Vanessa Mbonu

Vice President, Digital Marketing and Communications | NAACP

Vanessa serves as the Vice President of Digital Marketing and Communications at the NAACP, headquartered in Baltimore, MD. Since her time at NAACP, she has primarily been responsible for communicating the historic organization's federal advocacy and policy initiatives through digital campaigns, media relations, and integrated marketing. 

An experienced public relations and communications professional, prior to joining NAACP, she was an Account Executive at one of the Washington, D.C. metro area's fastest-growing PR firms and before that, she was a health reporter for AARP and AARP the magazine, the widest circulated magazine in North America. She is passionate about equity-centered policies which uplift the Black, immigrant, and disenfranchised communities. 

Tirelessly working to shatter the glass ceiling, she seeks to highlight opportunities where women's voices can be represented. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Ms. Mbonu emigrated to the United States at a young age and grew up in Laurel, MD. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a dual degree in Journalism and International Studies at St. John's University in New York and earned her master's in Global Media and Communication from the London School of Economic and Political Science.

Tashara Parker

Journalist and Founder, Loud Women Lead

Tashara Parker

Journalist and Founder, Loud Women Lead

Ambyr Michelle

Trisha Mann-Grant

Letitia James

Attorney General | New York State Office of the Attorney General

Letitia “Tish” James is the 67th Attorney General for the state of New York. With decades of experience and a long record of achievements, she is a powerful, effective attorney and lifelong public servant. When she was elected in 2018, she became the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General.

In her first term, Attorney General James focused on protecting vulnerable New York residents and ensuring that individuals or companies that broke state laws were held accountable. She secured more than $7.5 billion for New York from those who broke state laws and took advantage of New Yorkers, including more than $2.5 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors for their roles in the opioid epidemic. Under her leadership, the Office of the New York State Attorney General helped remove more than 4,000 guns from New York communities, took down dozens of dangerous drug and gun trafficking rings throughout the state, and took legal action to stop the proliferation of ghost guns.

Attorney General James took on predatory landlords who harassed tenants and endangered children by violating New York’s lead paint laws. She protected New Yorkers’ health and the state’s natural resources by going after polluters and companies that flouted environmental protection laws. Attorney General James stood up for vulnerable populations by going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a question about citizenship from being added to the census and successfully protecting DACA. 

She has been a national leader in the fight to defend access to reproductive health care, leading dozens of legal actions across the country to protect and expand access to this lifesaving care. Attorney General James also stood up against corruption and took strong action against officials who broke New York laws or workplace protection measure, regardless of their status or political affiliation.

Before serving as Attorney General, Letitia James was the public advocate for the City of New York. When she was elected in 2013, she became the first woman of color to hold citywide office. During her tenure as public advocate, her office passed more legislation than all previous public advocates combined, including a groundbreaking law that banned questions about salary history from the employment process to address the pervasive gender wage gap. Prior to serving as public advocate, Letitia James represented the 35th Council District in Brooklyn in the New York City Council for 10 years. As a council member, she passed the Safe Housing Act, legislation that forced landlords to improve living conditions for tenants in New York City’s worst buildings. Before her election to the City Council, Letitia James was head of the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Office. 

Letitia James began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society. A proud Brooklynite, she is a graduate of Lehman College and Howard University School of Law.

Loretta E. Lynch

Partner | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Former Attorney General of the United States, Loretta Lynch advises clients on complex government and internal investigations and high-stakes litigation matters, including those that implicate significant regulatory enforcement issues, that involve substantial reputational concerns, and that are international in scope. Loretta chairs the Civil Rights and Racial Equity Audits practice. Clients note that Loretta “is flawless in presentations and brings gravitas and experience to any situation” adding “people go to her for her extraordinarily broad experience and truly unique service - she is phenomenal.”

Since her return to private practice in 2019, Loretta has helped lead several of the most sensitive investigations and reputation-threatening litigation and regulatory enforcement matters in recent years. BlackRock retained Loretta to help lead an internal investigation into former staffers’ allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. She has also recently co-led representations of Syracuse University in an independent review of its Department of Public Safety’s handling of bias-related incidents raised by students during the 2019/2020 academic year; North Carolina State University in an NCAA investigation concerning money and other benefits allegedly offered to a former student-athlete in violation of NCAA regulations; and a Fortune 50 energy company in an internal investigation regarding discrimination and retaliation claims. Loretta is currently representing the McDonald’s Corporation in three high-profile racial discrimination lawsuits. She also counsels a number of prominent companies on ESG-related matters.

