Meet The Speakers

Dr. Annie McDaniel Abrams

Dr. Annie McDaniel Abrams

Civil Rights Activist, World Reknown Mentor and Community Leader

Dr. Annie Abrams is a living witness to the Civil Rights movement and a Civil Rights icon. She  is a mentor, retired educator and a political, social, civic, and community activist. She took an active role in community issues and became involved with the desegregation of Central High School in 1957.  She was also instrumental in renaming Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Little Rock and coordinating the first observance of the King Holiday in 1986 on the state capitol steps.  


Honorable Dr. Alma S. Adams

Honorable Dr. Alma S. Adams

US Congresswoman

Dr. Alma S. Adams was elected to her fourth full term representing the 12th Congressional District of North Carolina on November 3, 2020. After winning a special election in November 2014, Congresswoman Adams was sworn in immediately as the 100th woman elected to the 113th Congress.



Evangelist Tiffany Andrews

Evangelist Tiffany Andrews

Singer


Evangelist Tiffany Andrews was destined for greatness from the day she was born, on March 30, 1983. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, she started singing at the tender age of four. Evangelist Tiffany Andrews has performed with and shared platforms with some of the greatest gospel artists in the gospel industry today. Some of the artists that she has shared platforms with are as follows: Revival Temple Mass Choir under the leadership of Bishop Jeff Banks, Elder Jason Hendrickson, Vashawn Mitchell, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Bishop Noel Jones, Evangelist Monique Walker-Davenport, The Late Bishop Timothy Wright and New York Fellowship Mass Choir, J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise. Evangelist Tiffany Andrews was one of the contestants on the television show “Sunday Best” this past season.

 Knowing all too well, what it’s like to be abused and misused Evangelist Andrews ministry is geared toward the rejected, broken-hearted, abused and the unbeliever. Her desire is to be a vessel that God can use at anytime and anywhere. Tiffany wowed the audience with her voice and a story of losing her mother at a young age and how she overcame some of the struggle she endured and how she is driven to be humble and help others.


Ayo and Teo Bowles

Ayo and Teo Bowles

Youth Dance and Internet Sensations

Ayo and Teo have worked with many of today’s influential artists such as Lil Yachty, Childish Gambino, Chris Brown and more.  As well as dancing, the two became fascinated by music and Ayo taught himself how to play piano, drums, and the trombone. After finishing high school, Ayo went on to attend Washtenaw Community College. The two uploaded their first YouTube video on November 6, 2014 of themselves dancing at their High School's talent show, which got more than 1 million views. American sibling duo Ayo & Teo scored a viral hit in 2017 with their single "Rolex." Born Ayleo and Mateo Bowles in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the pair grew up with the sounds of Michael Jackson, Usher, Missy Elliot, and Chris Brown. They honed their dancing skills in elementary school, later establishing a popular social media page that issued viral dance challenges. "Rolex" happened to be one of these hits, eventually racking up over 619 million views on YouTube and storming the Billboard Hot 100. Wearing their trademark bear facemasks, they issued their first single, "In Reverse," in 2016. They danced in Usher's video for "No Limit" and at the 2016 BET Awards, later signing with Columbia Records. "Lit Right Now" arrived in early 2017, but was soon eclipsed by the infectious anthem "Rolex," which echoed similar trap-influenced pop hits like Migos' "Bad and Boujee," Rae Sremmurd's "Black Beatles," and D.R.A.M.'s "Broccoli." In 2018, Ayo & Teo returned with the BL$$D-produced single "Hold My Sauce."


Eric Braeden

Eric Braeden

Legendary Star of Daytime's Longest Running Daytime Series, "The Young and The Restless"

"Everyone has a story"

In two decades of playing the magnetic, urbane and overwhelmingly charming Victor Newman, Eric Braeden has become daytime's most recognizable hero. The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. hosted the Emmy-Award winning actor and legendary star of daytime television’s “The Young and the Restless.” Thousands listened as Mr. Braeden tearfully shared his story as a German immigrant coming to the United States at 14.

Mr. Braeden emphasized that everyone has a story and spoke about how he admired the Civil Rights movement and Dr. King’s legacy and life.


Honorable Judge Wiley Branton

Honorable Judge Wiley Branton

Southeast Arkansas Black History Program in partnership with City of Pine Bluff

Judge Branton is the son of the late Wiley A. Branton, Sr., a distinguished Pine Bluff native, civil rights attorney and former Dean of the Howard University School of Law. Judge Branton was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1951, while his father was one of the first black students to graduate from law school at the University of Arkansas. Judge Branton was six years old when the Little Rock Central High School crisis erupted in 1957, with his father serving as the lead counsel for the black plaintiffs in the case that became known as Cooper v. Aaron.

In June 1993, Wiley A. Branton, Jr. was appointed to serve as a Pulaski County Circuit/Chancery Judge for the Sixth Judicial District. Judge Branton is one of three judges in the Sixth Judicial District who hears juvenile cases. Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he received a B.A. Degree in Political Science in 1973. He he received a Juris Doctor, in 1976 from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C.

Judge Branton has served as a board Member of the Arkansas Coalition of Juvenile Justice and the Arkansas Disproportionate Minority Contract Committee. He has also served as Arkansas’ representative to the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice since 2008.



Jonathan “Jon B” Buck

Jonathan “Jon B” Buck

American singer, songwriter, and record producer

Jon B. is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Grammy nominated consummate artist, an accomplished musician and noted songwriter and producer with several gold and platinum records under his belt.


Cree Campbell

Cree Campbell

Entrepreneur

Cree Campbell was born in California, USA. She was born on 11 November 1990. She is a professional entrepreneur, singer, songwriter, and actress.


Sarah  Collins Rudolph

Sarah Collins Rudolph

"The Fifth Girl"

For more than a decade, Sarah Collins Rudolph, one of the victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, has traveled the country telling her story.

Rudolph was 12 years old when dynamite planted by members of the Ku Klux Klan inside of the 16th Street Baptist Church exploded on Sept. 15, 1963. The blast blew glass and shrapnel at her face, leaving her blind in one eye, and killed her sister Addie Mae Collins and their friends Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair.

Collins Rudolph had glass fragments in her chest, left eye and abdomen for decades after the explosion.



Dr. Christopher  Davis

Dr. Christopher Davis

"Emerging Voice in Theology"

Reverend Davis is numbered as one of the emerging transformative voices committed to preaching a theology that informs sociology. For nearly 20 years, Dr. Davis has made it his mission to take God’s Word to a hurting and lost generation, as he follows his God-given mandate to “Build Believers to Build the Kingdom”

As senior pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church since 2000, Dr. Davis leads one of the most vibrant churches in Memphis. In the last ten years, the 135-year-old church has grown from approximately 200 members to over 1500. Due to this tremendous growth, Dr. Davis led the congregation in acquiring its current 14-acre campus.

A native of Proctor, Arkansas, Dr. Davis was called at the age of twenty-one to preach God’s Word. He was licensed in the gospel ministry in 1994, and subsequently ordained in 1996.  He graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees from both the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Baptist College. He earned the Master of Arts in Religion degree (Cum Laude) from Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. In June 2007, Rev. Davis received his Doctorate of Ministry degree with special emphasis on Preaching and Leadership from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. In 1998, he was awarded the honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Arkansas Baptist College.

Dr. Davis has received numerous awards and recognition. Because of pastoral achievement, preaching ability and other ministry accomplishments, he was named one of the “20 to Watch” by The African American Pulpit Journal for 2008. This list is announced every three years and clergy throughout the country are nominated. Dr. Davis has been inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers and Collegium of Scholars of Morehouse College. His sermons, Deliverance Brought by Death and Living on the Left Side of God have been published in the African American Pulpit. Dr. Davis also served as a member of the advisory board of The African American Pulpit.

Dr. Davis was a contributor to The African American Lectionary, a collaborative project with the Kelly Miller Smith Institute of the Divinity School, Vanderbilt University. This resource is an online, ecumenical preaching and worship lectionary. He was also a contributor to I’m Challenged: Daily Meditations for Christian Living,



Honorable Danny K. Davis

Honorable Danny K. Davis

US Congressman

Danny K. Davis was chosen by the people of the 7th Congressional District of Illinois as their Representative in Congress on November 5, 1996. He has been re-elected by large majorities to succeeding Congresses.


Mr. Daryl Davis

Mr. Daryl Davis

"A Friend of the Ku Klux Klan"

You could say musician, author, lecturer, actor and race relations expert, Daryl Davis plays with fire, and that's more fact than fiction! As a musician, Daryl lit up the stage with  his crowd with his burnin' Boogie-Woogie piano. As a lecturer Mr. Davis  provided a thrilling, first-person account of a Black man's journey into the mindset of the Ku Klux Klan and discussed how several Klan members turned over their robes because of Mr. Davis’ influence.


Raheem DeVaughn

Raheem DeVaughn

R&B Singer

DeVaughn was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards for the single "Woman". His third album The Love & War MasterPeace was released in 2010. A Place Called Love Land, his fourth album, was released in 2013. In 2015, he had released his fifth album, Love Sex Passion. DeVaughn released his sixth album Decade of a Love King on October 19, 2018. On June 28, 2019, DeVaughn released The Love Reunion, his seventh studio album, featuring the lead single, "Just Right".



Dr. Jocelyn  Elders

Dr. Jocelyn Elders

"Changing the face of medicine"

Dr. Joycelyn Elders is an American pediatrician and public health administrator. She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the first African American appointed as Surgeon General of the United States. 


Vivica A. Fox

Vivica A. Fox

Award-Winning Actress, Producer

Vivica Anjanetta Fox is an American actress, producer and television host. Fox began her career on Soul Train in (1983–1984). Then she eventually continued her career with roles on the daytime television soap operas Days of Our Lives (1988) and Generations (1989–1991), subsequently shifting to the prime-time slot starring opposite Patti LaBelle, in the NBC sitcom Out All Night (1992–1993). Fox's breakthrough came in 1996, with roles in two box-office hit films, Roland Emmerich's Independence Day and F. Gary Gray's Set It Off.

Fox subsequently has starred in films Booty Call (1997), Soul Food (1997), Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998), Kingdom Come (2001), Two Can Play That Game (2001), and Boat Trip (2002). Fox played Vernita Green in Kill Bill, and played supporting parts in films like Ella Enchanted (2004). Fox had the leading roles in the short-lived Fox sitcom Getting Personal (1998), and CBS medical drama City of Angels (2000). From 2003 to 2006, she co-starred in and produced the Lifetime crime drama series, Missing, for which she received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.


Arun Manilal Gandhi

Arun Manilal Gandhi

Grandson of Mohandas Gandhi, Champion of Nonviolence

GANDHI.  Few names in world history evoke such powerful images of integrity, courage, social harmony, and perhaps most of all - hope.  Arun Gandhi is a cultural treasure, offering

Firsthand insights into one of history’s most influential leaders.

Arun Gandhi carries within himself the same guiding principles as his grandfather, the legendary peace-maker and spiritual leader, Mohandas K. Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi.

Growing up in apartheid South Africa as a person of Indian heritage meant racial confrontations with both blacks and whites. As a young boy, Gandhi was beaten up by black youths for not being black and by white youths because he was not white. Filled with rage and plotting to avenge his beatings, he subscribed to Charles Atlas bodybuilding magazines so he would have the strength to fight back. When his parents discovered the reason for their 12-year-old

son’s sudden fascination with exercise, they decided that a visit to his grandfather in India was in order. What followed was an 18-month stay with one of the world’s great leaders that would give him the keys to the powerful philosophy of nonviolence, and help shape the foundation for his life’s work. It was a dangerous and exciting time, as Mahatma Gandhi was leading the people of India in their revolutionary, nonviolent struggle for independence from British rule.

 After leading successful projects for economic and social reform in India, Arun Gandhi came to the United States in 1987 to complete research for a comparative study on racism in America. In 1991, Gandhi and his late wife, Sunanda, founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, which is now headquartered at the University of Rochester,New York. The Institute’s mission is to foster understanding of nonviolence and how to put that philosophy to practical use through workshops, lectures, and community outreach programs.

 In 2007 Arun started the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute to build educational and training centers for children living in extreme poverty and being exploited by society. In 2013 Arun was invited to be on the Board of Legacy of Hope – Nelson Mandela's Children's Hospitals in Africa.

A speaker of international acclaim, Gandhi has spoken before hundreds of colleges and universities, and corporate and civic organizations. His unique talents and cross-cultural experiences have brought him before governmental, social, and educational audiences in countries all over the world. 


Tawanna Gordon

Tawanna Gordon

A cousin of the late Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American woman, was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment on March 13, 2020.


Louis Gossett Jr.

Louis Gossett Jr.

Oscar-winning Actor

Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, winning him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also won an Emmy Award for his role as Fiddler in the 1977 ABC television miniseries Roots.


Pooch  Hall

Pooch Hall

Actor, Model

Pooch Hall was born on February 8th 1976 in Brockton, Massachusetts. There he played football, ran track and boxed. Pooch won the Southern New England golden gloves in 1994. He started acting at the age of 21. He started in commercials and then made his debut in the film Lift (2001). He played Derrick, a shoplifter. Pooch was in several movies,including the hit film Black Cloud (2004) written and directed by Rick Schroder. His latest acting role is playing Ty'ree Bailey in the new mini series based on the book, Miracle's Boys (2005).

Pooch Hall presented at the 2022 Nonviolence Youth Summit, April 4, 2022


Howard Hewett

Howard Hewett

Legendary R&B Singer, Former Lead Singer of the hit group, Shalamar

Raised in Akron, Ohio, Hewett moved to Los Angeles in 1976, where he met John and Alonzo Daniels, owners of an historical club in the LA Crenshaw district, called Maverick's Flat. It was at Maverick's that Hewett first met Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley (eventually Shalamar). Hewett and the Daniels brothers formed a show group called "Beverly Hills" and through Daniels bookings toured throughout Europe, the UK, Scandinavia and Asia for all of 1977 till the middle of 1978. After returning from overseas, Hewett started recording for Jeffrey Bowen, a Motown producer (The Temptations, Commodores, Bonnie Pointer) who was working on a solo project on guitarist Eddie Hazel (Parliament-Funkadelic). Hewett never completed the project because towards the end of 1978, he got a call from Jeffrey Daniel, who was on the road with Shalamar in the middle of a promotional tour. They had suddenly found themselves in need of a lead singer and Daniel made Hewett an offer that he accepted. Within three days Hewett flew to New Jersey, where he met up with Watley and Daniel, rehearsed the lip synch and choreography to the current Shalamar single "Take That To The Bank", and found himself in front of a TV camera on a local dance show in Paterson, New Jersey. They completed the promotional tour and returned to Los Angeles and immediately started recording the Big Fun LP with their producer, Leon Sylvers. The trio went on to record songs such as "Second Time Around", "Make That Move", "A Night to Remember", "Dancing in the Sheets" and the ballad "This Is for the Lover in You". Hewett was the group's lead singer from 1979 until 1985.

When Shalamar broke up in the mid-1980s, Hewett went on to a successful solo career. However, in 1985 before signing his solo deal with Elektra Records, he was arrested and indicted in Miami with his fiancée Mori Molina for possession with an intent to distribute cocaine.[1] Molina, who was indicted in Tampa as well as Miami, was convicted and served prison time; but after a four-day trial, in which Molina testified that Hewett had nothing to do with the crime, Hewett was acquitted of all charges.[2] In spite of his legal battles, Hewett signed his solo deal with Elektra Records and in 1986, before the Miami trial, released his first solo album, I Commit to Love (R&B number 12), a solid urban album that yielded two R&B hits, "I’m for Real" (R&B number 2) and "Stay" (R&B number 8). The album also included "Say Amen", a gospel tune that became a surprise hit on the Gospel as well as Urban charts and is one of Hewett's many signature songs. I Commit to Love was certified Platinum.

In 1990, Hewett released his Platinum self-titled album, which included the hit "Show Me" (R&B number 2), and 1992 saw the release of the LP Allegiance, which was not received as well as previous albums. He contributed to the second season theme song of Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, which was a remake of Sam & Dave's R&B Top 10 hit "Soul Man". This recording was produced by singer Steve Tyrell. After 1995’s It's Time (released by Caliber Records in the US and Expansion Records in the UK), Hewett spent much of his time providing guest vocals on albums by jazz artists such as Joe Sample, Brian Culbertson, and George Duke, among others. In 2000, The Rippingtons featured Hewett on "I Found Heaven" on their Life in the Tropics album. In 2001, Hewett recorded his first full gospel album, The Journey, followed a year later by The Journey Live: From the Heart.

In October 2006, Hewett released a new single, "Enough" (with jazz legend George Duke), which received substantial play on urban contemporary and R&B radio stations. Hewett is signed to The Groove Records, an independent label based in Los Angeles.[3] In October 2008, Hewett released his long-awaited Christmas CD, Howard Hewett Christmas, which combines his soulful R&B voice with classic Christmas songs. Working with music greats Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, and new vocal sensation Jasselle, who provides a Latin flair, Hewett proves that his music style remains classic, offering a message that reignites the spirit of Christmas. In 2009 he recorded a duet with soul singer Teena Marie, "Lover's Lane", on her album Congo Square. Hewett now enjoys recording at his leisure, touring the US and overseas,[4] and spending time with his four children and two grandchildren.


Zae Hilfiger

Zae Hilfiger

Internet Rap Sensation

Zay Hilfiger is a popular dancer who rose to fame after his video Juju On That Beat went viral. The video has more than 300 million views on YouTube.
Since his childhood, he had always wanted to establish himself as a successful dancer and his parents equally supported his decision. He began dancing at the age of six.

INTERESTING FACTS
Hilfiger runs the 'The ZayNetwork YouTube channel', where he posts his music videos and dance moves. He collaborated with Zayion McCall on "Juju On That Beat."


Honorable French Hill

Honorable French Hill

Congressman – Arkansas’s Second Congressional District

A ninth-generation Arkansan, French Hill is the 22nd Member of Congress to represent central Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected on November 4, 2014, and began his first congressional term in the 114th Congress on January 3, 2015. He won reelection to serve in the 115th, 116th, and 117th sessions of Congress.


Miki  Howard

Miki Howard

Legendary R&B Singer

Miki Howard grew up in the church, where both of her parents were gospel singers. Her mother was also a member of the gospel group the Caravans and was acquainted with various entertainers. Howard's mother would take her to the homes of various stars such as Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples.

While still in elementary school, Howard moved to Los Angeles with her mom. At the age of 15, she performed in a teen pageant. After the show, she met Side Effect member Augie Johnson, who happened to be in the audience and began working with Howard creatively. After a period of time, Howard became a Side Effect member -- upon the departure of Sylvia St. James. Howard's tenure with the group lasted a few years. During this time, she also had two children by Johnson. In addition to singing with Side Effect, she did background vocals for Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Stanley Turrentine, and several other artists.

After leaving Side Effect, Howard signed a deal with Atlantic. Her first hit for the label was the Billboard R&B Top Ten single "Come Share My Love." She followed that with the remake of Glenn Miller's 1940 hit "Imagination." Her success continued with two more Top Ten singles, "Baby Be Mine" and "That's What Love Is." The latter was a duet with Gerald Levert and was the result of the creative union Howard formed with Marc Gordon and Levert. Howard and Levert later became romantically involved, and that romance spawned one of Howard's biggest hits, "Love Under New Management." The song was written during their brief love affair, but was released after their romance had dissolved.

Femme Fatale
In 1990, Howard signed a deal with Giant, which facilitated the release of her number one smash hit "Ain't Nobody Like You." Howard's lifeline at Giant was cut short due to an altercation her husband had at the label. She also made an appearance as Billie Holiday in a club scene in the Spike Lee movie Malcom X. Howard continued to issue albums throughout the '90s and early 2000s, a few of them heavy on -- or wholly reliant upon -- covers. Her releases during these years included Femme Fatale (1992), Shining Through (1993), Live Plus (1996), Can't Count Me Out (1997), Three Wishes (2001), and Pillow Talk (2006).


Honorable Mike Huckabee

Honorable Mike Huckabee

Former Governor of Arkansas

Michael Dale Huckabee is an American politician, Baptist minister, political commentator, and bassist who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.


Kevin Hunt

Kevin Hunt

Motivational Speaker and Author of the Book "Why Me, God?"

Kevin Hunt Sr. dropped out of school in Junior High. His life went into a downward spiral for many years afterwards. Unable to support himself due to his lack of education, Kevin relied on his family for their financial support.

In 2001, he made a decision that would be the catalyst for changing his entire life, he enrolled in Shorter College GED program. After earning his GED in 2001, Kevin courageously enrolled in Philander Smith College in 2002, where he not only received a Business Degree in 2006 but also graduated with honors. He went on to receive a master’s degree in December of 2015 from Webster’s University.

Upon graduating from Philander Smith College, Kevin volunteered for then-Attorney General Mike Beebe’s campaign for governor. This eventually led to a part-time job working for Beebe’s campaign. Mike Beebe won the election for Governor (2006), and Kevin was hired on as full-time staff



Freddie Jackson

Freddie Jackson

Grammy Award nominated R & B Singer

On August 26, 2014, Jackson introduced his single “Love and Satisfaction,” composed by Dustin “Spot” Bowie and many more along with Bertram Ford Jr, and Selasi “The African Kid,” and introduced by the amusement organization Climax Entertainment.


Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson

Actress

Skai was born in Staten Island NY. She is an only child and resides in Harlem NY with her mom. Skai has been in the entertainment industry since she was 9 months old. She's done countless print jobs with NY's most famous modeling agencies, Wilhelmina Kids and Ford models. 30+ commercials (most known for the Band-Aid commercial), a handful of television shows (Sesame Street, Royal Pains, Rescue me, Boardwalk Empire), films ("Arthur" with Russel Brand, "Liberty Kid", "The Rebound" with Catherine Zeta Jones, "The Smurfs" with Neil Patrick Harris"). She is also the voice of Little Fish on Nick Jr's "Bubble Guppies" and Isa on "Dora the Explora".


Le'Andria Johnson

Le'Andria Johnson

Award-Winning Gospel Singer

Le'Andria Delores Johnson is an American gospel musician and singer-songwriter. She was the season three winner of the BET gospel singing competition show “Sunday Best.” Johnson's “Sunday Best” coronation song, "I Shall Leap into My Destiny", co-written by Johnson, entered the Billboard Gospel chart at number 1. Johnson's post-Sunday The Awakening of Le'Andria Johnson was released on August 23, 2011, Music World Entertainment Gospel and Music World Music. The album debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Gospel Albums, number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Independent Albums, and number 24 on the Billboard 200.  Johnson is the first Sunday Best contestant to receive a Grammy Award, which she won in 2012 for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.



Selwyn Jones

Selwyn Jones

Uncle of the late George Floyd

“For nine minutes and 27 seconds, my nephew begged for his life.”

Selwyn Jones’ nephew, George Floyd, died in police custody Monday in Minneapolis after an officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes while Floyd laid handcuffed on the street.

