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Julianne Malveaux      

Economist, Author & Commentator; Founder and President, Economic Education; President Emerita of Bennett College

Dr. Julianne Malveaux has long been recognized for her progressive and insightful observations. She is a labor economist, noted author and colorful commentator. Described by Cornel West as “the most iconoclastic public intellectual in the country”. Her contributions to the public dialogue on issues such as race, culture, gender and their economic impacts are shaping public opinion in 21st Century America.

Dr. Malveaux’s popular writing has appeared in USA Today. Black Issues in Higher Education, Ms. Magazine, Essence magazine and many others. Her weekly columns appeared through King Features syndicate for more than a decade (1990 – 2003) in newspapers across the country including the LA Times, Charlotte Observer, the New Orleans Tribune, Detroit Free Press, and San Francisco Examiner. She has hosted television and radio programs – and appeared widely as commentator on networks including CNN, BET, PBS, NBC,ABC, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, TV One, C-SPAN and others. Currently, she writes a weekly column for NNPA (the National black press syndicate).

Dr. Malveaux has been a contributor to academic life since receiving her Ph.D. in economics from MIT in 1980. She has been on the faculty or visiting faculty of the New School for Social Research, San Francisco State University, the University of California (Berkeley), College of Notre Dame (San Mateo, California), Michigan State University and Howard University. She holds honorary degrees from Sojourner Douglas College (Baltimore, Maryland), Marygrove College (Detroit, Michigan), University of the District of Columbia, and Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina). She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics at Boston College.

During her time as the15th President of Bennett College for Women, (2007-2012) Dr. Malveaux was the architect of exciting and innovative transformation at America’s oldest historically black college for women. Under her leadership, the administration identified four key focus areas: women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, excellence in communications, and global awareness. During her presidency, Bennett College successfully received a 10-year reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, markedly improved existing facilities, embarked on a $21 million capital improvements program – which marked the first major campus construction in more than 25 years – and in fall 2009 enjoyed an historic enrollment high.

Currently, Dr. Malveaux serves on the boards of the Economic Policy Institute as well as The Black Doctoral Network. She is President of PUSH Excel, the educational branch of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. A native San Franciscan, she is the Founder and President of Economic Education, a 501-c 3 organization focused on personal finance and economic policy education and their connection. Economic Education is headquartered in Washington, D.C. She recorded 10 episodes of “It’s Personal with Dr. J” in 2017, a podcast aimed to bring you news and views on current events, economics and more. She also hosts MALVEAUX! for UDC TV.

Speech Topics


Most Requested Topics

  • African American Women in Philanthropy
  • Race Matters: New Orleans and the International Implications
  • Unfinished Business: Taking on the Top 10 issues Women Face
  • The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War On Terrorism
  • Race, Rage and the Ace of Spades
  • Economics & Race: Perspective on our Nation's Future
  • Determined Diversity: Creating a Cohesive and Effective Workforce
  • Taking the Lead: How Women Shape our Political Future
  • Celebrating Black History Month and The African American Legacy
  • Sex, Lies and Stereotypes
  • The Future of Work: Who Gets It
  • The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • The Struggle Continues: Economic and Social Justice in the 21st Century
  • The Economy, Equity and Your Personal Financial Health
  • Closing the Gender Gap: Impossible Task?
  • Effects of the Economy on Women, Children and People of Color
  • Rhetoric or Reality: Civil Rights Under Siege
  • The State of Black America: When and How Do We Close the Gap?
  • Education or Extinction: The Future of the U.S. in a Global World
  • What's Trump: Race, Gender and the 2008 Election?
  • How Do We Fare in the New Economy?
  • Show Me Your Checkbook and I'll Tell You Your Fortune

News


Dr. Julianne Malveaux on environmental racism and toxic neglect
Historically, this country has turned a blind eye to the many environmental injustices that plague communities of color. Terms like climate change and environmental racism weren’t even a part of the American lexicon until recently. Back in the day, we lived in homes with lead paint and it was nothing to see old tires dumped alongside the road. Black clouds from steel mills and coal mines drifting over the heads of little Black and Brown boys and girls playing outside meant nothing to us – it was just a part of what Marvin Gaye called “Inner City Blues.” The time has come to change that narrative. We can no longer allow our children and our communities to suffer from neglect and a calculus that values some lives over others.

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