Loretta is also frequently retained for high-profile public advisory roles. She was appointed as a Special Advisor to the N.Y. Attorney General’s Office as part of its investigation into issues arising out of the conduct of New York City police officers during protests related to the death of George Floyd; and by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to mediate a dispute between the Federal Defenders of New York and the Federal Bureau of Prisons concerning issues of attorney access to their incarcerated clients during the COVID-19-related suspension of in-person visits at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Government Service

Loretta served as U.S. Attorney General from 2015 to 2017, becoming the first African-American woman to hold this office. In that role, she oversaw more than 100,000 employees across numerous agencies and offices, including the 93 U.S. Attorneys; major investigative agencies, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Bureau of Prisons; the National Security Division; and the Office of the Solicitor General, among others. She also supervised the DOJ’s major litigating divisions, including Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Criminal, Environment and Natural Resources, and Tax.

Loretta served under Presidents Obama and Clinton in a number of senior roles for over 15 years, including three Senate-confirmed roles.

• Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (2015-2017)
• U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of New York (1999-2002, 2010-2015)
• Chief Assistant to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (1998–99)
• Chief, Long Island Division, United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (1994-1998)
• Deputy Chief, General Crimes Section, United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (1992-1993)
• Assistant U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (1990-1992)
  
  

Loretta has been recognized as a “Distinguished Leader” by the New York Law Journal and has been named one of Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” and a “General Litigation Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal. She has been recognized as a Band 1 practitioner by Chambers in the Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (New York) and Crisis Management categories. Loretta has also been recognized by The Legal 500 as a Leading Lawyer in the Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense category.

Loretta received her J.D. and her B.A. in American Literature from Harvard University.

Eboni K. Williams

Attorney, Author, and Media Personality

Eboni K. Williams is an American lawyer, author, and television host. She hosts and is executive producer of Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams, a nationally syndicated court television show. Additionally, she hosts and is executive producer of the NAACP Image Award-winning Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams. In addition to frequently guest hosting The View and The Breakfast Club, Williams starred on Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New York City, becoming the show’s first Black cast member ever. Williams has hosted and provided stellar broadcast coverage for CNN/HLN, ABC News, FOX News, Fox Sports, REVOLT, The Grio, etc.Her bestselling book, Bet on Black: The Good News About Being Black in America, hit shelves in January 2023. The paperback version will be released in July 2025.Eboni is a proud and active member of the Pi Kappa Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and The Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She is also a NYC Gender Equity Commissioner. Williams holds a Bachelor’s degree in Black and African Studies from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Benedict College.

Leon Russell

Chair, NAACP National Board of Directors

Leon W. Russell has dedicated his life to fighting for human rights and has served on the National Board of Directors since 1990 in various roles, including Assistant Secretary, Chair of the Convention Planning Committee, and Vice Chair. His peers recognized his decades of work and leadership when they elected him as chair in 2017.

Before joining the board, Russell served as president of the NAACP Florida State Conference of Branches for 4 years after serving for 15 years as the first vice president.

After 35 years of public service as the Director of the Office of Human Rights for Pinellas County in Clearwater, Florida, Russell retired in 2012. During his time as a civil servant he was responsible for implementing the county's affirmative action and human rights ordinances. These ordinances continue to ensure a racially and sexually diverse workforce and support the implementation of the county's equal employment opportunity programs.

From 2007 to 2011, Russell served as President of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA). The IAOHRA membership consists of statutory human and civil rights agencies throughout the United States and Canada and other nations. These agencies enforce state and local civil rights laws and are actively engaged in reducing and resolving intergroup tension and promoting intergroup relations.

As part of his lifelong work and leadership, Russell has served as a member of several organizations including the International City Management Association and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. He served as a board member of the Pinellas Opportunity Council, president and board member of the National Association of Human Rights Workers, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Children's Campaign of Florida.

As the Chairman of Floridians Representing Equity and Equality (FREE), a statewide coalition, Russel worked to oppose the Florida Civil Rights Initiative, an anti-affirmative action proposal. Ultimately, the initiative failed to get on the Florida ballot for voter consideration, because of the strong legal challenge spearheaded by FREE.

Russell has received numerous civic awards and citations for his work ensuring equality and equity across the U.S.

Tasha McCaskiel

Lovie Simone

Actress, Netflix's Forever

Michael Cooper Jr

Actor, Netflix's Forever

Lynae Vanee

Influencer

Garrison Hayes

Influencer

Garrison Hayes produces innovative short documentaries to his 800,000+ follower community, especially on TikTok, where he explores the hidden or forgotten corners of Black history, faith, and politics, and his love of books. He was selected as a member of the Inaugural Class of Snap Inc.’s Black Creator Accelerator and is currently Mother Jones’ Video Correspondent. He lives in Nashville.

George Lee

Influencer

George “Conscious” Lee Jr is a dynamic orator, innovator, educator, and influential content creator.  His work sits at the intersection of media, socio-political issues, and popular culture. Lee is “purposefully provocative” as a tool to elevate and educate around pertinent topics through social media content, speaking engagement, lectures and online courses. Lee has developed a brand of educational entertainment that translates an understanding of oppression, consciousness, intersectionality, and gender identity to the TikTok generation and baby Boomers alike. 