A bystander video shows that Floyd yelled out multiple times that he couldn’t breathe, and the footage sparked national protest, including a demonstration set in Rapid City which Jones plans to attend this weekend.

The four officers involved in the case have been fired as the incident remains under investigation by the FBI and state law enforcement.


 Former Heavyweight Champion Roy  Jones, Jr.

Former Heavyweight Champion Roy Jones, Jr.

"Knock Out Bullying"

Roy Jones Jr. has captured numerous championships in the Middleweight, Super middleweight, Light heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions. He is the only boxer in history to start his career as a junior middleweight, and go on to win a heavyweight title. Jones addressed a capacity crowd of youth, telling his story of life in Florida as a troubled youth and how he was able to overcome obstacles through nonviolence.


Elder Bernice King

Elder Bernice King

"Be A King"

Bernice Albertine King (born March 28, 1963) is an American minister and the youngest child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. She was five years old when her father was assassinated. In her adolescence, King chose to work towards becoming a minister after having a breakdown from watching a documentary about her father. King was 17 when she was invited to speak at the United Nations. Twenty years after her father was assassinated, she preached her trial sermon. Inspired by her parents' activism, she was arrested multiple times during her early adulthood.

King's primary focus as CEO of The King Center and in life is to ensure that her father's nonviolent philosophy and methodology (which The King Center calls Nonviolence 365) is integrated in various sects of society, including education, government, business, media, arts and entertainment and sports. King believes that Nonviolence 365 is the answer to society's problems and promotes it being embraced as a way of life. King is also the CEO of First Kingdom Management, a Christian consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.



Martin Luther  King, III

Martin Luther King, III

Carrying the torch

Community activist, the eldest son and oldest living child of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King.  Martin Luther King III work is rooted in the philosophy of his parents Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. As a global human rights advocate committed to working and addressing issues that better our world.  A global humanitarian who has traveled worldwide to make a difference in the lives of all people, King has unique insight into the civil rights battles being waged every day. In this presentation, King calls attention to injustices, both in the United States and abroad, and the steps needed to make equality for all not just a dream, but a reality. 


Dr. Bernard Lafayette

Dr. Bernard Lafayette

"Keeper of the Dream"

Dr. Bernard Lafayette was with Martin Luther King in Memphis on the morning of his assassination. In King’s final words to Lafayette, he said it was crucial to “institutionalize and internationalize nonviolence.” Lafayette has spent his entire life in steadfastly carrying out King’s very last words to him. Dr. Bernard Lafayette recounted his younger years as one the legendary Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders challenged the status quo of the Jim Crow era by riding interstate buses in the South in mixed racial groups to challenge local laws or customs that enforced segregation in seating. 


Eddie Levert

Eddie Levert

Legendary R&B Singer

Edward "Eddie" Levert  is an American singer, and is the lead vocalist of the soul/funk/R&B vocal group, The O'Jays. Levert was born in Bessemer, Alabama, but was raised in Canton, Ohio. While attending high school, he met buddies Walter Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, and William Powell.


Ricky

Ricky "Slick Rick" Lloyd Walters

Legendary Lyricist and Rapper

Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965); better known as Slick Rick, Rick The Ruler and MC Ricky D, is a British-American rapper. He performed at the 2019 A Day of Service in 2017 at Little Rock Central High School. He has released four albums: The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988), The Ruler's Back (1991), Behind Bars (1994) and The Art of Storytelling (1999). His music has been sampled and interpolated over 600 times,[2] in over 35 songs by artists including Eminem, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, The Beastie Boys, TLC, Nas, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Black Star, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, MC Ren, Montell Jordan and Color Me Badd. In the process, Walters has become one of the most-sampled hip-hop artists ever.Many of these songs based on Slick Rick samples went on to become hit singles. He's been a VH-1 Hip Hop Honors honoree, and About.com ranked him No. 12 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time,[4] while The Source ranked him No. 15 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.


MC Lyte

MC Lyte

Iconic Rapper & DJ

A legend in the world of music and entertainment – is a pioneering artist and a formidable actress of television and film. Her most recent acting credits include a series regular on last year’s New York Undercover pilot (a reboot of the original Dick Wolf series), and she has recurred on S.W.A.T. (CBS), Power (Starz), and Queen of the South (USA). Lyte's film roles include acclaimed Sundance Winner Patti Cake$, the Universal hit Girls Trip; Bad Hair, from Director Justin Simien; and the upcoming features Loved To Death, and Sylvie, with Tessa Thompson and Eva Longoria. Her newest venture has her taking on the role of show Creator & Executive Producer alongside Lynn Richardson & Bentley Evans for UMC’s sitcom, “Partners In Rhyme.”


Dr. Joe Martin

Dr. Joe Martin

The Education Motivator"

Dr. Martin knows first hand that the calling to be a educator carries with it the responsibility to help students learn, lead, and achieve. Dr. Joe's message is always powerful, provocative, and practical. His unique insight into what makes great teachers & students inspires his audiences to become just that. 


Tracy Martin

Tracy Martin

"From Pain to Purpose"

Vowing to keep fighting for his son Trayvon -- even after the man who killed him, George Zimmerman, was acquitted of murder -- Tracy Martin said  that his family wants to turn "negative energy" surrounding their plight "into a positive.""There's nothing that we can do to bring Trayvon Martin back," Tracy Martin said in Washington. "But if there's something that we can do ... to help other families from going through this, then we're here."


Dana

Dana "Dana Dane" McCleese

American Rapper

Better known by his stage name, is an American rapper known for performance of humorous lyrics.

Dana Dane's career began as part of the Kangol Crew with fellow rapper Slick Rick. Dana Dane appeared in the video for Slick Rick's 1988 single "Teenage Love". After graduating from high school, he signed with Profile Records in 1985.


Mike McClure Jr.

Mike McClure Jr.

Pastor

Pastor Mike Jr. is blazing a new trail. Not only does he Pastor one of the fastest growing ministries in the south, and he is now a 5x Stellar Award Gospel Artist & Dove Nominated!

His soulful voice and vibe connects with practically every genre! His breakout and highly anticipated album, LIVE FREE features inspirational anthems that speak to the reality of each person. His songs are designed to tackle real life issues in a lyrical manner and peppered with life and gospel truth from the sages of old.


IHeart Memphis

IHeart Memphis

Youth Rap Sensation

Hitting the ground like Tennessee's answer to We Are Toonz, iLoveMemphis took over social media in 2015 when his pop-rap dance number "Hit the Quan" blew up on a "Drop That Nae Nae" level, under his original name iHeart Memphis. Working with producer Buck Nasty, the rapper and dancer debuted in 2014 with the track "SnapEmUp." It all took off a year later when "Hit the Quan" hit the clubs and poked fun at Rich Homie Quan's unique dancing style. The song took off, with plenty of uploads of showing fans hitting the Quan, then "2For1," which celebrated both new sneakers and the beauty of Kylie Jenner, followed soon after. Def Jam veteran Barry Weiss' new record label, Records, and his new song publishing company, Songs, signed the MC in 2015, while a name change to iLoveMemphis became official. ~ David Jeffries


Arno  Michaelis

Arno Michaelis

"Life After Hate"

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Arno Michaelis was deeply involved with racist skinhead organizations, a reverend of a self-declared Racial Holy War, and lead singer of the hate-metal band Centurion, which sold 20,000 CDs by the mid-nineties and is still popular with racists today. Single parenthood, love for his daughter, and the forgiveness shown by people he once hated all helped to turn his life around and put him on the path to a road called “Life After Hate.”


Percy

Percy "Master P" Miller

Entertainer, Entrepreneur, Rapper, Brand Mogul

Master P (aka Percy Miller) was born on April 29, 1970 in New Orleans. He used money from a malpractice settlement to open No Limit Records, a store which became a label. His artists crowded the hip-hop charts in the late 90s and Master P expanded his empire into film, sports management, and socially conscious rap. In 1998, Forbes ranked him 10th on its list of highest-grossing entertainers.


"Lil Romeo" Miller

Actor, Rapper

Percy Romeo Miller (born August 19, 1989),[2] also known by his stage name Romeo (formerly Lil' Romeo), is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, and model. Miller gained fame as a rapper in the early 2000s after signing with No Limit Records, then owned by his father, Master P. He soon released his debut single "My Baby" in 2001, which went on to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Later the same year, Miller released his debut album Lil' Romeo, which charted the US Billboard 200 at number six and went on to be certified gold, selling over 500,000 copies with in a month.

In 2002, Miller released his second album titled Game Time; it charted on the US Billboard 200 at number thirty-three. In 2004, Miller released his third album Romeoland; it charted on the US Billboard 200 at number seventy. In 2006, Miller released his digital album titled Lottery it was his first album released with his name changed to Romeo. In 2006, Miller released the soundtrack to his film God's Gift; it was Miller's first album to be explicit.

In 2007, Miller was offered and accepted a scholarship to play basketball for the USC Trojans at the University of Southern California. Miller would play for the team until he was let go before his junior season in 2010.[3]


Shirley Murdock Minister Dale DeGroat

Shirley Murdock Minister Dale DeGroat

American R&B singer-songwriters

Shirley Murdock (born May 22, 1957) is an American R&B singer-songwriter, who is best known for her 1986 R&B hit single "As We Lay" and for her vocals on Zapp and Roger's hit single "Computer Love". Her lead vocal special guest appearance with Smooth Jazz artist Ben Tankard, climbed to #1 Gospel and #20 on Billboard Top 200 on WOW Gospel 2006 and is certified Gold. Their collaboration of the Lionel Richie song "Jesus Is Love" is one of the most played songs on Sirius XM Radio gospel channel for eight years since its initial release. American funk band that emerged from Dayton, Ohio, United States, in 1977. Particularly influential in the electro subgenre of funk, Zapp were known for their trademark use of the talk-box effect.

President at DeGroat & Murdock Enterprises Keyboardist, Singer, and Minister of the Gospel



Kel Mitchell

Kel Mitchell

Inspired Future Generations

Actor, Writer and Director Kel Mitchell was honored with a Cable Ace Award in 1997 for Best Actor in a comedy series for his work in the Nickelodeon series "Kenan and Kel" and also honored with a Kids Choice Award in 1999 for Best Actor in a comedy series for both Nickelodeon series "All That" and "Kenan and Kel". Mitchell later earned two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for his voice work as the lovable "T-Bone" in the award winning PBS series and book series "Clifford the Big Red Dog" in 2001 and again in 2002.

 


Isaac Newton Farris, Jr.

Isaac Newton Farris, Jr.

"Raised in the King Family Tradition"

In September of 2005 Isaac Newton Farris, Jr., was named president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change, commonly known as The King Center. The nephew of Dr. King, Farris had spent the previous five years as chief operating officer (COO) of the center. Established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King as a "living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy" of Dr. King, the center came to include the Freedom Hall Complex, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King's birth home, and Dr. and Mrs. King's crypt. As head of the center, Farris directed its activities and often acted as spokesperson for the King family.


Officer Tommy Norman

Officer Tommy Norman

Community Policing Advisor

Born to parents Modena and Dean Norman, Norman Graduated from Ole Main High School in 1990. Between 1991 and 1998, he worked many jobs in the nursing & mental health field. He worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Riley's Oak Hill Manor Nursing Home. Norman was also a mental health worker at Pinnacle Pointe Hospital.

Norman is known for building relationships within the communities he works in as it’s called positive community policing. For years Norman has amassed a positive reputation for police officers in North Little Rock, central Arkansas and beyond. Norman’s unorthodox approach to policing includes thousands of video posts, pictures and daily interactive engagement at the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Police Athletic League with those that he protects and serves. He uses social media [Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram] and a variety of ways to inspire the world, a world where too often police are seen in a negative light with brutality, abuse of force and poor relationships with citizens. He is credited for doing things like presenting 50 NLRSD students with backpacks and $50 gift cards from Shoe Carnival in August to purchase shoes, starting the “Shop with a Cop” program to help financially struggling students or just dancing with the children


Reverend Wheeler Parker

Reverend Wheeler Parker

Cousin of Emmett Till

More than six decades since the death of 14-year-old Emmett Till, the African-American teenager whose 1955 lynching helped spark the civil rights movement, Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., a cousin who is the last living witness to his abduction, still struggles with the horrific memory.

“Sometimes I think about Emmett and it feels like a nightmare that didn’t really happen,” Parker said. “I could hate the people who did this to him, but I come from a religious family and we were taught not to hate. Hate destroys the hater.”

Parker discussed the killing that took place in Mississippi when Till was visiting family 65 years ago during an event Thursday at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. He reflected on his cousin’s personality and upbringing in Chicago, and the inaccuracies of what Parker said has become one of the most embellished stories in American history.

The two were together when Till whistled at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman, at her family’s grocery store. Four days later, Parker said he witnessed Till’s abduction at gunpoint at his great-uncle’s home. Fearing for his life, Parker immediately returned to Chicago, and soon after Till’s tortured body was found in the Tallahatchie River. Bryant’s husband and half-brother were acquitted of murder by an all-white jury but later admitted their guilt.

“Till did whistle,” he said. “Some people don’t want to think that he did, but he did and when it happened, we could have all fainted. He was so afraid and knew he messed up. He was fun-loving and carefree, but that didn’t fly in the South and this was a very different time.”

Parker remembers that on the night of Till’s abduction he felt that death was near.

“A man had a pistol in one hand and a flashlight in the other, and they passed right by me, and then they passed by my cousin Curtis,” he said. “At around 3 a.m., they took Emmett. We stayed up all night in silence. It seemed like daylight would never come.”

Parker plans to share his experiences in his upcoming memoir, A Few Days: Full of Trouble, scheduled to be released after the FBI concludes its investigation into Till’s case, which was reopened in 2017 after newly discovered evidence.

“All history to some degree has been embellished, but Till has been demonized in accounts from people who were not there and I want to correct the inaccuracies and share what really happened,” said Parker, who described Till as a fun-loving prankster who was always the center of attention.

The Rutgers event, Love, Forgiveness and Reconciliation, was hosted by the Department of American Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences and co-sponsored by the Department of History, Douglass Residential College, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, the Department of Africana Studies and the Program in Criminal Justice.

The event grew out the course “Remembering Emmett Till” that Christine Zemla, a professor in the Department of American Studies, created after visiting the Mississippi Delta over the past 15 years and feeling that Till’s story kept her coming back.

“I didn’t learn his story until I got to college and I wondered, ‘Why didn’t I learn about this?’” said Zemla, who invited Parker to speak at Rutgers after meeting him last summer at the Tallahatchie Courthouse where Till’s murder trial took place.

When asked by a student for advice on how to resist the urge to become combative in a society that seems to be digressing in racial equality, Parker said there is always a choice.

“You can’t change things by being upset internally,” he said. “You can’t change things with mental anguish. So, what you can do is to think positive. We are all recipients of ideas. All we can do is make choices.”

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Legendary basketball Coach Nolan Richardson  detailed his experiences as a black coach who had to overcome racism as a child, player, and coach to get to where he is today. Coach Nolan Richardson is an American, who was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. He has coached teams to winning a Division I  Basketball National Championship, an NIT championship, and a Junior College National Championship. Richardson is the only coach to win all three championships.


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Reverend Sharon Risher

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Reverend Risher has appeared on CNN on several occasions and was interviewed by Time Magazine, Marie-Claire magazine, Guardian- BCC radio, among others. She also has visited President Barak Obama at the White House on several occasions, and she has been a guest speaker for several Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial events.
 
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Until shortly after her mother’s heartrending death, Rev. Risher had served Rice Chapel AME Church as associate pastor for congregational care where she preached and led the women’s ministries of the church. Tragedy catapulted her into the national limelight. Her mother, Ms. Ethel Nance took pride in the rich history of Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1962, Dr. King even spoke at the church about the American dream and voting rights. Ms. Ethel Nance dedicated her life to the upkeep of the historic Church, where she was a lifelong member. On June 17, 2015, Ms. Nance along with eight others, including two cousins and a childhood friend were killed at the church during a Wednesday night Bible study session. The morning after the attack, police arrested a suspect, later identified as 21-year-old Dylan Roof, in Shelby, North Carolina.


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Will Rockefeller

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Continuing in the Rockefeller legacy of service, Will Rockefeller shared the importance of family and service. As governor, his grandfather, Winthrop Rockefeller brought economic, cultural, and political change to Arkansas. “W. R.” or “Win,” as he was known, brought an end to the political organization of former Governor Orval E. Faubus. Rockefeller’s personal belief in racial equality became well known, and he ushered in an era that saw large numbers of African Americans elevated to high positions in state government. Rockefeller was a “transitional leader” in the sense that he helped discredit the “Old Guard” domination of the Faubus years and, in so doing, made Arkansans more receptive to political and social change.

 


Honorable Leslie Rutledge

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American contemporary R&B singer

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State Representative Jamie Scott

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District 37

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As the youngest African American female to be elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives, Ms. Scott is one of the Rock the Culture: 2018 Women to Watch. Additionally, her commitment, dedication, and strong work ethic has afforded Jamie numerous appointments including Governor Mike Beebe’s selection to serve on Arkansas’s Legislative Task Force on Abused and Neglected Children and to participate in the Delta Regional Authority’s Executive Leadership Academy as well as being Senator Joyce Elliott’s selection for the Arkansas Legislative Vision 2025 Commission on the Future of Higher Education.
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Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

"Empowering Today's Youth"

Ms. Stickney is a world-class artist, producer, director, author, motivational speaker, clothing designer, community activist, businesswoman and surrogate mother to many. Film, theater, television, radio, and one-woman performances have made Phyllis Yvonne Stickney- actress, comedian, lecturer, writer, dancer, choreographer and Little Rock native—a standout far beyond the scope of the black community. 

