NREI Task Force for Social Justice Ambassadors

Dr. Uché Blackstock

Best-selling Author, Founder & CEO, Advancing Health Equity

Dr. Uché Blackstock is the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, appears regularly on MSNBC and NBC News, and is a former associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the former faculty director for recruitment, retention, and inclusion in the Office of Diversity Affairs at NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Blackstock founded Advancing Health Equity in 2019 with the mission of partnering with healthcare organizations to dismantle racism in healthcare and to close the gap in racial health inequities. She was recognized by Forbes magazine, in 2019, as one of “10 Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazers You Need to Get Familiar With”. In 2020, she was one of thirty-one inaugural leaders awarded an unrestricted grant for her advocacy work from the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund.

Dr. Blackstock has received numerous awards and honors, including the American Medical Women’s Association’s 2021 Presidential Award, the 2021 Harvard Humanist of the Year, and the NAACP Brooklyn Chapter’s 2022 Valiant Service Award. Her writing, including numerous OpEds, has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Scientific American, the Washington Post and New York Magazine. Dr. Blackstock received both her undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University, making her and her twin sister, Oni, the first Black mother-daughter legacies from Harvard Medical School. In June 2021, Dr. Blackstock signed a book deal with Penguin Random House Books for her generational memoir, LEGACY: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine. LEGACY was published on January 23, 2024, was an instant New York Times best seller and is currently available to order. Dr. Blackstock currently lives in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York, with her two school-age children.

Darrell Booker

Corporate Affairs Specialist, Racial Equity Tech Lead, Microsoft

Darrell Booker is a dynamic leader at Microsoft's Philanthropy division, renowned for spearheading one of the company's pivotal initiatives: the Nonprofit Tech Acceleration for Black and African American Communities. With an impressive career spanning 25 years in the tech industry, Darrell has held prominent roles as CIO and CTO, establishing himself as a highly accomplished tech entrepreneur. However, what truly sets him apart is his unwavering commitment to leveraging his extensive knowledge and experience to craft innovative solutions aimed at addressing society's most pressing social impact challenges.

At the core of Darrell's mission is a profound passion for the convergence of technology and culture, a driving force that fuels his dedication to creating positive change. Beyond his role at Microsoft, Darrell also serves as the chair of the board for multiple nonprofit organizations, where his leadership and guidance have a lasting impact. Additionally, he provides valuable advisory support to numerous other organizations, further solidifying his status as a visionary leader dedicated to making a difference in the world.

Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw

Co-Founder & Executive Director, African American Policy Forum

Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, Co-founder and Executive Director of AAPF and Faculty Director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies (CISPS) is a pioneering scholar and writer on civil rights, critical race theory, Black feminist legal theory, race, racism, and the law. She is the Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and the Promise Institute Chair on Human Rights at UCLA Law School.

Crenshaw is a widely cited scholar whose writing has appeared in the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Review, the National Black Law Journal, the Stanford Law Review, and the Southern California Law Review. Crenshaw’s groundbreaking work on Intersectionality was influential in the drafting of the equality clause in the South African Constitution. She was the special rapporteur for the Expert Meeting on Gender and Race Discrimination and coordinated NGO efforts to ensure the inclusion of gender in the World Conference in Racism’s Conference Declaration. Crenshaw is a co-editor of Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement and assisted on the legal team representing Anita Hill at the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Crenshaw is also the author of Say Her Name, Black Women’s Stories of State Violence and Public Silence, and co-author of Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, and Underprotected. Crenshaw is a sought-after speaker who conducts workshops and trainings on intersectionality and structural racism around the world. Crenshaw has facilitated workshops for human rights activists in Brazil and India and for constitutional court judges in South Africa and elsewhere.

Crenshaw received AALS Triennial Award for Lifetime Service to Legal Education from the Association of American Law Schools, the 2021 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award by the Women's Section of the Association of American Law Schools, and Lifetime Achievement Aways from Planned Parenthood, the ERA Coalition, and was voted one of the ten most important thinkers in the world by Prospect Magazine. She also received the 2023 Winslow Medal from the Yale School of Public Health, has been named the 2023 W.E.B Du Bois Medalist at Harvard University, and was the recipient of the New Press Social Justice Award. Crenshaw’s Intersectionality Matters! ranks among the top 5 percent of podcasts, and her internet series “Under the Blacklight: The Intersectional Vulnerabilities that Covid Laid Bare,” received a WEBBIE recognition. She is a frequent contributor on MSNBC and NPR. She currently sits on the boards of Sundance Institute and the Algorithmic Justice League.

Marley Dias

Activist, Author, Producer & Founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks

Marley Dias is the witty and purpose-driven young founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks and author of Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! Her successful campaign garnered over 10 billion media impressions and the international movement to collect and donate children’s books that feature Black girls as the lead character propelled her to the top of the social justice stratosphere. 

At just 11 years old, Marley launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks drive in November of 2015 with the help of the GrassROOTS Community Foundation, leveraging the power of media to reach a larger audience. The #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign eclipsed its original goal after her story went viral and was picked up by media outlets around the world, including Ellen, BBC News, CBS This Morning, The Today Show, The View, NPR  and several others.  Bloggers, schools, youth-focused organizations and millions of individuals helpedMarley collect over 15,000 books to-date, donating them to libraries, schools and others in need, including in Jamaica, her mother’s place of birth. 

In response to her fearless work, Marley was  invited to speak at the White House's United State of Women alongside Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, The Forbes Women's Summit, United Nations Girl Up, Inbound, CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, the Social Innovation Summit and several others. She was honored with the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award, also known as the “the Golden Globes of Intellect,” in the Youth Category in 2017, for her transformative work around representation in literature. Dias was also honored by TIME as one of the 25 most influential teens in 2018 and was recognized as the youngest member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list to date.

While serving as an Editor in Residence at ELLE, Marley interviewed Ava DuVernay, Misty Copeland and Hillary Clinton.  She has also been featured in a Microsoft Commercial, a Disney World Resorts digital campaign and a Walmart Black History Month campaign, to name a few of her partnerships.  Additionally, Marley has done interviews with Teen Vogue, Refinery29 Unbothered, Glamour, and more.

Marley's campaign would not be possible without GrassROOTS Community Foundation (GCF), a public health and social action organization that has given her the training for success. GCF – co-founded by Marley’s mother Dr. Janice Johnson Dias –  funds, supports, develops and scales community health and wellness programs for women and girls. They also advocate for policies and practices that reduce disparities and foster equity. 

Marley’s passion and advocacy goes beyond her love for reading, She has been an outspoken voice for several issues that resonate with her life vision and mission. Along with other Super Girls from the GrassROOTS Community Foundation, Marley started Green Ribbon Week to bring awareness to the need for mental health resources for teens. 

In 2020, Marley added Executive Producer to her many titles with the launch of Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices on Netflix. The show, also hosted by Marley, features celebrities reading books that feature Black characters and authors. In 2021, the show was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Children's Programs category.

In April 2022, Marley was invited to the White House to offer comments during a policy briefing hosted by Gender Policy Council Director Jen Klein. The meeting – which also included Ambassador Susan Rice and a small group of girls and young women identified by leading national girls organizations and initiatives – featured a discussion on how to address the nation’s mental health crisis. 

Marley is a student at Harvard where she writes for the Harvard Crimson. She also currently serves as the National Education Association’s (NEA) National Ambassador for their Read Across America campaign. Marley also has been published in national publications like Rolling Stone and Elle, Essence Girls United and others. 

Her #1000blackgirlbooks resource guide can be found here.

Tylik McMillan

Youth Coalitions Director, National Democratic Committee

Internationally recognized young civil rights activist and movement strategist Tylik McMillan, is a native of Lawrenceville Virginia, by way of Harrisburg Pennsylvania and a proud HBCU graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Tylik currently serves as the National Youth Coalitions Director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Tylik in his role works closely with the Director of Coalitions & Community Engagement to develop and implement a comprehensive outreach and engagement strategies to reach, engage, and mobilize key stakeholders, communities, and coalitions in support of the DNC’s mission to win elections and build Democratic power. Tylik outside the DNC works to educate lawmakers and stakeholders from the White House to corporate c-suites on the challenges and opportunities facing communities, by advocating for more resources and policies that help invest and advance economic and social equality. Tylik helped organize the 2020 Commitment March on Washington and 2021 March On for Voting Rights which drew over hundreds of thousands to Washington DC which called for racial justice, police reform, voting rights protections, census participation and more. He has helped lead racial equity impact work at Gilead Science fighting health equity and Community Advancement campaigns for America's Credit Unions. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Political Action Committee Board of Directors and Social Justice Ambassador of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) National Racial Equity Initiative for Social Justice (NREI) Task Force. Within his work Tylik has appeared on MSNBC, BBC World News and others. He has been recognized by Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden-Harris White House as a prominent young voice to help lead our nation forward. In addition, he has been recognized as a United States Black Chamber of Commerce 50 Under 40, Bloomberg 50 One to Watch, National Urban League Young Professional National Trailblazer, featured by Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, BBC, BET among other global, national, and local outlets. Tylik wishes to inspire other young people to get involved and make civic engagement the new norm, not the exception.

Erika Alexander

Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Color Farm Media

Erika Alexander is beloved for her iconic acting roles as Maxine Shaw (“Living Single,” NAACP Image Awards as Outstanding Actress/Comedy Series), Detective Latoya (“Get Out”), Cousin Pam (“The Cosby Show”), Perenna (“Black Lightning”), Linda Diggs (“Wutang: An American Saga”), Barb Ballard (Run The World), and Meredith Lockhart (“Swimming with Sharks”).

Ms. Alexander wears many hats, including actress, trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer and director—one of the country’s boldest, most daring, and powerful voices. As a creator, she recognizes that entertaining stories, when socially conscious and carefully constructed, have the capacity to create impact and meaningful change. As co-founder of Color Farm Media, she is on a mission to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to both media and electoral politics.

Color Farm Media, self-described as the “Motown of film, TV, and tech,” develops and produces scripted and non-scripted content for film, television, streaming and podcast platforms. Color Farm’s most recent project, about the legendary Congressman and civil rights icon, John Lewis: Good Trouble, won the NAACP Award Best Documentary and was nominated for three Emmy Awards.

Color Farm is also currently producing two podcasts. On Reparations: The Big Payback, they are partnered with The Black Effect Network and iHeartMedia. Finding Tamika, which will premiere in March 2022, is in partnership with Audible and SBH Productions (Kevin Hart / Charlamagne Tha God). Color Farm also has several scripted film and television projects in advanced stages of development. Ms. Alexander also previously co-wrote the Buffy the Vampire spin-off, “Giles,” a graphic novel collaboration with Joss Whedon and Dark Horse. And Ms. Alexander co-created the award-winning, ground-breaking sci-fi series, “Concrete Park,” which was published by Dark Horse.

Ms. Alexander has also stepped into the arena of film director. She is currently co-directing a documentary film about the first reparations bill for African Americans entitled The Big Payback.

In addition to her entertainment career, Ms. Alexander is a critical thought leader on racial and gender equity and leadership. She serves as a Board member for One Fair Wage and Exponent, and is highly involved with many other social and racial justice orgs, including The Poor People's Campaign, Color of Change, NAACP, UNCF, and others. Her work in content reflects the social activism work she does on the ground.

A sought-after speaker, Ms. Alexander delivers keynotes on topics including leadership, communications & performance, and diversity & inclusion. Born in Winslow, Arizona, Ms. Alexander grew up in Flagstaff before moving to Philadelphia.

LaTosha Brown

Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter

LaTosha Brown is an award-winning visionary thought leader, institution builder, Cultural Activist and Artist, and Connector. She is a nationally recognized, “go-to” expert in Black Voting Rights and Voter Suppression, Black Women’s Empowerment, and Philanthropy.

Her voice is the nexus between the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement, and Black Lives Matter.

