51 Steps To Freedom®

“I believe their is only one race — the human race”
- Mrs. Rosa Parks

51 Steps To Freedom Alliance

Honorary Co-Chair, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Serving as Congresswoman for the District of Columbia since 1991, Congresswoman Norton is the Chair of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. She also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Before her Congressional service, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to serve as the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She came to Congress as a national figure who had been a civil rights and feminist leader, tenured professor of law, and board member at three Fortune 500 companies (Rockefeller Foundation, Board of Governors of DC Bar Association, as well as boards of civil rights and other national organizations). She has been named one of the 100 most important American women in one survey and one of the most powerful women in Washington in another.

Congresswoman Norton's accomplishments in breaking barriers for her disempowered district are matched by her success in bringing home unique economic benefits to her constituents.She has taught law full time before being elected, is a tenured professor of law at Georgetown University, teaching an upper-class seminar there every year. She is the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees.

The Congresswoman is a third-generation Washingtonian, and is the mother of John Holmes Norton and Katherine Felicia Norton.

Honorary Co-Chair, Mayor Muriel Bowser

Muriel Bowser is the seventh elected mayor of Washington, DC. She has a strong record of creating a bold urban policy agenda, making tough decisions in a high stakes environment, and shaping a diverse economy.

Chair, Advisory Board, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis

Dr. Drew Jarvis was born to DC Royalty, being the daughter of the blood plasma and blood transfusion pioneer Charles Drew. Charlene Drew Jarvis is an American educator and former scientific researcher and politician who served as the president of Southeastern University until March 31, 2009. Jarvis is the daughter of the blood plasma and blood transfusion pioneer Charles Drew. She previously served as Ward 4's representative to the Council of the District of Columbia from 1979-2000.

Interim Executive Director, Rock Newman

Jet Magazine called Rock Newman “A Renaissance Man.”
They were referring to his highly successful business endeavors in the world of Marketing, Promotion Sports Management, Real Estate & Hotel/Casino Consulting, Talk Show production/hosting, Producing concerts featuring Beyonce’, Alicia Keys, Kenny Rogers, Erykah Badu, Quincy Jones and a host of other headliners.
He has embraced a leadership role with 51 Steps to Freedom showing an unbridled passion spawned by the initiatives enormous potential for good. His long held motto is WE R ONE.

Advisory Board, Virginia Ali

Virginia Ali, was born December 17, 1933 in rural Virginia, and moved to Washington D.C. in the 1950s. She worked as a teller at the historically black owned Industrial Bank, and then opened Ben’s Chili Bowl with her husband, Ben Ali, in 1958. She has had three sons with her husband, and in 2002 was inducted into the DC Hall of Fame and received the Lifetime Legacy Award from the DC Chamber of Commerce.

Advisory Board, Philip Armstrong

Philip Keith Armstrong is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice. Prior to this he served as the Executive Director of Tulsa’s Greenwood Rising The Black Wall Street History Center. During his tenure he helped develop the augmented reality app for the outdoor exhibit examining the Tulsa Race Massacre. He also oversaw stakeholder communications, donor relations, educational curriculum, economic development, and day-to-day operations of the museum.

Founding Committee, Benny Bennafield

Benny Bennafield was born and raised in DC. He graduated from Mayor Barry’s First Summer Youth Program. He attended Denison where he double majored and received his bachelor’s degree in economics and computer science. He has been a partner at Propellant Media for nearly 8 years, and was the Cofounder and President of Diversity of Thought Inc. for 3 years, and was the Cofounder and President elect from 2013-2015 of MOCA (Men Of Color Alliance) - Publicis Groupe USA. He also has been the Cofounder and CMO of HUMINT for more than 7 years.

