It’s happening: After two years of pandemic madness, we thought it was time we began to bring people together again. On Tuesday in Washington DC, that desire will come to fruition. For the first-time ever, The Root will be hosting a two-day summit in Washington DC on September 13 and 14, all about setting the agenda for Black America’s future.
The third-annual Root Institute, which has been produced virtually the last two years, will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library auditorium space. It will provide a much-needed forum where our community can question the status quo, discern where the truth resides, and share alternative points of view that hew much more closely to reality than most mainstream conversations would have us believe.
The Root Institute exists not only to pose the right questions, but to also offer tangible solutions that can improve our community. Topics will range from health and wealth equity, to cultural and political policy-making, to opportunities around tech, the arts, criminal justice, and so much more.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Stacey Abrams, Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, lawyer, non-profit founder, and producer
- Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President of Repairers of the Breach, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, professor, pastor, and author
- Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney, law school professor, and Legal Aid Society board member
- Aisha N. Braveboy, State’s Attorney for Maryland’s Prince George’s County
- LaTosha Brown, Co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, founder of Saving OurSelves Coalition, singer, and songwriter
- Melanie Campbell, President/CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
- Darcel Clark, 13th District Attorney for Bronx County and co-chair of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence
- Misty Copeland, Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, author, activist, and producer
- Ben Crump, acclaimed civil rights lawyer, author, and President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association
- Brittnay Packnett Cunningham, VP of Social Impact at BET, NBC News and MSNBC contributor, and podcast host of Undistracted
- Sabrina Greenlee, inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, author, and domestic violence survivor and the mother of football star DeAndre Hopkins
- Dr. Ashish Jha, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator
- Dr. David J. Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition
- Tamika Mallory, Co-founder of Until Freedom, Co-chair of the Women’s March, author, and podcast host
- Melonie Parker, Chief Diversity Officer of Google
- Cecilia Elena Rouse, the 30th Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and Biden’s chief economist.
- Dr. Robin L. Smith, psychologist, author, minister, and radio host
- Courtney B. Vance, award-winning stage and screen actor, president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and co-owner of Bassett Vance Productions
We invite you to join us on September 13 and 14 as we amplify our voices for the betterment of all.
For more information and registration, visit: