Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

Presidential Professor at CUNY Graduate Center, BET News Correspondent, Human Rights Activist & Author

Dorothy Roberts

Scholar & Social Justice Advocate

Staceyann Chin

Spoken Word Poet, Performing Artist & LGBTQ+ Rights Political Activist

Antoni Porowski

Chef, Model & TV Personality Known for Netflix's "Queer Eye"

Robert Ballard

Renowned Ocean Explorer & Scientist

Jeffrey Kluger

Journalist; Editor and Writer at TIME MAGAZINE. Author of 8 books, including APOLLO 13.

Chella Man

Transgender Model, Activist & Artist

I Always Knew Gender Was Fluid | It Gets Better: Chella Man

Ben Vereen

Tony Award-Winning Entertainer

Esmeralda Santiago

Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker; Bestselling Author of Historical & Transcultural Novels and Memoirs

Anna Deavere Smith

Award-Winning Actress, Playwright & Social Commentator

Jacques Pépin

Master French Chef; Food Columnist; Cookbook Author Educator

Alok Vaid-Menon

Gender Non-Conforming Writer, Performance Artist, LGBTQ Rights Activist

Ted Allen

Host, "Chopped," Contributor, "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"

Anna Holmes

Founder and Editor of Online Women's Magazine, Jezebel. Editor, writer (Glamour, NY Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, New Yorker.com, many others.)

Frank Wu

President of Queens College, City University of New York; Author of "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White"

Kurt Andersen

Host of "Studio 360 from PRI and WNYC" & Author

Thimali Kodikara

Climate Storyteller; Host of "Mothers Of Invention" Podcast

Ruha Benjamin

Sociology & African American Studies Scholar; Author of "People's Science" and "Race After Technology"

Ruha Benjamin - Spelman Convocation 2024

Clay Shirky

Expert on New Technology & Social Media, & How They Shape Culture; Professor & Distinguished Writer in Residence, NYU

Nev Schulman

Producer, Actor, Photographer & TV Host Known for MTV's "Catfish: The TV Show"