Advisory Board, Lyles Carr

Lyles Carr attended the University of Virginia, where he received his bachelor’s degree in finance. He has been the Senior Vice President at The McCormick Group for over 47 years, and has received the Leadership Washington’s Volunteer of the Year, the Leader of the Years Award from The Greater Washington Board of Trade, and selected as a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine and selected to Washington Business Journal’s Power 100. He is now a resident of Arlington, VA and enjoys saltwater fly fishing and is a tournament poker player.

Founding Committee, Paul J. Cohn

Born in Baltimore, Paul J. Cohn, attended the University of Wisconsin. He served for four years in the US Air Force, then returned to DC as manager for singers Peaches and Herb in the 1970s. He was the Senior Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Capital Restaurant Concepts, founded in 1983 with Bechara Nammour. He has also been Chairman of the DC Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Destination, DC, and Chairman Emeritus of Washington Restaurant Association and former Board member of Georgetown BID. He was also a Founding Board Member of Walter Washington Convention Center Authority.

Advisory Board, Rebecca Diamond

Rebecca Diamond is skilled in Nonprofit management including program development, donor
stewardship, volunteer organization, and membership services. She has a demonstrated history of
leadership and relationship building with numerous organizations including Mary's Center for Maternal
and Child Care where she managed both fundraising and grants for a $40M budget, International Spy
Museum, The National Cryptologic Foundation, and The Foundation for Community Association
Research.

Chair, Historians, Bernard Demczuk, Ph.D.,

Bernard “Bernie” Demczuk, Ph.D. is a retired professor and VP from GWU. Bernie’s academic speciality is Black history and culture of DC, Mississippi Delta, NOLA and the River Road, La. and the Eastern Shore, Md. He is the author of Unionville: Race, Place, Time and Memory of Talbot County, Md. and Mame’s Spirit: Reparations and Romance. Bernie is Ben’s Chili Bowl’s historian and leads tours of the NMAAHC. He is the author of the forthcoming book, 51 Steps to Freedom: From Georgetown to Anacostia, 1740-present.

Advisory Board, Doug Duncan

Doug Duncan is known for his work as he served three terms as Montgomery County, MD Executive. He is also known for revitalizing Silver Spring, MD which has led to his decisions being closely followed and replicated by tens of other community leaders in other cities. Duncan has been mentioned in the Washington Business Journal Power 100, selected as a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine, and as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion by the Washington Business Journal, and is now the President & CEO of Leadership Greater Washington

Advisory Board, Michael Foster

Michael Foster founded MTFA Architecture in Arlington, Virginia. He enjoys challenging “stuff” and is known for his work on churches, the preservation for the Cosmos Club and Folger Library, S.E. Tennis Center, and commercial multifamily high rises, offices and hotels. He has been involved in about 260 faith based, cultural and religious facilities over the past 30 years, including about 20 in DC.

In addition to church and faith based planning and design, most of our work is new commercial and preservation of government, buildings Whitehouse and Capital, preservation for the Cosmos Club and Folger Library, and commercial multi-family high rise, office and hotels, like the new full service Hilton in Rosslyn going up now.

Churches are one very special area of our work, and include strategic planning, renovations, additions, and new buildings. We have been involved in about 260 faith based, cultural and religious facilities over the past 30 years, including about 20 in DC. This work has taken us around the world including a refugee resettlement village for Tibetan refugees in India and a Peace Hospital for the Lost Boys in South Sudan.

Co-Founder, Tracy Halliday

Tracy is Co-Creator of 51 Steps To Freedom and EVP of O Museum in The Mansion. A University of Florida alumni, Tracy’s unlikely path from children’s book designer to high-tech marketing director, to executive vice president at “The Coolest Place in DC” — O Museum in The Mansion — has fueled her conviction that everything happens for a reason and all things are connected. Her career spans over 35 years and has afforded her the opportunity to work in three of the greatest cities in America; New York, Boston, and Washington, DC. She’s worked in advertising agencies, technology companies, publishing houses, and nonprofit organizations where she’s developed, launched, and marketed a plethora of products and services.

