About Essence Festival Speakers 2009

Essence Festival

Friday, July 3

Saturday, July 4

Roland Martin
State of Black America II: Realizing the Dream is the follow-up to CNN political pundit & ESSENCE.com blogger Roland Martin's much talked about '08 seminar of the same name. A nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, Mr. Martin is the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith, and Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America.

Mr. Martin is a commentator for TV One Cable Network . He is also a CNN analyst, appearing on a variety of shows, including Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull, The Situation Room, Anderson Cooper 360, Lou Dobbs Tonight, and many others. In August 2007, he joined ESSENCE Magazine as a special correspondent, writing a bi-monthly column and a daily blog on ESSENCE.com. And in October 2008, joined the Tom Joyner Morning Show as senior analyst.




Donna Brazile
Veteran Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile is an adjunct professor, author, and syndicated columnist.

Ms. Brazile began her political career at the age of nine when she worked to support the campaign of a city council candidate who promised to build a playground in her neighborhood. Four decades and innumerable state and local campaigns later, she has worked on every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000, when she served as presidential campaign manager for former Vice President Al Gore.

Author of the best-selling autobiography Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics, Ms. Brazile is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland. In the media, she serves as a political contributor on CNN; consultant to ABC News; regularly appearing commentator on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos; and frequent contributor to NPR’s Political Corner. In print and online, she is a columnist for Roll Call and Ms.; and is a content contributor to BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Washingtonian named Ms. Brazile one of the “100 most powerful women” and ESSENCE named her one of the “top 50 women in America.” The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has bestowed upon her its award for political achievement.

Ms. Brazile dedicates herself to strengthening the American democratic process as chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Voting Rights Institute, established in 2001 to help protect and promote the rights of all American citizens to participate in the electoral process. Her passion is encouraging young people to vote, work within the system to strengthen it, and run for public office.

Former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco appointed Ms. Brazile, a Louisiana native, a member of the board of directors of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the guiding agency charged with leading the state’s rebuilding process in the aftermath of two catastrophic hurricanes.

Brazile is founder and managing director of Brazile & Associates LLC, a general consulting, grassroots advocacy, and training firm based in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.brazileassociates.com.


Malaak Compton-Rock
Malaak Compton-Rock began her career in the public relations and special event fields. Her professional life started in the entertainment industry, working for many years at the Terrie Williams Agency, where she contributed to many successful movie and record release campaigns and projects for clients including Eddie Murphy, The Essence Awards, and HBO.

Following a stint in the cosmetics industry, she found her true calling after accepting a position at the US Fund for UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund.) During her three years with the organization, she spearheaded and oversaw the Special Events and Celebrity Relations Department where she created and orchestrated numerous fundraising and advocacy events, geared towards increasing the organization’s visibility and promoting private sector and corporate giving. She managed the organization’s roster of celebrity
spokespersons, planning numerous international field trips for the spokespersons, coordinated all celebrity appearances at special events and with the media, and was instrumental in promoting their fundraising campaign
“Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.” She increased the organization’s celebrity support by recruiting celebrities who continue to support UNICEF including: Laurence Fishburne, Tea Leoni, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Claudia Schiffer. She continues to be an active supporter, having visited UNICEF-assisted projects with her family in South Africa and Kenya in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

While still at the US Fund for UNICEF, she made the life-changing decision to dedicate her life’s work to the non-profit world and chose to pursue her dream of starting her own a non-profit organization. After witnessing the sweeping changes in the welfare laws, combined with her love of individual style, she incorporated styleWORKS, an organization that provided comprehensive grooming services and image consulting to women moving from welfare to work. After seven years of offering direct services, styleWORKS now provides grooming seminars on a consultant basis only and continues to offer monthly mentoring and job retention-based services.

Compton-Rock is involved in many other humanitarian endeavors, including but not limited to, creating, chairing and managing Champions for Children Committee, a prestigious group of well-known individuals committed to raising awareness about the signs and prevention of child abuse through a partnership with Safe
Horizon, the nation's leading victim assistance organization. In 2007, the group received national attention in magazines including People, Redbook, Essence and O, The Oprah Magazine. The group continues to advocate on
behalf of this cause with a new 2008 public awareness campaign shot by legendary photographer Timothy White.

