cult movie icon in the Evil Dead series, and star in television and films, Bruce Campbell's multimedia talk offers a hilarious and insightful look at his career and Hollywood pretension. He is also the author of two books: If Chins Could Kill and Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way.
george curry
 How does the mainstream media affect perceptions of race, both within and from outside the African-American community? George Curry gives an alternative media perspective on affirmative action, health care in minority communities, and young people of color. One of the nation’s most influential black journalists.
sister helen prejean
 Author of Dead Man Walking, Roman Catholic nun Sister Helen Prejean offers a candid and intense meditation on the complex and troubling issue of capital punishment. Her book was made into an Academy award winning film starring Susan Sarandon. Prejean counsels death-row inmates and their families around the country, and has written her second book The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions.
sylvia earle
 Internationally noted oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle has led more than 50 worldwide expeditions in connection with her research. She has been a tireless defender of the world’s oceans, and has authored scores of publications on marine science and technology.
sandra steingraber
 Could the food you eat or the floors you walk on be toxic? Praised as “the new Rachel Carson” for her groundbreaking book Living Downstream, Steingraber raises awareness of how toxins all around us adversely affect our health. She takes a personal and scientific look at the environmental links to cancer and other medical problems, and offers insight into how we can protect our environment and ourselves.
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