October is Black History Month, and in this year of unprecedented campaigning and activism following the death of George Floyd, diversity and equality are topics that are rightly at the front of everyone’s minds.
Our clients have come to us with a range of different briefs for keynote speakers on the topic of diversity and inclusion, over the past 6 months. There are a myriad number of ways to approach this incredibly complex subject, and a huge number of keynote speakers who can approach it from different angles.
I’ve listed just a few of these speakers below, and please get in touch with JLA for more information on any of them, or for further ideas for keynote speakers at your Black History Month event.
The first approach I’ve taken is to consider the history of racism and equality, alongside an examination into unconscious bias and the psychology of diversity.
David Olusoga
Historian, Writer and Presenter. Author of Black and British: A Forgotten History which was recently made into a flagship BBC documentary (also fronted by David!)
Olivette Otele
Author, African Europeans: An Untold History. The UK’s first Professor of History of Slavery.
Binna Kandola
Business Psychologist, and author of Racism at Work.
Caroline Webb
Author, How To Have a Good Day. Behavioural economist and psychologist, brilliant on the topic of unconscious bias and its impact in the workplace specifically.
Matthew Syed
Author of three bestselling business books – the most recent is Rebel Ideas, which celebrates cognitive diversity as well as diversity of ethnicity, gender, background.
Deborah Frances-White
Stand-up comedian, writer & host of The Guilty Feminist podcast. A powerhouse on diversity and inclusion briefs, most specifically looking at the ‘inclusion’ part of the brief. All too often companies hire a diverse workforce and then think that’s ‘job done’. Deborah examines the importance of including people – and also how individuals can ensure they’re being included.
The second approach I’ve taken is that of the inspiring personal story – campaigners who have fought for equality, who are striving to educate and inspire and raise awareness.
Lenny Henry
Actor, comedian, co-founder of Comic Relief, and diversity campaigner.
Reni Eddo-Lodge
Author of the hugely influential and popular book (and host of the podcast by the same name) – Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race.
Kanya King
Founder of the MOBO Awards and its brand offshoots, which include MOBO Trust – a talent development programme which provides creative industry opportunities for young people from underprivileged background
Trevor Phillips
Probably best known as the former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), and formerly the head of the Commission for Racial Equality.
Afua Hirsch
Writer, broadcaster, and former barrister. Journalist for The Guardian, and author of Brit(ish): On Race, Identity & Belonging
Clarke Carlisle
Former Chair of the Professional Footballers’ Association, where he led the Kick It Out anti-racism campaign.
June Sarpong
The BBC’s Head of Creative Diversity is the author of Diversify: How to challenge inequality and why we should.
To book the above (or any other speaker) for your event please contact JLA here