Compton-Rock is also committed to serving those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Working in conjunction with Bonita Street House of Hope in Houston, TX, she helps raise funds to continue placing families in permanent housing. In addition, she is a supporter of The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF,) committed to raising funds and awareness for CDF’s Freedom School location in the 9th Ward of New Orleans, which serves the area’s most disadvantaged children. She speaks regularly on behalf of Freedom Schools nationwide, hosts events, and fundraises for the cause.

Along with her husband, Compton-Rock partners with the international NGO Hope worldwide, providing educational funding, goods, and services for Diepsloot, a poverty-stricken shanty town in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Rock’s are currently working on a strategic plan to substantially expand their support by providing increased educational funding and quality of life assistance, including community gardens and micro-credit finance programs to hundreds of residents in Diepsloot and Soweto. In particular, they are committed to aiding
those living in granny-led and orphan-led households. Along with Hope worldwide and The Salvation Army, she is coordinating Journey for Change: Empowering Youth through Global Service, a program taking at-risk youth and mentors from Brooklyn to South Africa.

Recently, Compton-Rock ventured into new professional waters with Oprah’s Big Give, serving as a co-judge offering her insights, encouragement and critiques to contestants whose mission is to give back to society in creative and innovative ways.

Additionally, she is an avid public speaker who lectures on topics pertaining to renewing the inner spirit, philanthropic giving, finding balance in life, raising giving children in a global world, philanthropic cause-related marketing, and successfully blending a family and a professional life.

As a way to highlight the most important aspects of her career and to encourage others to give, Compton-Rock recently formed The Angelrock Project. The project serves as an umbrella organization to showcase her many endeavors, but more importantly as an e-village where people can find pertinent information on how to volunteer, advice on making monetary or in-kind donations, link to life-changing service organizations, read inspirational stories about people who spend their lives helping others, and shop for products that help sustain third-world artisans or raise money for non-profit organizations. A member of New York Women in Communications and The Cause Marketing Forum, Compton-Rock lives by her favorite Marian Wright Edelman quote “Service is the rent we pay for living.”


Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby is, by any standards, one of the most influential stars in America today. Whether it be through concert appearances or recordings, television or films, commercials or education, Bill Cosby has the ability to touch people's lives. His humor often centers on the basic cornerstones of our existence, seeking to provide an insight into our roles as parents, children, family members, and men and women. Without resorting to gimmickry or lowbrow humor, Bill Cosby's comedy has a point of reference and respect for the trappings and traditions of the great American humorists such as Charlie Chaplin, Will Rogers, W.C. Fields and Groucho Marx.

The 1984-92 run of The Cosby Show and his books Fatherhood and Time Flies established new benchmarks on how success is measured. His status at the top of the TVQ survey year after year continues to confirm his appeal as one of the most popular personalities in America. His lifelong contributions to American culture were recognized with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2002, America’s highest civilian honor.

The Cosby Show - The 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition, released by First Look Studios and Carsey-Werner, available in stores and online at www.billcosby.com. The DVD box set of the NBC television hit series is the complete collection of one of the most popular programs in the history of television, garnering 29 Emmy® nominations with six wins, six Golden Globe® nominations with three wins and ten People’s Choice Awards.

“The Cosby Show is a message for all time: the family and raising your children matters most,” said Bill Cosby. “Many people approach me and say that the show made them aware that there could be a better life out there for them. At the same time they say that the show still makes them laugh.”

The box set also includes an exclusive, all-new, never-before-seen interview with Bill Cosby, a 25th anniversary hard cover commemorative book, a tribute photo and personal letter from Bill Cosby, a photo gallery slide show, an interview with director Jay Sandrich, a blooper reel and “A Look Back Special.” Also, as an added bonus, with each purchase, fans can redeem two free music downloads and Cosby ringtones.

Come On, People! On the Path from Victims to Victors, written by Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and civil rights veteran, lay out their message of hope and empowerment in this New York Times best seller. Come On, People, published by Thomas Nelson, provides real-life examples of the problems plaguing communities throughout America and the time-tested solutions that can help turn things around. The audiobook is available online at www.billcosby.com and read by accomplished actress CCH Pounder, currently in the critically acclaimed FX series, The Shield.

Bill Cosby Presents The Cosnarati: State of Emergency, this rap album was made as a companion to Come On, People! All song story concepts are by Cosby and was assembled by his longtime musical collaborator Bill “Spaceman” Patterson with guest rappers providing the rhymes about the value of an education, respecting one’s self and ... giving (listeners) a chance to raise their self-esteem and confidence. Sold exclusively online at www.billcosby.com.

