John Lewis (1940—2020) was an American politician and civil rights leader.
Kabir Sehgal is a
New York Times and
Wall Street Journal bestselling author of twelve books such as
Coined and
Jazzocracy. Among his works are six children's books that he has written with his mother such as
The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk and
A Bucket of Blessings. He is a contributor to CNBC, Fortune, and Harvard Business Review. A multi-GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Award winning producer, he has collaborated with artists such as Chucho Valdés, Arturo O'Farrill, Wynton Marsalis, Ted Nash, and Joey Alexander. Kabir is also a composer and musician who wrote an opera on the European debt crisis. Previously, he worked as a vice president at J.P. Morgan. He is a US Navy veteran and reserve officer who served on active duty with special operations in the Middle East. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the London School of Economics. He resides in New York City.
Arturo O'Farrill is a multi-GRAMMY award-winning pianist and composer. He is the founder and artistic director of the nonprofit Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and the Director of jazz studies at Brooklyn College. Born in Mexico, he grew up in New York City. He received his formal musical education at the Manhattan School of Music, Brooklyn College Conservatory, and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.
Douglas Brinkley is a
New York Times bestselling author and a professor of history at Rice University. He is the history commentator for CNN and a contributing editor to
Vanity Fair and
American Heritage magazines. Dubbed "America's new past master" by the
Chicago Tribune, Brinkley won the Benjamin Franklin Award for
The American Heritage History of the United States and the Theodore Roosevelt Naval History Prize for
Driven Patriot. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children.
Andrew Young earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a law degree at the Wake Forest University School of Law. He served as a volunteer for John Edwards’ winning campaign for US Senate. Hired in 1999, Young became Edwards’ longest serving and most trusted aide. He raised more than $10 million for the politician’s various causes and played a key role in Edwards’ efforts to become president of the United States. Now a private citizen, he lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and their three children.
Don Cheadle is an acclaimed actor who is known for the scene-stealing yet understated intensity of his performances. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Rwandan hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina in the historical drama Hotel Rwanda. Cheadle is also a dedicated activist committed to humanitarian causes, and continues to appear in major films and television.
