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2010 Conference Speakers :
 

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Donna Brazile

Author, Consultant
Keynote Speaker

Friday at Noon, July 9, 2010

 

Author of the best-selling autobiography Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics and native of New Orleans, Ms. Donna Brazile is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Cooking with Grease is a powerful, behind-the scenes memoir of the life and times of a tenacious political organizer and the first African American woman to head a major presidential campaign.  Her stories of leaders and activists who have helped shape America’s future are both inspiring and memorable.  Ms. Brazile’s witty style and innovative political strategies have garnered her  the respect and admiration of her colleagues and adversaries alike.

 

In the media, she serves as a political contributor on CNN, consultant to ABC News, regularly appearing commentator on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and frequent contributor to NPR's “News and Notes.” In print and online, she is a columnist for Roll Call and Ms. Magazine.

 

In August 2009, O, The Oprah Magazine chose Ms. Brazile as one of its 20 “remarkable visionaries” for the magazine’s first-ever O Power List. The Washingtonian named Brazile one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” and Essence named her one of the “Top 50 Women in America.” The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has bestowed upon her its award for political achievement.

 

Brazile began her political career at the age of nine when she worked to support the campaign of a city council candidate who promised to build a playground in her neighborhood. Four decades and innumerable state and local campaigns later, she has worked on every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000, when she served as presidential campaign manager for former Vice President Al Gore, becoming the first African-American woman to manage a presidential campaign.

 

Prior to serving as Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation, Brazile dedicated herself to strengthening the American democratic process as chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Voting Rights Institute, established in 2001 to help protect and promote the rights of all American citizens to participate in the electoral process. Her passion is encouraging young people to vote, work within the system to strengthen it, and run for public office.

 

Former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco appointed Brazile, a New Orleans native, a member of the board of directors of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the guiding agency charged with leading the state s rebuilding process in the aftermath of two catastrophic hurricanes.

 

Brazile is founder and managing director of Brazile & Associates LLC, a general consulting, grassroots advocacy, and training firm based in Washington, DC.

 

 

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Roland Martin

Commentator, Columnist, Analyst
After Work - Dinner Speaker

Friday Evening, July 9, 2010

 

A nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, Martin is the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith, and Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America.

 

Martin is a commentator for TV One Cable Network. He is also a CNN Analyst, appearing on a variety of shows, including Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull, The Situation Room, Anderson Cooper 360, Lou Dobbs Tonight and many others. In 2007, he joined Essence magazine as a special correspondent, writing a bi-monthly column and a daily blog on Essence.com. In 2008, he joined the Tom Joyner Morning Show as senior analyst.

 

Named by Ebony magazine in 2008 as one of the 150 Most Influential African Americans in the United States, he is the 2008 winner of the NAACP Image Award for Best Interview for "In Conversation: The Sen. Barack Obama Interview." Martin, named one of the top 50 political pundits by the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom, was also awarded the 2008 President's Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for his work in multiple media platforms.

 

An insightful and provocative analyst, Martin has appeared on MSNBC, FOX News, Court TV, BET Nightly News, BBC News, National Public Radio, The Word Network, America's Black Forum, American Urban Radio Networks, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and NPR's "News and Notes."

 

He is the former executive editor/general manager of the Chicago Defender, the nation's largest Black daily newspaper. He is the former founding news editor for Savoy magazine under the team of New York-based Vanguarde Media, and the former founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com, owned by nationally syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner and Radio One.

 

He previously served as owner/publisher of Dallas-Fort Worth Heritage, a Christian monthly newspaper. He also has worked as managing editor of the Houston Defender and the Dallas Weekly, which he led to a number of local, state and national journalism awards. Martin has worked as morning drive reporter for KRLD/1080 AM; news director and morning anchor at KKDA-AM in Dallas; city hall reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and county government and neighbors reporter for the Austin American-Statesman.

 

He has won more than 20 professional awards for journalistic excellence, including a regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television News Directors; several first place awards from the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators; two citations from the National Associated Press-Managing Editors Conference; the top sports reporting award in 1997 from the National Association of Black Journalists; and honors from the Houston Press Club. Martin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

 

 

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Vickie Winans

Gospel Singer
Keynote Speaker

Daytime , July, 2010

 

Vickie Winans is an amazing gospel singer and true believer of God.  After over 25 years in the music industry, Vickie Winans has once again broken the mold and introduced a brand new music album filled with hope, inspiration and healing for all God’s children. 

The name “Winans” and gospel music are synonymous and Vickie Winans definitely lives up to her name singing the good news of Jesus Christ.  The captivating vocals of this multitalented artist are like a soulful, fine tuned instrument that piques the emotions, and uplifts the spirit.  Vickie lends a high-powered, energetic, yet smooth and inspirational style as showcased in all her Grammy-nominated, Stellar Award and NAACP Award Winning albums.   

Channeling the emotions of her divorce from Marvin Winans, she created such songs as “Long as I Got King Jesus.”  Winans began to make waves with her live appearances, and capitalized on them with the release of her 1997 album, Live In Detroit.  That album sold over 200,000 copies, a strong success by gospel standards, and remains on Billboard magazine’s Top 40 Gospel Albums chart as of the summer of 1999.  It spawned a follow-up, Live in Detroit II, which had a more upbeat mood than its predecessor.   The large crowds that greeted Winans at promotional events for Live in Detroit II made an auspicious beginning for an ambitious jump in the intensity of her career.  Two more Vickie Winans albums followed, each displaying a different side of her personality and exposing listeners to her considerable versatility.   Share the Laughter was an unusual project, one of the few comedy recordings in the history of black gospel.  And Woman to Woman, a set of gospel inspirational songs aimed at women who were trying to survive periods of adversity in their lives.  Winans has done just that, and emerged as a true Gospel Star. 

In addition to being one of the industry’s most beloved and respected artists, Winans is in firm control of her career.  She manages herself and is the President of Viviane, Inc., and her Detroit-based management company where she books and performs approximately 200 shows a year.  However, Vickie says her favorite “job” is being the proud mother of her 2 sons, hit producers and singers, Mario “Skeeter” Winans and Marvin “Coconut” Winans, and “Nani” to her 3 beautiful grandchildren! 

Reaching the impressive internationally renowned plateau took Winans an enormous amount of hard work, determination, sacrifice, and faith.  Realizing this, she insists she’s quite grateful, and takes nothing for granted.  “Although I’ve had my share of heartaches, pain, and sickness over the years, I know that God has truly blessed me.  It’s because of Him that I have a fantastic family, great friends, and a rewarding career!” 

Vickie always seemed destined not only to succeed, but to excel in her successes.  Her vocal ministry, which has thrilled and inspired millions over the years, also paved the way for her in Broadway musicals, a host of other theatrical shows, and has made hundreds of television appearances. 

Vickie Winans’ love for God, life, children, her many friends and fans, her incredible music, and her enormous giving spirit continue to make her one of the best and brightest stars lighting gospel today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Foundation
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