“There is power in my voice! It is a divine gift that I use to connect different worlds. I bridge the philanthropy world to the grassroots community, traditional politics to grassroots politics, and practitioners to the scholarship of movement building.”

Ms. Brown is the Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. These initiatives are designed to boost Black voter registration and turnout, as well as increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities.

Ms. Brown is also the Visionary, Founder and Co-Anchor of a regional network called the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium. This is $100 million, 10-year initiative to invest in organizations that serve Black women and girls. The goal of the consortium is to create a new approach to philanthropy by allowing every component of the program, inception to execution, to be created by Black girls and women in the South.

Ms. Brown is also the 2020 Hauser Leader at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, the 2020 Leader in Practice at Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program, and a 2020-2021 American Democracy fellow at the Charles Warren Center at Harvard.

What’s Next?

Ms. Brown has worked in 23 different countries to include Kenya, Guyana, and Brazil. Her next mission involves resourcing and empowering women across the Diaspora. “I don’t want women to be seen as victims; they are the problem solvers for the world. I am convinced that Black Women are going to liberate the world!”

In the Media

Ms. Brown has received numerous awards and accolades for her work. She has been featured on ABC, CBS, CNN, Democracy Now, and PBS. Her Op-Eds have been showcased in the New York Times, Politico and Essence. Her work has also been highlighted in several docuseries: What’s Eating America?,  American Swamp, and Finding Justice. To learn more about Ms. Brown, please visit www.mslatoshabrown.com.

Tamir D. Harper

Co-Founder, UrbEd Inc.

At 21-years-old, Tamir Harper is a proud product of the School District of Philadelphia, non-profit co-founder, an outspoken disruptor for public education, Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar, and the 61st Eastern Regional Assistant Vice President for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

Mr. Harper, a Southwest Philadelphia native and a proud product of the School District of Philadelphia. He currently attends the American University, in Washington D.C., as a part of the awarding-winning Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars program and is currently majoring in public relations strategic communications with a minor in education.

When Mr. Harper was 17 years old he co-founded UrbEd Inc., a nonprofit that advocates for a quality and efficient urban education, by working to disband the school-to-prison pipeline, increasing teacher diversity, improving building conditions, and advocating for local control of schools.

In his role as Assistant Vice President for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Mr. Harper has the opportunity to serve on the board of directors for the internationally recognized fraternity, lead courageous conversations, assist with building innovative systems, all while providing service and advocacy for a wide range of communities.

Mr. Harper has a mission to create sustainable change for generations. His advocacy work and desires have allowed him to serve as the founding executive director of UrbEd Inc., national policy director for Student Voice, School District of Philadelphia k-12 Counseling Advisory Group, and as a Commissioner on the City of Philadelphia Youth Commission. Mr. Harper’s dedication has been featured in Good Morning America, TIMES magazine, The Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Mr. Harper looks forward to entering the classroom after graduating from American University while pursuing his master’s degree.

Nupol Kiazolu

Founder, We Protect Us

Nupol Kiazolu is a powerhouse in the field of activism, from being on the front lines of the Charlottesville protests to taping "Do I look suspicious?" behind her hoodie in the wake of Travyon Martin's death. Ms. Kiazolu is an award-winning Civil Rights Activist, Organizer, Miss Liberia USA, and proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She lends her spirit, expertise and voice to her organization, We Protect Us, to empower disenfranchised Black and Brown communities through mutual-aid, education, violence prevention services and sustainable resources. The Brooklynite has been a leading voice among Generation Z, focusing on civil rights, domestic and sexual violence, and homelessness. When Ms. Kiazolu is not at Hampton University, striving to obtain her BA in Political Science, she is being recognized by Forbes, Seventeen Magazine and The New York Times. The multi-hyphenate is also the first HBCU student to be a part of Teen Vogue's 21 under 21 list. When she is not on the frontlines, you can catch her reading Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, beautifying her friends with makeup and cooking Cassava leaves.

Dr. Judy Lubin

President, Center for Urban and Racial Equity

Dr. Judy Lubin is a nationally recognized thought leader, researcher, and change catalyst with over 20 years of experience working at the intersections of racial equity, social policy, and public health. Drawing on her deep belief in the power of everyday people to transform systems and institutions and build just and sustainable communities, she has dedicated her career to working nationally and locally to drive meaningful change across sectors including health, housing, urban planning and community development.

Since 2003, Dr. Lubin has served as founder and president of the Center for Urban and Racial Equity (CURE), whose mission is to partner with people and organizations to advance equity through policy, systems, institutional, and community change. Since its inception, Dr. Lubin and her team have advocated for racial equity as a core value and process for developing and assessing public policies, work environments, and community program and services. She has advised and led equity-centered programs, assessments, trainings and transformation processes with organizations and government agencies including the DC Office of Planning, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Reinvestment Fund, ZERO TO THREE, Vera Institute for Justice, and numerous housing and community development organizations. As an agent of change, CURE released the 2020 Racial Justice Presidential Scorecard rating major candidates on their policy positions related to racial equity, prompting several Democratic campaigns to request evaluations of their policy proposals to improve their rankings.

Dr. Lubin previously served as health equity strategist for the New Orleans Health Department, director for Allies for Reaching Community Health Equity, and communications director for national organizations including the Black Women’s Health Imperative and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Committed to promoting women’s heart health and wellness, Dr. Lubin is also the author of The Heart of Living Well: Six Principles for a Life of Health, Beauty and Balance and recipient of the General Mills Foundation’s Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts award for her Heart and Style initiative to prevent heart disease among Black women. She is also a former Congressional Black Caucus Foundation public health fellow.

She is frequently called upon by media for her expertise on race, politics, health and social policy and was a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. Dr. Lubin has been featured in national media outlets such as CNN, BET, Ebony, Essence, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The New York Times, CityLab and MarketWatch. As a sought-after speaker, she presented at TEDx Mid Atlantic and has spoken at the White House, in addition to many other nationwide appearances.

Since 2015, she has served as an adjunct professor for Howard University’s Department of Sociology, where she’s led community-centered urban research initiatives funded by the National Park Service. Prior to that, she served as a professorial lecturer at American University.

As a lifelong learner, Dr. Lubin completed her PhD in sociology from Howard University with specializations in medical sociology and social inequality. She also earned a master of public health from Emory University and a bachelor of arts in psychology (cum laude) from Florida State University.

A second-generation Haitian American, Dr. Lubin grew up in Miami’s rich cultural milieu of immigrants from the Caribbean and Central and South America. This experience profoundly shaped her sense of justice, equity, and appreciation of the beauty and humanity of all people.

Dr. Maurice Stinnett

Global Head of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Warner Music Group

Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett is an experienced leader and expert in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and equity across corporate, nonprofit, and education sectors. He serves as Global Head of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Warner Music Group, a leader in global music entertainment. In his role at WMG, he spearheads the company’s equity initiatives and implements tailored strategies and programs designed to cultivate a diverse and inclusive company culture.

Dr. Stinnett previously made history as inaugural Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for BSE Global, owner of Barclays Center, the WNBA’s New York Liberty, and the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, where he provided leadership and support across BSE’s brands. He was the first Black man to be appointed Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for an NBA team. After leaving his role as VP, he was appointed the second-ever Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE) Ambassador for the team.

His earlier career experience includes roles in higher education and nonprofit leadership. He held positions as Vice President of Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Cleveland State University and as Dean of Students at Central State University. In the nonprofit sector, he acted as Senior Director of Community Engagement and Education at CentroNia, a multicultural, bilingual education nonprofit located in Washington, DC, and Chairman for the World Leadership Program, a White House initiative under the Obama administration that sought to spark learning and dialogue between graduate students and universities in the Middle East and the United States.

Dr. Stinnett is an energetic presenter who is a fierce advocate for equity and inclusion. He has been recognized for his work by various organizations, including receiving the Jackie Robinson Trailblazer Award from Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition and being named to the ‘The Responsible 100’ corporate leaders list by City & State New York. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Central State University, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Master of Education and Doctor of Education and Organizational Leadership from Columbia University.