Inspirational Speakers

"Shaping Minds One Speech at a Time"

Colleges and Universities value the future of their students’ lives. At GBS, our famous university speakers deliver an informative and productive message that persuades students to follow a positive career path most suitable for them. 

Whether you are looking for a speaker for graduation, a panel discussion, or a full day event, Great Black Speakers can accommodate you. Below are a few of the most famous and top motivational speakers that have a passion to enlighten the youth about the benefits that an education can bring.

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Donna Brazile - Political Commentator and Chair of the Voting Rights Institute Price Range: Call for quote Categories: Political, Women in Society, Black History, Diversity Donna Brazile is one of the best known, most influential African American women in modern American political life. She is Chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Voting Rights Institute (VRI), an organization established in 2001 to help protect and promote the rights of all Americans to participate in the political process. Brazile is the author of Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics, a memoir about her life in the political arena, and co-author of What We Do Now, published by Melville House in 2004. Brazile, a well-versed Democratic political strategist, made history as the first African American women to lead a major presidential campaign when she served as Campaign Manager for Gore-Lieberman 2000. Prior to joining the Gore campaign, Brazile was Chief of Staff and Press Secretary to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia where she helped guide the District’s budget and local legislation on Capitol Hill. Read more...		Al "The Inspiration" Duncan - America's Leading Youth Empowerment Advocate Price Range: $4000 - $7500 Categories: Entrepreneurism, Motivation, Empowerment, Communication As America's Leading Youth Empowerment Advocate and a thought leader in the field of self-development, Al is an expert blogger for The Black Collegian Magazine. His blog, Elevate U™,is read weekly by students across the globe. He is the Executive Publisher of Nile Valley Press and president of Al Duncan Enterprises. Al, a successful entrepreneur, is the author of two books and co-creator of Get ALL Fired Up!™ -- a powerful personal and professional development book series. A Cross-Generational Communication Specialist, Al is a high energy, high content, high impact speaker, lecturer, and motivational powerhouse. He has delivered 1000 keynotes and seminars to half of a million people. Read More... Links: It's All Mental Photo Al Duncan Promotional Material
Kimmie Weeks Price Range: Call for Quote Categories: Change, Motivation, Civil Rights Kimmie Weeks has worked to alleviate poverty and human suffering in Africa and around the world since he was fourteen years old. Kimmie was born in Liberia 1981. When he was nine, Kimmie came face to face with civil war, human suffering, and death. He vividly recalls eating roots and wild leaves when his family did not have access to food, drinking infested water when national water supply was shut off, and nearly being buried alive after epidemics had wrecked his emaciated body. Over the years, Kimmie has formed partnerships and led organizations that have provided education to thousands of students in West Africa, lobbied the disarmament of over 20,000 child soldiers, and provided health care and recreation supplies to children. In 1998, Kimmie Weeks investigated and released a groundbreaking report on the Liberian government’s involvement in the training children as soldiers. As a result, former Liberian President Charles Taylor made several attempts to assassinate him until he fled Liberia and was granted political asylum in the United States. Read More...		Farrah Gray - The Reallionare  Price Range: $8000 - $10000 Topics: Celebrity, Business, Entrepreneurism, eCommerce Dr. Farrah Gray was named as one of the most influential Black men in America by the National Urban League's Urban Influence Magazine. At 21 years old, he was recognized by Ebony Magazine as an entrepreneurial icon, business mogul and best-selling author. Raised in the improvised South side of Chicago, Dr. Gray defied the odds and became a self-made millionaire by the age of 14. At the age of 21, he became Dr. Farrah Gray, receiving an Honorary Doctorate degree of Humane Letters from Allen University. This was in recognition of his ingenious economic mind and distinguished commitment to the development of values such as leadership, integrity and scholarship. In his rise from poverty to national and international prominence as an entrepreneurial icon and pre-eminent power speaker, Dr. Gray has inspired millions around the world. Read more...
Marshawn Evans - Beauty Queen Turned Corporate Attorney Price Range: $5000 - $7500 Categories: Women in Society, Business, Media, Black History, Entrepreneurism, Diversity The journey for entrepreneur, attorney and author, Marshawn Evans, J.D., stretches from being labeled a problem-child to becoming one of Glamour Magazine’s and USA Today’s top women in America. Now known to audiences as “Miss Peak Performance,” Marshawn has used her story to speak words of empowerment across the nation and on such leading media outlets as ABC, VH1, CNBC and PBS. As President and Chief Branding Officer of EDGE 3M, a media, marketing and management firm for celebrities and professional athletes, she represents some of the nation’s top personalities in entertainment, the NFL and NBA.  With her savvy business brawn, Marshawn attracted the attention of real-estate tycoon Donald Trump whom handpicked her as a cast member on NBC’s popular show The Apprentice, and enabled her to lead Trump’s all-women team to their only victory as the project manager. Read more... Links: Demo Video		Jonathan Bowman - Award-winning, innovative leader and accomplished attorney Price Range: Call for quote Categories: Leadership, Vision/Purpose, Inspirational, Management, Civil Rights, Black History A true visionary, Jonathan Michael Bowman is the founding President and CEO of Clear Picture Leadership, LLC. He helps leaders, aspiring leaders and those who seek personal growth to set and achieve a bold, clear-picture vision for themselves, their team or entire organization.Jonathan’s proven leadership principles sprang from an impoverished childhood spent in homeless shelters and public housing projects – principles he tested in high power legal positions.His passion and powerful messages stem from three central themes in his life: 1. his professional experience as a leader in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, with proven results; 2. his challenging upbringing, which impelled him to develop leadership principles; 3. his fine-art photography, which he uses to illustrate his key points. Read more...