Cosby has touched the hearts of a new generation of young children with his Emmy Award winning Little Bill animated series, which aired daily on Nickelodeon and Saturday mornings on CBS. The show was based on Cosby's popular children's books. His interest in young people also spawned his best-selling book, Congratulations! Now What?, published by Hyperion. The book contains his amusing yet wise take on college life and what lies ahead for the new graduate in the real world.

Friends of a Feather: One of Life’s Little Fables, a HarperEntertainment book released in 2003, is a collaboration with his daughter, Erika, who did the Illustrations. It is a beautiful story that explores the theme of being true to yourself.

I Am What I Ate … and I’m frightened!!!, published by HarperCollins was released on September 21, 2004, was also on the New York Times Best Seller List. It offers a hip, humorous, hard-earned wisdom on the healthy lifestyle and the behavior behind it.

Fatherhood was launched appropriately enough on Father’s Day as an animated series on Nick at Nite.

Bill and Camille Cosby produced a live action/animated Fat Albert motion picture in 2004. A box office success, the movie introduced a new generation to the loveable character and his friends initially famous through the unforgettable Cosby comedy routines about them. The Fat Albert television show and feature now available on DVD.

He often neglected his studies for athletics and, after repeating the tenth grade; he left school to join the Navy. He finished high school via a correspondence course while still in the service. When he was discharged, he enrolled at Temple University with an athletic scholarship and earned academic honors. His goal was to become a physical education teacher. He probably could have made it as a professional football player, but the world is richer in laughter because he decided on show business.

As busy as he is with his many ventures, Cosby has been a crusader throughout his career for a better world and for better understanding between people. Besides his involvement with a host of charity organizations, Cosby is also an active trustee of his alma mater, Temple University of Philadelphia. As philanthropists, Bill and Camille Cosby have made substantial gifts in support of education (most notably to predominantly African American colleges) and to various social service and civil rights organizations.

In addition, Cosby earned a Masters Degree in Education (M. Ed.) in 1972 and his Doctorate in Education (Ed. D.) in 1977 from the University of Massachusetts. His doctoral thesis was titled "The Integration of Visual Media Via Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Into the Elementary Schools Culminating as a Teacher Aid to Achieve Increased Learning."

Cosby's been busy raising a family, too. He married the former Camille Hanks on January 25, 1964, while she was still a student at the University of Maryland. They raised four daughters (Erika, Erinn, Ensa and Evin) and one son (Ennis Cosby) and now have three grandchildren. The family resides in New England.

When speaking of Camille, Cosby has urged an amendment to the saying, "Behind every good man there's a good woman." He suggests that "behind" should be substituted by "Three miles ahead." Camille has not only raised five children, but has also been totally involved in her husband's career. She produced his last album and has taped several concerts over the years. She has received her doctorate in education and plays an active role in a number of important national organizations.

Camille enjoyed great success adapting the best-selling book Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years. First she produced the property as a Broadway play and then as a television movie. The play was nominated for three Tony Awards and the television film won a Peabody Award. Camille also produced a one-hour sociological documentary film No Dreams Deferred, which aired on over 150 public television stations. When Oprah Winfrey debuted her new magazine in April 2000, she chose Camille Cosby as her very first interview.


George C. Fraser
George C. Fraser is Chairman & CEO of FraserNet, Inc. He is considered by many to be the new voice for African-Americans and one of the foremost authorities on networking and building effective relationships.

Mr. Fraser is the author of two books: Success Runs In Our Race; The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African American Community (a critically acclaimed bestseller) and Race For Success; The Ten Best Business Opportunities for Blacks In America (selected as one of ten best business books of the year by Booklist). Both were published by the William Morrow Company.

Mr. Fraser is also the publisher of the award-winning SuccessGuide Worldwide: The Networking Guide to Black Resources. He is the founder of the annual PowerNetworking Conference, the largest gathering of Black professionals, business owners and community leaders.

A popular speaker and author, George C. Fraser’s inspiring talks on success principles, effective networking, wealth creation, business ethics, and valuing diversity, are as popular among corporate professionals as they are among college students. His views have been solicited by CNN and the Wall Street Journal. Over the past decade, the prestigious publication, Vital Speeches of the Day, has selected, reprinted and distributed worldwide, four of Mr. Fraser’s speeches--a first for any professional speaker in America.