Advisory Board, Cary Hatch

Carry Hatch was a member of the 2013 class of The Leadership Foundry, Cary has completed the National Association of Corporate Directors Professionalism Program. She is also a member of Heroes, Inc., the Federal City Council and the Economic Club of Washington DC. She purchased MDB 1987. MDB was then recognized as an Inc. 500 company in 1996 and she is the CEO & Brand Advocate for MDB Communications. Hatch has been listed in the Power 100, the Washington Business Journal's list of the most influential business leaders, for 4 consecutive years, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Board of Governors for the American Association of Advertising Agencies and was recently appointed to the National Government Relations Committee by the 4A's.

Founding Committee, Kujanga Jackson

Kujanga Jackson attended the University of San Diego and Liberty University where he received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and religion. He has been a pastor for 20+ years at Zion Community Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is co-founder and CEO of Solaos, Inc. He now resides in Tulsa, OK, and is a motivational speaker and Owner of JXN Xr Solutions.

Advisory Board, Marie Johns

Marie Johns attended the University of Indiana where she received a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree in public affairs. She began her career as a secretary and worked her way up to be President and CEO of Verizon, and after leaving the position was nominated and confirmed to be the deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama in 2010. She is an annual participant in the Girl Scouts Camp, a former chair of Leadership Washington, the DC Chamber of Commerce, and has served as a director of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Economic Club of Washington, the National Capital Revitalization Corporation, and the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation. Johns is the Founding Chair of the Washington DC Technology Council, and is a member of the senior board of stewards of Washington's historic Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. She has been married to Wendell Johns for over 45 years, and has been awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Howard University in 2013 and from Trinity College (now Trinity University) in 1999.

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Advisory Board, Diem Jones

Diem Jones is a thought leader, writer, poet/musician, multi-disciplinary producer, content-provider and program designer. In addition to having directed creative writing programs on 6 US university campuses, his work as a writer has won critical acclaim in: books, anthologies, music videos, industrial films, documentaries as well as commercials. He is currently the COO of Penn Global Visions/Penn Global Medical Group, CEO of All One Consulting, and Vice President/Co-founder of Institute for Community Evolution. He is co-founder and past Executive Director of Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA). Additionally, he has served as: Executive Director of Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center; Deputy Director of Arts Council Silicon Valley; Program Officer at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities as well as Director of Grants at the Houston Arts Alliance and Administrative Director of East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. Jones was Art Director for George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic. Additionally, he has managed health and wellness practices in California, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Diem Jones has also completed advanced courses in Mind, Body Medicine protocols from the Center for Mind, Body Medicine in Washington, DC as well Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of South Florida.

Advisory Board, George Lambert

George Lambert, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Urban League attended Virginia Union University where he received a bachelor’s degree in urban studies. He then became a community organizer for the Northern Virginia branch of the Washington Urban League. He and his wife, Bernadette Curtis-Lambert, have five children together.

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Co-Founder, H.H. Leonards

H.H. Leonards is the founder of O Museum in The Mansion and co-founder of 51StepsToFreedom.org. O Museum is a Historic 20th Century Civil Rights Site, on The African American Heritage Trail. H was the recipient of Purdue University's Distinguished Service Award, and the DC Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Legacy Award. She has authored seven books and her writings have appeared in Newsweek and Ms. Magazine. She has been a featured speaker at The Rosa Parks Museum (AL), The National Museum of African American Music (TN), The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (OH), The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival (CA), The Southern Kentucky Book Festival (TN).

Advisory Board, Patricia N. Mathews

Patricia N. Mathews is the Founder & CEO of PNM Consulting, a solo practice that provides management analysis, grantmaking guidance, strategic thinking and planning, and mentorship to philanthropic organizations, non-profit groups, and local governments. After serving for nearly nineteen years, Ms. Mathews recently retired as the first President & CEO of Northern Virginia Health Foundation, a small, private foundation created in 2005 whose mission is to improve the health and health care of residents of Northern Virginia, with particular emphasis on the health of lower-income adults and children. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Mathews served for more than seven years as Executive Director, Community Relations at Kaiser Permanente—Mid-Atlantic States, where she managed more than $12 million annually in philanthropic assets. She has been Vice President for the National AIDS Fund, and was a member of the editorial board at The Washington Post. Active in the community for many years, Ms. Mathews currently serves on the board of directors of Leadership Greater Washington and of Jubilee Housing, Inc. She also is a member of the Women’s Advisory Board of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington.

Advisory Board, Michael Akin

Michael Akin, attended George Washington University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in political communication and received his MBA at the George Washington School of Business. He was the George Washington University’s assistant vice president of government, international, and community relations for a year. Akin is now the President of LINK Strategic Partners in DC, and a Chairman Emeritus of the Greater Washington Urban League.

Advisory Board, Doyle Mitchell

Doyle Mitchell, is CEO of Industrial Bank, founded by his grandfather 1934, which is now the 6th largest African American owned financial institution in the country. He has been awarded the 2015 Small Business Champion Award from the DC Chamber of Commerce, the 2015 Minority Business Leader Award from the Washington Business Journal, the 2015 Torch Award from the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation, the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable Chairman’s Award, and the 2015 Human Servant Award from the Training Grounds DMV Organization, and the Nationals Bankers Association Chairman's Award. He is also a minority partner in the Washington Nationals sports franchise.

Advisory Board, Patricia Mitchell

Patricia Mitchell is Executive Vice President of Strategic Programs at Industrial Bank in Washington, D.C., founded by her grandfather over 8 years ago. Industrial Bank is now the 6th largest Black owned financial institution in America. She is the author of the Book Industrial Bank. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb6pG0BFjbY

Advisory Board, Dr. Carolyn Rudd

Dr. Rudd, born in Richmond, Virginia, attended Virginia State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and a doctoral degree in higher education administration and a minor in business from William and Mary. She then served in various capacities at Virginia State, Bowie State, and Howard Universities, until she founded CRP, Inc. in 1988, where she serves as President and CEO. Dr, Rudd served as chair of the DC Chamber of Commerce, the DC Commission for Women, and currently serves on the University of the District of Columbia Board of Trustees. She is currently married and lives in Upper Northwest DC.

Historian Advisory Committee

Chair, Historians, Bernard Demczuk, Ph.D.,

Co-Chair, Historians, Sandra Jowers-Barber, Ph.D

Dr. Sandra Jowers-Barber, a native of Atlantic City, N.J., is Director of the Division of Humanities and Criminology at the University of the District of Columbia Community College and an Associate Professor of History. She received her PhD in US History, MA in Public History and BA in English from Howard University. Before joining the Community College, Sandra directed the History Program at the University’s Van Ness campus. She started the New York City Public History trip that provides students the opportunity to visit the African Burial Ground Museum, the 911 Monument, United Nations, and public history sites in Harlem.

Historian,
Reverend Briana Thomas, Author

Co-Chair, Historians, Briana A. Thomas

Briana A. Thomas is a Washington, D.C.-based historian, journalist, and tour guide who specializes in African American research. Briana is the author of the local Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C. Briana has been published in Washingtonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, and the Washington Post throughout her journalism career. Briana's educational neighborhood history tours have been featured on television networks such as ABC, NBC and CBS. She earned a Master of Journalism degree from the University of Maryland-College Park and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications from Greensboro College. She is the assistant pastor of a Maryland-based church Open Bible Ministries. 

Historian, Diane Anderson

Diane Anderson received a master’s degree in United States History, with a specialization in Public History, from Howard University. She is currently an adjunct professor of history at the University of the District of Columbia. Professor Anderson has coordinated and taught experiential history courses providing students with an immersive learning experience to evaluate and interpret history. She has served as docent at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum and is currently a Public Program volunteer with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Historian, Ken Avis, Ph.D.

Ken Avis is an Arlington based professional musician with world-jazz band Veronneau. He hosts a weekly music radio program Antidote and has produced two full length film documentaries about DC area music history, one about the history of Bossa Nova music in DC, and the second about DC's legendary guitarists Anacostia Delta, which has aired on PBS. His interest in history has led him to develop a series of lectures Music City DC covering all genres of popular music in the area since the early 1800's to the present day. The lectures have been presented at Smithsonian Associates, George Mason University, American University, DC History Conference and the DC Music Salon. Ken also leads walking music history tours of U Street and Georgetown. He serves as a mentor to young professional musicians for the Strathmore Artist in Residence program, and has been curating a month-long series of live music Passport to the World of Music for the last 10 years. He is a board member of Blues Alley Jazz Society, and McLean Project for the Arts, and has previously served on the boards of the Eubie Blake Center and Company Danzante. He studied Urban Development at the University of Sussex, and PhD studies at the London School of Economics.

Historian, Anthony T. Browder,

Anthony T. Browder is an author, publisher, cultural historian, artist, and educational consultant. A graduate of Howard University’s College of Fine Arts, he has lectured extensively across the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Mexico, Japan, and Europe on African and African American history and culture.

As the founder and director of IKG Cultural Resources, Mr. Browder has dedicated 30 years to researching ancient Egyptian history, science, philosophy, and culture. He has traveled to Egypt 54 times since 1980 and currently leads the ASA Restoration Project, which funds the excavation and restoration of the 25th dynasty tomb of Karakhamun in Luxor. Notably, he is the first African American to fund and coordinate an archaeological dig in Egypt, conducting 23 missions since 2009.

Mr. Browder’s research underscores his belief that ancient Africans were the architects of civilization, shaping the scientific, religious, and philosophical foundations of humanity. Through IKG, he sponsors lectures, seminars, and cultural field trips in Washington, D.C., while publishing his findings and leading study tours to Egypt and West Africa.

He is the author of six publications, including bestsellers like From the Browder File and Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization, and co-author of six additional works, including two with his daughter, Atlantis Tye. His publications are used in classrooms worldwide. An autodidact, Mr. Browder sees himself as a chronicler of the positive portrayal of the African experience.

Historian, C.R. Gibbs, DC Scholar, Author and Lecturer.

Historian, Laura Brower Hagood

Laura Brower Hagood attended the College of Bryn Mawr where she received a bachelor's degree in English, and she attended the American University where she received a dual master's degree in arts Management and arts history. Over the years she is known for being a nonprofit leader and community builder, which is detailed by her work as the Director of Development and Communications at Cultural Tourism DC for 8 years, and the Vice President of Development at the National Building Museum for over 3 years. She is currently an adjunct Professor at American University and is the Executive Director at the DC History Center.

Historian, Chuck Hicks

Charles “Chuck” Hicks, was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, where he ended up attending Southern University until his sophomore year, and a student leader, where he was asked to withdraw from school or face expulsion, because “the school didn’t want any trouble.” After a summer program at Brandeis University he attended Syracuse University where he received a bachelor's in political science, a master’s degree in education administration, and was the university’s first Black president of the Student Government Association. He also received his second master’s in library science from the University of Maryland. For over 35 years he has worked with the DC Public Library, and is the founder and director of the D.C. Black History Celebration Committee. He also was grand marshal of the 2021 Virtual D.C. MLK Parade, a speaker at the inaugural Million Man March, the founder of Bread for the Soul, and an active member of numerous organizations, including the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Martin Luther King Scholarship Committee, the D.C. Commission on Aging, the Waterside Tenants’ Council and Stand Up for Democracy in D.C. In 2019, he was elected to the Washington D.C. Hall of Fame and his name appears on the Hall of Fame Walkway, and in 2021, he was selected to be in a permanent exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library as a D.C. History Maker.

Historian, Natalie Hopkinson, Ph.D.

Dr. Natalie Hopkinson attended Howard University where she received a bachelor’s degree in political science, and she received a master’s degree in public affair journalism and a doctoral degree in journalism and public communications from the University of Maryland. She was a writer and editor at the Washington Post where she was involved with The Root and Huffington Post for over 8 years. She co-founded The Freshwater Project in West Palm Beach, Florida for over 6 years along with being a fellow at the Interactivity Foundation leading cross-disciplinary community projects that included the arts & society, philanthropy, and engaging urban communities around the world. Her capacity in education includes being an adjunct Professor at georgetown for more than 8 years teaching writing, cultural criticism, cultural reporting, an associate Professor at Howard for 6 years working in the graduate department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies (CCMS). She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Media, Democracy & Society at American University.

Historian, Maurice Jackson, Ph.D.

Dr. Maurice Jackson attended Antioch College where he received a bachelor’s degree in political economy, Georgetown University where he received a master’s degree in history, and a doctoral degree in history from Georgetown University. He is an associate Professor of History and African-American Studies and an affiliated Professor of Performing Arts (Jazz) at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has also recently been a visiting Professor at its Qatar campus. In 2009, he was inducted into the Washington, D.C. Hall of Fame, and he currently lives with his wife Laura, in Washington, D.C., with their two children.

Historian, Xolela Mangcu, Ph.D.

Xolela Mangcu was born in Ginsberg Township in King William’s Town, South Africa, where he studied at local schools before enrolling at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1984 under a quota system for then designated white universities. After completing a degree in law and sociology he received a master’s degree in development planning. He then was admitted as a fellow in the Special Program in Urban and Regional Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed a doctoral degree in city and regional planning at Cornell University. Mangcu also was a part of other fellowship programs including at the Rockefeller Foundation and at Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government until he returned to South Africa where he founded the Steve Biko Foundation in 2000 in partnership with the Biko family and local youth. He then spent time teaching at the Uni. of Wits and the Uni. of Johannesburg until joining the University of Cape Town in 2012. He is now a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the Uni. of Cape Town and has held fellowships at the prestigious Brookings Institution, the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute and the Hutchins Center for African and African American Studies at Harvard University, along with publishing 9 books.

Historian, Marquett Milton, USCT Historian and Re-enactor at the AACWMM

Historian, Kimberly Monroe, Ph.D.

Kimberly F. Monroe is Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies at Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC. She is an organizer with Pan-African Community Action (PACA) a grassroots group of African/Black people organizing for community-based power. Monroe received a PhD in African Diaspora History and Women’s Studies from Howard University, prior to that she obtained a BA in History and Black Studies from Grambling State University. She developed the Africana Studies Program at Trinity.

Her most recent publications include: “Writing Toward a Black Liberation: Claudia Jones’ Black Nationalist/Internationalist Activism” and “Assata Shakur: A True Revolutionary” in Black Freedom Struggles Africana Reader.

Historian, Tiffany Mitchell- Patterson. Ph.D.,

Tiffany Mitchell-Patterson is a manager of social studies at the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). Prior to joining DCPS central services, she served as an assistant professor of secondary social studies at West Virginia University. She taught middle school social studies for 10 years in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, VA, and as a classroom teacher served as an adjunct professor in teacher preparation programs at local universities. Mitchell Patterson earned her doctorate in Multilingual/Multicultural Education and Education Policy from George Mason University. Her research interests include racial and social justice in education, education activism, and teaching diverse Black histories, people’s histories, and underrepresented narratives in P-20 education. She serves on the board of Teaching for Change and is involved with teacher activist organizations such as D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice and the Zinn Education Project. Advocacy, activism, intersectionality, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive education lie at the core of her work. Education is her revolution.

Historian, Michael Ralph, Ph.D.