Dr. Boyce Watkins  - The People's Scholar who specializes in finance, education, and black social commentary. Price Range: $5000 - $7500 Categories: Financial Empowerment, , Black Social Commentary, Motivation, Educational Excellence  Dr. Boyce Watkins is one of the most highly sought after African-American scholars in the world. Specializing in financial psychology, educational motivation, and black social commentary, Dr. Watkins has presented his message to millions, making regular appearances on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC News, BET, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Black Enterprise Magazine and many more national media outlets. Brilliant, articulate, and practical, Dr. Watkins is a world-leading authority in Finance and Investing. In his fifth and most recent book, “Financial Lovemaking 101 – Merging assets with your partner in ways that feel good”, Read More...   Links: Everything you Ever Wanted to Know About College Managing your Money Rhyme Strictly for the Haters		Lynn Whitfield - Emmy Award Winning Actress Price Range: Call for Quote Categories: Arts/Culture/Music, Inspirational, Black History, Motivation, Media Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lynn Whitfield first watched the likes of Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and Bette Davis in "All About Eve" from her grandmother's lap. She loved classic movies and with child-like confidence, she could see no reason she could not become an actress and some day play those same types of roles. Over the course of nearly three decades, the talent of the little girl who dreamed of being on the silver screen has taken her to the heights of the acting profession and earned the respect of the public and her peers. After gaining attention on the stage as one of the young women of color in Ntozake Shange's poetic panorama of the black female experience, "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf", Whitfield began appearing in supporting roles in such films as "Doctor Detroit" (1982) and "Silverado" (1985) but did not achieve real success until starring in television films ("The George McKenna Story", "Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI", both CBS 1986) and miniseries (the acclaimed "The Women of Brewster Place" ABC 1989). Read More...
George Duvall - Motivational Speaker, Consultant, Comedian Price Range: $2500 - $4500 Categories: Motivation, Inspirational, Comedian/Comedienne, Education, Family George Duvall is a motivational speaker, consultant and comedian who share his positive message of success with colleges and organizations across America.  George spent 15 years of his life in foster care and in youth facilities. Now he speaks to audiences about the importance of fun, family, unity and higher education.  George has presented at over 150 events over the past 10 years. His first speaking engagement was for the Kentucky State Foster Parent dinner in 1995. Since his first speech, Mr. Duvall has become one of the nation’s most entertaining and inspirational motivational speakers on youth issues. Read more...		Ephren Taylor - XXXX
Lakeisha McKnight - Life Coach, Mentor, Author, Licensed Minister, and Motivational Speaker  Price Range: Call for Quote Categories: Motivation, Inspirational, Youth/Children, Leadership Lakeisha is a 26 yr old entreprenuer, life coach, mentor, author, licensed minister, motivational speaker and social worker by profession. Lakeisha has been listed amongst Cambridge ’s Whose Who for business leaders, is a member of Maximize Leaders (under the leadership of Dr. B. Courtney McBath), and a member of the National Association of Professional Women.  Lakeisha knows what it takes to rise from victim to victor growing up in a Christian home. Lakeisha attended Martin Luther King Jr. School #30, located in Paterson, New Jersey, for her first nine years of school (including Kindergarten). During these years, she gifted with the ability to excel in her studies. She was named the best reader in her fourth grade class and excelled in spelling by two grade levels. She was able to maintain honor roll and straight A's through elementary school on into Rosa Parks Arts High School while being a victim of sexual abuse. The hand of God was upon Lakeisha’ life, enabling to continue excelling in her studies despite possible setbacks. Read More...		Don Lemon - Father of the gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookie industry Price Range: $10,000 - $12,000 Categories: Communication, Inspirational, Political, Motivation Don Lemon anchors the afternoon edition of CNN Newsroom with Kyra Phillips each weekday. Based in the network’s world headquarters in Atlanta, Lemon joined CNN in September 2006. Lemon joined CNN after serving as a co-anchor for the 5 p.m. newscast for NBC5 News in Chicago. He joined the station in August 2003 as an anchor and reporter after working in New York as a correspondent for NBC News, The Today Show and NBC Nightly News. In addition to his reporting in New York, Lemon worked as an anchor on Weekend Today and on MSNBC. While at NBC, Lemon covered the explosion of Space Shuttle Columbia, SARS in Canada and numerous other stories of national and global importance. In addition to NBC5 and NBC News, Lemon has served as a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter for WCAU-TV, an NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, a general assignment and investigative reporter for KTVI-TV in St. Louis and a reporter for WBRC-TV in Birmingham. He began his career at WNYW in New York City as a news assistant while still in college. Read more...
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