UPSCALE magazine named him one of the “Top 50 power brokers in Black America”. Black Enterprise called him “Black America’s #1 Networker” on a cover issue. Personal growth “guru” Stephen Covey called Mr. Fraser a “masterful teacher.” TV host and journalist, Tony Brown called him a “visionary with the rare combination of leadership and management skills.” Mr. Fraser is featured in the New York Times bestseller, Masters of Networking, along with Colin Powell.

Mr. Fraser attended New York University and received his executive training at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters from Jarvis Christian College. Mr. Fraser has been married to Nora Jean for over 30 years. They have two sons, Kyle and Scott.


Carla Harris
Carla Harris is a Managing Director in the Strategic Client Group at Morgan Stanley Investment Management providing investment advice to Corporations, Public Pension Plans, Foundations and Endowments. She also heads the Emerging Managers Platform. She formerly headed the equity capital markets effort for the Consumer and Retail industries and was responsible for Equity Private Placements. Ms. Harris has extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors.

For more than a decade, Ms. Harris was a senior member of the Equity Syndicate desk and executed such transactions as initial public offerings for UPS, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Ariba, Redback, the General Motors sub-IPO of Delphi Automotive, and the $3.2 Billion common stock transaction for Immunex Corporation, the largest biotechnology follow on offering in U.S. history. Ms. Harris was recently named to Fortune magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America”, and to Fortune’s the “Most Influential List” 2005, to Black Enterprise magazine’s “Top 50 African Americans on Wall Street”, to ESSENCE magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who are Shaping the World”, Ebony’s list of “15 Corporate Women at The Top”, the Network Journal’s 2005 list of “25 Most Outstanding Women in Business” and was named “Woman of the Year 2004” by the Harvard University Black Men’s Forum.

Ms. Harris began her career with Morgan Stanley in the Mergers & Acquisitions department in 1987. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Carla received from Harvard Business School an MBA, Second Year Honors and an AB in economics from Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude.

Carla Harris is actively involved in her community and heartily believes that “we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to someone else.” As a result, Carla has funded the Carla Harris Scholarship Fund at Harvard University and at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida. She is the Chair of the Board of The New York City Food Bank, Food for Survival, and the Morgan Stanley Foundation and sits on the boards of The Executive Leadership Council, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), A Better Chance, Inc., The Apollo Theater Foundation, Mt. Sinai Hospital, the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, and is an active member of the St. Charles Gospelites of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Ms. Harris is also on the board of the Maya Angelou Research for Minority Health and was a member of the Board of Overseers’ Committee on University Resources, Harvard University. She has received the Bert King Award from the Harvard Business School African American Alumni Association, the 2005 Women’s Professional Achievement Award from Harvard University, the Pierre Toussaint Medallion from the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York, the Women of Power Award given by the National Urban League, the Bill and Camille Cosby Award given by Associated Black Charities, the NASP New York’s Wall Street Hall of Fame Award, Blazing New Trails award from the Robert A. Toigo Foundation, the Bethune Award from the National Council of Negro Women, the Ron Brown Trailblazer Award from St. John’s University School of Law, the Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Greater Essex and Hudson Counties, and the Frederick Douglass Award given by the New York Urban League. In her other life, Carla is a singer, and has released her second CD, a gospel album entitled, Joy is Waiting, which has been featured on BET Nightly News. Her first CD entitled, “Carla’s First Christmas”, was a bestseller on Amazon.com in New York and in record stores, and was featured on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather in his “American Dream” segment.


Ed Gordon
Hard-hitting, inspiring, intelligent, honest, and direct. These are some of the words used to describe the style and approach of Emmy award-winning broadcaster Ed Gordon. Known for his stellar interaction with newsmakers from the worlds of politics, entertainment, and sports his name is synonymous with the “big” interview. Gordon’s knack for landing exclusives and his no-nonsense style make him one of television’s most respected journalists. Now, as host of Our World with Black Enterprise, Gordon gets to display all aspects of his interviewing expertise. The weekly 30-minute program is a mix of one-on-one headline interviews with today’s top newsmakers and celebrities, an eclectic roundtable discussion and profiles of some of the world’s most intriguing people. This latest assignment just adds to the list of impressive positions Gordon has held over the years, including contributing correspondent for the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes II and contributor for NBC’s Today Show and Dateline. Mr. Gordon’s diverse style also makes him one of the most versatile people in broadcasting. He also hosted News and Notes with Ed Gordon, which aired on National Public Radio.

