Dr. Luis Ponjuan will be speaking at the BBCB Summit, and is an Associate Professor in Higher Education Administration in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on academic success and college degree completion of male students of color, first-generation students’ access into higher education, and the recruitment and retention of faculty members of color.

Dr. Carlos Muñoz, Jr. will be featured at the conference, and is a scholar-activist who has been a central figure in the struggles for civil and human rights, social and economic justice, and peace in the United States and abroad since he was a student activist in the 1960s. He played a prominent leadership role as a founder of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.

Charles F. Coleman Jr., Esq. is another speaker who will be present at the summit. He is a seasoned civil rights attorney and legal analyst who has quickly emerged as one of the newest and strongest voices in the conversation on race, law, culture, politics, and civil rights.

Dr. Mark Anthony Neal adds to the cohort of conference speakers, and is a Professor of Black Popular Culture in the Department of African and African-American Studies at Duke University, where he won the 2010 Robert B. Cox Award for Teaching.

Combining a moving life story, an exceptional career, incomparable insights, and a powerful presence, John Quiñones has emerged as one of the most inspiring keynotes in the speaking world today. His moving presentations focus on his odds-defying journey, celebrate the life-changing power of education, champion the Latino American Dream, and provide thought- provoking insights into human nature and ethical behavior.

True multi-hyphenate John Legend is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. Along with ten Grammy Awards, John won both an Academy Award and Golden Globe in 2015 for the original song “Glory” from the acclaimed feature “SELMA”. Since his start in 2004, he has released four studio albums and collaborated on major hits with Twista, Jay Z, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Janet Jackson, Slum Village, Dilated Peoples, The Black Eyed Peas, and Kanye West. JOHN received the 2007 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and earned a Billboard Hot 100 number-one single with “All of Me” in 2013.