Distinguished Program Participants

Robert J. Brown

Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, B & C Associates, Inc.

Robert J. Brown is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of B&C Associates, Inc., a management consulting, marketing research and public relations firm headquartered in High Point, North Carolina. He is also the Chairman and CEO of B&C International, Inc., and President of International BookSmart Foundation. Numerous colleges, universities and national organizations have honored Brown. He holds ten honorary doctorate degrees and six national achievement awards. He has also been honored as a recipient of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Award

Morris Chestnut

Actor

Morris Chestnut first came to be recognized by moviegoers starring as Ricky in Boyz n the Hood (1991). Two years later, he landed a lead role in Civil Rights Drama The Ernest Green Story (1993) (TV), showing courage and perseverance as one of the Arkansas Nine high school students. His film credits include: Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), G.I. Jane (1997) and Half Past Dead (2002) as well The Best Man (1999), The Brothers (2001), Two Can Play That Game (2001), and Breakin’ All the Rules (2004). He can be seen in Universal‘s Identity Thief, opposite Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy.

The Honorable Barbara Lee

Member of Congress – California’s 13th District

Barbara Jean Lee is the U.S. Representative for California’s 13th congressional district, serving East Bay voters from 1998 to 2013 during a time when the region was designated California’s 9th congressional district. Congresswoman Lee has established a reputation for principled and independent stands, unafraid to take on the tough issues and speak her mind for her constituents, for a more just America, and for a safer world. As a social worker by profession, being an advocate for people in dealing with the federal bureaucracy has been a priority.

The Honorable Paul Mashatile

Minister of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa

As a student, Mashatile was an activist in the struggle against apartheid as a member of the Congress of South African Students, and was the co-founder and first president of the Alexandra Youth Congress. He was detained without trial from 1985-1989, and participated in a nation-wide protest by engaging in an 18-day hunger strike. When the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party were unbanned in 1990, he helped re-establish them and continued to organize on their behalf.

Mikki Taylor

Quintessential Authority on Style and Beauty

Mikki Tay­lor is the quin­tes­sen­tial author­ity on all mat­ters regard­ing beauty. From A-list celebri­ties and world-renowned cover mod­els, to women-in-the-know, Mikki influ­ences all types of women with her vision of beauty and style. She has devoted a life­time to help­ing women man­age their inner and outer beauty and inspir­ing them to own their lives to the fullest.