Gordon distinguished himself during two stints at BET. He had many roles at the network including host of BET Tonight, anchor of BET News, and creator of his signature one-on-one series Conversation with Ed Gordon. Over the years, Gordon has covered many of the world’s most defining events. From the historic 2008 Presidential campaign to the freedom of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela to the beating of Rodney King to upheaval in Haiti and Cuba he provided comprehensive coverage. Mr. Gordon also provided up-to-the-minute reports on many other domestic and international affairs, including the tragic September 11th attack on America.

Some of Mr. Gordon’s other notable works that have garnered the admiration and respect of viewers and colleagues include:

• The infamous O.J. Simpson interview
• An exclusive interview with pop superstar Janet Jackson about her secret marriage and painful divorce
• No holds barred, headline making interviews with controversial Senator Trent Lott and embattled singer R. Kelly

Gordon’s impressive portfolio also includes conversations with newsmakers the likes of President-Elect Barack Obama to television mogul Oprah Winfrey, President Bill Clinton, Academy Award winners Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry, as well as Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan.

His 3-year period at NBC was just as impressive. A contributor to the Today Show and Dateline NBC, Ed Gordon brought viewers face-to-face with many controversial figures, bringing their stories to light. Most notably was his exclusive interview with Autumn Jackson who unsuccessfully waged an explosive patrimony suit against comedian Bill Cosby.

Gordon also covered many of the days top stories at NBC’s sister cable network MSNBC. He won praise for his coverage of breaking news events including the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal and the crash of Swiss Air flight 111. Mr. Gordon started his broadcasting career in the early 1980’s at the PBS affiliate in Detroit.

In addition to an Emmy, Gordon is the recipient of many other awards recognizing his talent and professionalism. His awards include the NAACP Image Award, as well as the prestigious Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. He has also been featured in many national newspapers and periodicals. The Los Angeles Times described Mr. Gordon and his interviewing style, as “forthright and commanding” Gordon is an alumnus of a special list, PEOPLE magazine named him one of its 50 most beautiful people.

Gordon is also president of the Gordon Media Group, a multi-service production company. The Detroit-born Gordon earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications and Political Science from Western Michigan University.


Tom Joyner
Tom Joyner is one of the most influential, inspirational, and dynamic media personalities in the country today. A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, Joyner is so much more than a radio personality: He’s an entrepreneur, an entertainer and a philanthropist. He is founder of REACH Media Inc., the Tom Joyner Foundation, BlackAmericaWeb.com, and host of the leading nationally syndicated morning radio show, Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Joyner, known as ‘The Hardest Working Man in Radio’, has distinguished himself as one of the most recognized and revered media personalities in the country. He has won virtually every top radio award including the prestigious “Marconi Award” and the nation’s leading network/syndicated personality in the country and is also a 1999 Radio Hall of Fame inductee. The International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) chose him for one of their highest honors, acknowledging his work with Black colleges, and Broadcasting & Cable Magazine inducted him into its Hall of Fame. Joyner continues to receive accolades from his peers receiving the Urban Radio Legends Award at the I Rock The Mic Radio Conference this past winter.

Joyner has become a motivating and organizing force for the country. Throughout the year, his top-rated syndicated radio morning show features a who’s who in celebrities, political figures, newsmakers and comedians.

He has led voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, major fundraising initiatives to help families and students affected by Hurricane Katrina. He and members of his crew also have prompted major companies to stop discriminating against African-Americans and Hispanics in advertising and are in the trenches in raising health awareness among African-Americans with its annual ‘Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day’. His ongoing community efforts prompted the National Education Association to present Joyner its top award and this coming spring he will receive the highest honor from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. But Joyner doesn’t stop there.

His Tom Joyner Foundation, a charitable 501c3 non-profit organization, was started in 1998 for the sake of African-American students in need at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the nation. The foundation has raised more than $55 million to date for this single cause.

The four-time Billboard magazine award winner created BlackAmericaWeb.com in June 2001 to encourage interaction between African-Americans and as an easy-to-use, comprehensive source of information on the African-American experience. The site’s main purpose is to mobilize the African-American community by ‘super serving’ his audience with timely and relevant information and producing a wide variety of entertaining events.

A graduate of Tuskegee (Institute) University, Joyner began his broadcasting career in Montgomery, Alabama, at WRMA-AM immediately after graduation. With a bachelor’s of science in sociology in hand, he ventured into several other markets, including WLOK-AM in Memphis; KWK-AM in St. Louis; KKDA-FM in Dallas; and four different stations in Chicago.

In the mid-1980’s Joyner made his claim to fame when he accepted simultaneous positions as “morning drive man’ at Dallas’ KKDA and “afternoon drive man” at Chicago’s WGCI. Flying everyday between the two cities to work eventually earned him national recognition, the name “Fly Jock,” seven million frequent flyer miles, syndication and undoubtedly the largest audience of any urban radio program. He’s also the author of “I’m Just a DJ But … It All Makes Sense to Me” (Warner Books), an entertaining memoir who shares insightful stories, wry humor and his unique brand of advice on work ethics, being successful, the advertising community and black colleges.

Joyner’s success as a radio personality and philanthropist continues to earn him several awards and honors. He many honors include four Billboard magazine’s Best Urban Contemporary Air Personality awards and Impact magazine’s Joe Loris Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Joyner has received the Hubert Humphrey Award from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the prestigious “Good Samaritan” Award from the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation. He has won an Essence Award and was named Impact’s Best DJ of the Year so many times that this honor has been renamed the Tom Joyner Award. Other past notable honors include the Congressional Black Caucus’ Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award, 100 Black Men’s Man of the Year award, the NAACP’s President’s Award, and the Harold Washington Award for his tireless efforts in the Census 2002 campaign. Most recently Joyner was honored at the 2008 Trumpet Awards and was inducted into the Civil Rights Hall of Fame for the community.

This national pacesetter resides in Dallas with his wife, fitness guru Donna Richardson, who is the fitness expert. Joyner has two sons, Thomas Jr., who is the chief executive officer of the Tom Joyner Foundation, and Oscar, who is the president and chief operating officer of REACH Media, Inc.


Donnie McClurkin
As one of the most prominent figures on the contemporary gospel scene, Donnie McClurkin understands the transformative power of music. For McClurkin, gospel music has provided a sonic pulpit from which to preach and teach his spiritual beliefs. He told ESSENCE magazine, "Through my music, I stress that what's important is your relationship with God. It's not about how often you go to church." It is with this belief that the singer, songwriter, and minister has made some of the most influential music of his generation.

Although he was raised within a religious family, McClurkin's strong commitment to the church is also connected to his troubled childhood. Donnie McClurkin was born in Long Island, New York, on November 9, 1959, to Frances and Donald McClurkin Sr., who had nine other children. McClurkin sought emotional and spiritual refuge in the Amityville Gospel Tabernacle after being sexually abused by a family member at a young age. He became a devoted member, and found that the church helped him deal with his traumatic experience.


Judge Penny Reynolds
Bringing an authentic new voice to daytime television, and an inspiring new perspective to the court genre, the honorable Penny Brown Reynolds presides over the freshmen court series, Family Court with Judge Penny, drawing on her legal and personal background to address the conflicts faced by families in America. This judge, author, entrepreneur, ordained minister, preacher, scholar, and theologian provides a straightforward and relevant message and is America’s newest provocative intellectual on issues including politics, justice, religion, as well as pop culture.

As one of four daughters raised by a single mother in the South, Judge Penny’s life of hardship and poverty has proven to be a success story like no other as her life epitomizes the realization of the American dream. Judge Penny was taught by her deceased mother, Deforest Brown, that education was her only way out of oppression and with that incredible lesson itched in the deep recesses of her consciousness, Judge Penny has achieved both professional and academic success.

Judge Penny achieved a distinguished position in Georgia’s history as the first African-American to hold the position of Executive Counsel, making her the first black to serve as a lawyer for a Governor in the Southeast. Both Ebony and Jet magazines recognized her for this historic accomplishment.

Judge Penny is a former prosecutor, state Assistant Attorney General, first African-American Chief of Staff and legal counsel to Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor and served for eight years as a trial court judge in Atlanta, Georgia; again making history for never being reversed by an appellant court on any criminal decision.

Judge Penny Brown Reynolds received her Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, from Georgia State University, a Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University College of Law and a Masters Degree in Theology from the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

She is the author of Women and the Law: A Guide to Women’s Legal Rights in Georgia and has several published articles.