Dr. Michael Ralph attended Morris Brown College where he received a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies. He then attended the University of Chicago where he received master’s and doctoral degrees in anthropology. He has held fellowships at the W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute Fellowship of Harvard University, and the Annual Michel-Rolph Trouillot Lecture at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago. Ralph currently is a Professor and Chair of Afro-American Studies at Howard and is working on two books that center on slavery, insurance, and incarceration.

Historian, Blair Ruble, Ph.D.

Dr. Blair Ruble, born December 18, 1949, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated with Highest Honors in Political Science, and received master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of Toronto. He also attended Leningrad State University Juridical Faculty. He has held many positions at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars' Kennan Institute including Vice President for Programs, Staff Associate at the Social Science Research Council, Assistant Executive Director of the National Council for Soviet and East European Research, and most recently he was the Director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars' Kennan Institute for 23 years. He has taught at George Washington University, the University of Paris X, Laboratorie de Geographie Urbaine, Nanterre, and Università della Svizzera italiana - Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Switzerland and has lectured internationally. Ruble is known as a non-fiction writer and academic administrator whose work has focused on comparative urban studies as well as Russian and Ukrainian affairs and has published in the opinion pages of Newsweek, The Asian Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Afro-American, and USA Today. He has had media appearances on ABC News, BBC News International, CBC News: Morning, CBS Evening News, NBC's The Today Show, Russian NTV Russia News Magazine Itogi, Japanese NHK Morning News, France 24 on television, as well as The Larry King Show Radio, and several Voice of America broadcasts. He has been the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv and currently lives with his wife, Sally, in Washington, DC.

Historian, Frank Smith, Ph.D.

Dr. Frank Smith, born September 17, 1942 in Newnan, Ga., attended Morehouse College where he became heavily involved in the early stages of the Civil Rights movement. He then left in his Junior year, and became more ingrained in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and is best known as the first SNCC member sent to Mississippi to help organize voter drives. He then attended the Union Institute in Ohio where he graduated with a doctoral degree. Most recently he served on the Washington D.C.’s Board of Education along with serving 16 years as a city councilman.

Historian, Sharita Jacobs Thompson, Ph.D.

Dr. Sharita Jacobs Thompson attended North Carolina Central University where she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and history. She was a Professor in the Social Sciences Department at Prince George’s Community College where she taught courses in United States and African American History. Her research has focused on Black Marylanders and their experiences during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. She has also provided training to police departments across the country, conducted implicit bias training, and facilitated conversations around topics such as social and racial equity, and structural and institutional racism. Thompson is currently an Assistant Professor at Gettysburg College.

Historian, Toni-Michelle Travis, Ph.D.

Toni-Michelle C. Travis is a professor emerita of policy and government at George Mason University and former fellow of Oxford University's Rothermere American Institute.
She has conducted research on urban and Virginia politics, as well as race and gender issues.

She is the co-author of Democratic Destiny and the District of Columbia, Uneven Roads, and The Meaning of Difference. She has served as a political analyst on Virginia and national politics.The former editor of the Almanac of Virginia Politcs she has been a commentator on Kojo Nnamdi's "The Virginia Politcs Hour" on WAMU radio . From 1998-2002 She hosted the Capital Region Roundtable, a GMU-TV public affairs show.

Historian, Linda Crinchlow White

Linda Crichlow White, native Washingtonian and retired School Librarian, is the immediate past- president of the DC Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society and serves on the Board of the DC History Center. Linda believes that family history is key to understanding our collective history. Linda has been volunteering at the National Museum of African American History and Culture since it opened, working primarily in the Family History Center there. She is the author, with her mother, of Back There Then, a Historical and Genealogical Memoir.

Historian, Kim Williams

Kim Williams is an architectural historian with an interest in researching local history, neighborhoods, and urban planning developments in and around Washington, D.C. She has been working in the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, where she has been engaged in the research and historical designation of buildings, neighborhoods, and institutional districts.