 


 Former Benton Harbor police officer Andrew Collins and Jameel McGee  The Benton Harbor Story

Former Benton Harbor police officer Andrew Collins and Jameel McGee The Benton Harbor Story

Example of Forgiveness"

"I falsified the report," former Benton Harbor police officer Andrew Collins admitted.

"Basically, at the start of that day, I was going to make sure I had another drug arrest." And in the end, he put an innocent guy in jail.

"I lost everything," McGeee said. "My only goal was to seek him when I got home and to hurt him."

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Today both men are back in Benton Harbor, which is a small town. Maybe a little too small.

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"I said, 'Honestly, I have no explanation, all I can do is say I'm sorry,'" Collins explained.

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"And I just started weeping because he doesn't owe me that. I don't deserve that," Collins said. But he didn't forgive just for his sake, even for Collins'. "For our sake," McGee said. "Not just us, but for our sake."





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Elder Jimmy Lee Thompson

Presiding Bishop, Lively Lakeland District

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Ethel Tompkins

Ethel Tompkins

First African-American to Graduate from Hoxie School District

“The Hoxie experience prepared me for living and working in a multi-cultural environment, to be tolerant of others, and to remain strong through adversity.”  The daughter of Jesse and Mabel Tompkins, Ethel entered the Hoxie School in the 7th grade when the school integrated in 1955.  According to the Hoxie official records, Ethel is the first African American to graduate from Hoxie School District 46.  She graduated in 1961.  She joined the US Navy in 1965 serving 4 yrs.  While in the Navy, she worked in base Security and as an Admirals Aid.  She remained in Southern California for a while after being discharged from the Navy and returned to Hoxie in 1990 to care for her parents.

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She is a Member of Hazel Street First Baptist Church where she has served as Church Secretary/Treasurer, Sunday School Teacher, Bible Studies Teacher, President-Building Fund, and Missionary Society Teacher and Treasurer. She is a member of the Lawrence County Historical Society, Editor of the  Lawrence County Historical Journal and the African American Co-Coordinator of the Arkansas Gravestone Project.  Her positive memories of the Hoxie Integration experience include

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On King Holiday, Ms. Tompkins and the proud citizens of Hoxie, along with the Mayor Lanny Fite, the representatives from the Hoxie Public Schools accepted the 2016 Humanities Award from the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission 60 years after the integration of Hoxie.  At this time, please welcome our Keynote Speaker, Ms. Ethel Tompkins.


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It's bad enough being in there even if you did do it, and if you didn't commit the crime it's doubly so," said LeDura Watkins, a man who was wrongfully convicted.

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Almost half a century later, Watkins was able to walk away from prison bars and chains.

Friday he shared the moment, in June 2017, when he found out he would be released.

Watkins said, "you got to be bs'ing, y'all bs'ing right, and they said no we, not bs'ing. I felt that my life had been given back to me."

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Melvin Williams, world-renowned gospel producer, singer, songwriter, and lead vocalist for the legendary Williams Brothers with his distinctive gospel sound has been a leader in the Gospel Music Industry for over 55 years.  He began singing at the age of six. Melvin’s musical repertoire includes five solo albums, a massive archive of Williams Brothers albums, Seven-Grammy Award nominations and 17-Stellar Awards, Dove Awards, including International recognition from Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan(Ah-zher-bye-han), Georgia and more.

Mr. Williams was appointed U.S. Music Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State Cultural Affairs & Diplomacy performs for audiences globally with his mission to “Preserve Traditional Gospel Music”. During his EuroAsia tour, Melvin honors those great Gospel singers that have come before him like Mahalia Jackson, The Dixie Hummingbirds, James Cleveland as well as hosting workshops on The History of Gospel Music and its influence in today’s music including blues, jazz, R&B, country, etc.

 On occasion, Melvin tours with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin singing duets with Ms. Franklin on the legendary song “Precious Memories.” Most recently, Melvin performed along with Aretha Franklin and his brother at The White House’s annual “In Performance Series: The Gospel Tradition” the fourteenth program during President Barak Obama’s administration that aired on PBS and TV One. Throughout his career, Melvin shared the stage nation-wide with such other musical greats as Stevie Wonder, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, James Taylor, Amy Grant, Paul Overstreet, Chaka Khan, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Shirley Caesar, Walter Hawkins, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Mighty Clouds of Joys, Mississippi Mass Choir, Bishop Paul S Morton and many others. (www.melvinwilliams.net)

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Angela Winbush

Angela Winbush

Legendary R&B Soulstress

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, King Holiday Legend Angela Winbush began singing in church. During her career, she was a musical protégé under Mr. Stevie Wonder where she learned a great deal about writing and arranging songs.  She has produced R&B Hit songs for Janet Jackson and Stephanie Mills. She has also had a string of number one R&B hits including "Save Your Love (For #1)", "I'll Be Good", "Your Smile," and You Don't Have to Cry" hit number two on the Billboard Charts. "Angel"reached held the number one R&B position for two weeks in 1987. Other notable hits include the dance track, "Run to Me", "C'est Toi (Say twah)  (It's You)" and the Ron Isley duet, "Hello Beloved". The album spent twenty-eight weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart and fifty-one weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

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Case Woodard

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KeKe Wyatt

KeKe Wyatt

American Singer-Songwriter

Ke'Tara Shavon "Keke" Wyatt is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. After performing in a number of girl bands and working as a songwriter during her teenage years, in 2000.

Wyatt was a teen when she had a hit duet with singer Avant with the single "My First Love," which was a cover of a 1983 hit song by René and Angela.

In 2017 Wyatt was a cast member of the TV One reality series "R&B Divas: Atlanta."