Judge Penny says her success can only be attributed to her unwavering faith in God and never allowing herself to be called a victim. She recently launched The Judge Penny Brown Reynolds Foundation, Inc., with the mission of restoring families in America.

Judge Penny serves as co-owner, Executive Producer and star of the Family Court with Judge Penny, a nationally syndicated television show. She is President and CEO of Divine Destiny Productions, LLC and serves as Associate Minister of Midway Missionary Baptist Church in College Park, Georgia. Judge Penny is married to the Reverend Edward S. Reynolds and they are the proud parents of two grown sons and one granddaughter, Pelly Mare.


Rev. Al Sharpton
He's been an advocate for social justice for many years providing a voice to causes and issues that matter to us. Hear from Rev. Al Sharpton at the Festival Empowerment stage.










Steve Stoute
Steve Stoute, founder and chief creative officer of Translation Consultation + Brand Imaging, is the driving force behind one of the leading and most influential brand marketing firms in the industry. The mastermind behind innovative promotions between Fortune 500 companies and superstar celebrities in music, sports, fashion and entertainment has led Translation to unprecedented growth and expansion.

Mr. Stoute’s remarkable ability to create and implement pioneering marketing concepts that establish an authentic connection between an artist and product is the key to his success. His proven track record as both a music label executive and consumer brand marketer has placed him at the forefront of today’s popular culture, with unique access to the trend-setting urban youth market. As a result, Mr. Stoute has become a virtual hit-maker for many global consumer brands seeking to reach a broader audience, and his groundbreaking campaigns have labeled him the trailblazer of the entertainment marketing field. Among his clients are such worldwide marketers as McDonald’s, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., Samsung and General Motors to name just a few.

Before forming Translation in 2003, Mr. Stoute partnered with the legendary Madison Avenue guru Peter Arnell to establish PASS, a Manhattan-based marketing and advertising firm. At PASS, Mr. Stoute conceptualized the silver bullet brand rbk, through which he brokered the enormously successful S. Carter Collection by rbk. As part of a long-term strategic alignment with pop culture on behalf of his client McDonald’s, Mr. Stoute positioned Justin Timberlake as the embodiment of the “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign. Based upon these successes, Mr. Stoute reinvested his assets and talents into opening his own marketing firm, Translation Consultation + Brand Imaging. Translation generated strategic partnerships between high-profile artists and blue-chip marketers for many products, including Hewlett-Packard’s Harajuku Lovers digital camera with Gwen Stefani, Tommy Hilfiger’s True Star fragrance for women with Beyonce, and Chris Brown with the re-launch of Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum campaign.

In October 2007, Mr. Stoute partnered Translation Consultation + Brand Imaging with The Interpublic Group, the third-largest agency company in the world. In 2008, Mr. Stoute and Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z) co-founded Translation Advertising, the advertising division of Translation Consultation + Brand Imaging. Translation Advertising will offer creative advertising services to its clients and allow them to reach the still elusive multicultural consumer.

From 1990 to 1999, Mr. Stoute was a top executive at several leading labels in the music industry. At Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Mr. Stoute served as president of the Urban Music division and executive vice president, producing best-selling albums from U2, Eve and Limp Bizkit, as well as Eminem’s debut album, “The Slim Shady LP.” Prior to joining Interscope, Mr. Stoute was president of Urban Music for Sony Music Entertainment, where he was responsible for launching the music careers of Mariah Carey, Will Smith and Nas. He has also produced several major motion picture soundtracks, such as Wild Wild West for which he received an American Music Award.

Mr. Stoute has also contributed his impressive skills and expertise to a variety of civic causes. He played a key role in the development of minority recruitment campaigns for both the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) and the New York City Police Department. For his work on the “Heroes Wanted” campaign, Mr. Stoute received the 2004 Humanitarian Award from the FDNY. In 2003, Mr. Stoute served as the co-chairman of the New York City Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit program offering minority children an opportunity to experience life outside the confines of the inner city. Most recently, Mr. Stoute is co-founder of FFAWN (Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now) with Mary J. Blige. He serves on the Board of Directors to achieve FFAWN’s mission to educate, and empower women through scholarships, grants and career development opportunities.

Sunday, July 6

Bishop T.D. Jakes
Bishop T.D. Jakes IS A QUINTESSENTIAL LEADER. Known for his service to the church and the global community, his heartfelt efforts have made worldwide impact. This year Essence will hold an All Star Tribute to Bishop T.D. Jakes that will be the spiritual event of the year!