Born in Bryan, Texas to incarcerated parents, Lee overcame childhood adversity to attend the University of Oklahoma where he received a Bachelor’s and two Master’s while becoming one of the top college debaters in the country. He was a member of the first African-American duo to become number one in the National Debate Tournament, where they were touted for their introduction of hip hop to sustain sophisticated arguments. 

Lee has an engaged audience of over 3M across social media. His work was recognized as a 2022 receipt of YouTube’s Content Creator Choice award. In 2022, he was also nominated for his first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality and was selected into the second creator class of YouTube’s Black Voices Fund. His videos have been featured in Forbes, Essence, the Washington Post, Yahoo Life, The Atlantic, Business Insider and The New York Times and he’s partnered with organizations including BET, YouTube, University of Kentucky, and many more! In his free time, Lee enjoys traveling, attending trail rides in rural Texas and creating memories with his family.

Elizabeth Booker Houston

Influencer

Elizabeth Booker Houston is a lawyer, social scientist, professor, stand up comedienne, and political commentator who hails from Memphis, Tennessee and now calls the Washington, DC metro area home. Elizabeth obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2013 from Christian Brothers University and her Juris Doctor and Master of Public Health degrees in 2017 from the University of Memphis. Her professional work centers around public health law, privacy law related to health systems, administrative law, food and drug law, and various public health topics including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and tobacco research.  

As a comedienne, Elizabeth has performed at venues such as the Lincoln Theater in DC and the DC Improv, and headlined at the DC Comedy Loft, West Side Comedy Club, FunnyBone, and Mic Drop. She has worked with comedians such as DL Hughley, Atsuko Okatsuka, Chaunté Wayans, and Alok Vaid-Menon. When Elizabeth is not on stage, you can find her making witty and funny political commentary on Instagram and TikTok where she has amassed millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers. 

Social Media Handle: Bookersquared on all platforms 

X: Booker_Squared

Dr. Chris Pernell

Director, Center for Health Equity | NAACP

Dr. Chris T. Pernell is a dynamic physician leader and social change agent. In her practice, she focuses on health justice, community-based advocacy, and population-wide health promotion and disease prevention. A celebrated visionary and apostle of public health, Dr. Chris serves as the Director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity. The Center is charged with driving equitable health outcomes and transforming healthcare systems while valuing the whole person. Prior to joining the nation's oldest and most venerable civil rights organization, she launched The Esther Group, a public health consulting and health equity strategy firm. As founder of The Esther Group, she lives the mandate to dare a future where organizations, communities and systems can innovate for a better world and humanity.

Previously, she served as the first Chief Strategic Integration and Health Equity Officer at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. Dr. Pernell oversaw a portfolio which included Population Health, Strategic Planning, Community Affairs, and the Human Experience. Her office was responsible for leading health equity strategy development and integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism initiatives across all system operations.

Prior to joining University Hospital, she led the 1199SEIU/League Labor Management Initiatives (LMI) Workplace and Community Health Program. Working with 1199SEIU leaders and frontline workers—the nation's largest healthcare union—and executive partners across NYC healthcare institutions, her efforts centered on workplace health strategies, worker empowerment, health equity, and health system transformation.

Dr. Chris is a charismatic and leading voice in preventive medicine and public health. Singled out both for her business acumen and public health expertise, her list of honors include: ROI-NJ Top 150 Business Leaders; The Greenleaf Center Hall of Fame Servant-Leader; The New Jersey Public Health Association Dr. Ezra Mundy Hunt Award for distinctive leadership in the field; an NJBiz Best 50 Women in Business Award; a ROI-NJ Women in Business Influencer; The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) Ron Davis Special Recognition Award; an NJBiz Public Health Hero Award; and the NAACP NJ State Conference 100 Black People Who Changed the World Honoree.

Dr. Pernell has spearheaded issues such as criminal justice reform, care for justice-impacted populations, evidence-based wellness programs, civic health, and high-quality education. Known for her community work in the Greater Newark, New Jersey area, she serves on the Essex County Civilian Task Force as a medical expert. On Juneteenth 2023, she was tapped to join the New Jersey Reparations Council as a member of their health equity committee. Dr. Pernell is a frequent contributor across television, radio, and print media leveraging her lived experiences and insights as a public health physician and health equity champion. She regularly speaks at professional symposia and social forums and advises community, state, regional, and national leaders on health equity, racial justice, population health, community wellbeing, and faith-based initiatives.

Dr. Chris graduated cum laude from Princeton University before attending Duke University School of Medicine. She received her Master of Public Health from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and completed the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health General Preventive Medicine Residency. Dr. Pernell is a fellow and Regent-at-Large for the American College of Preventive Medicine. She holds an appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Previously, she taught as an adjunct associate professor at the NYU College of Global Public Health. She labors as a faith leader in a groundbreaking assembly, BET HaSHEM YHWH Worldwide Ministries, and travels domestically and overseas helping to transform lives through love, truth, creativity, and inspiration.