Welcome to The Root Institute 2022!
This September, we will gather together some of our community’s most talented thought leaders, activists and cultural curators for a series of insightful conversations about the future of Black America.
The Root Institute will, for the first time ever, take place in Washington, D.C. What better backdrop than our nation’s capital for the kind of thought-provoking discussions that can help shed new light on our current challenges, offer practical solutions, and provide the pathways forward we need to survive and thrive in this country. Topics will range from social justice and politics, to health and wellness, to technology and the arts.
We invite you to join us on September 13 and 14 as we amplify our voices for the betterment of all.
Panel Discussions
September 13 and September 14
The Auditorium at
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
9 am to 4 pm ET
901 G Street NW
Washington, D.C.
Cocktail Reception
September 13
Clyde’s of Gallery Place
5 pm to 7 pm ET
707 7th Street NW
Washington, D.C.
*Please note: In compliance with DC Public Library COVID guidelines,
masks are required in all public spaces of the Library,
with the exception of the Auditorium during the Root Institute*
Setting the agenda for Black America’s future
Tuesday, September 13 | Day 1 Agenda
IN CONVERSATION WITH STACEY ABRAMS
Featuring Stacey Abrams, Democratic nominee for governor of
Georgia, lawyer, non-profit founder, and producer
POLICE BRUTALITY AND DEFUNDING THE POLICE
Featuring Chance D. Lynch, Esq., national civil rights attorney,
pastor, and author of Faith Made Me Do It
MENTAL HEALTH AND THE BLACK FAMILY
Featuring Courtney B. Vance, award-winning stage and screen actor, president of
the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and co-owner of Bassett Vance Productions, and
Dr. Robin L. Smith, psychologist, author, minister, and radio host
IMPACT OF COVID ON BLACK AMERICA Featuring Ashish K. Jha, M.D., M.P.H, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator
and Brown University’s Dean of the School of Public Health
THE FUTURE OF BLACK ECONOMIC MOBILITY
Featuring Cecilia Rouse, 30th Chair of the Council of
Economic Advisers at the White House
WHY OUR CHILDREN CAN’T THRIVE WITHOUT THE ARTS
Featuring Misty Copeland, Principal Dancer with the
American Ballet Theatre, author, activist, and producer
THE TRUTH BEHIND DIVERSITY IN TECH
Featuring Melonie Parker, Chief Diversity Officer of Google
COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Please join us for light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres
at 5pm at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, following the completion of Day 1.
Reception tickets are limited to two-day event pass holders.
Guests must be 21+ years old to attend.
Wednesday, September 14 | Day 2 Agenda
MIDTERMS AND THE POWER OF THE BLACK VOTE
Featuring Melanie Campbell, Chair of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation,
and LaTosha Brown, Co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund,
founder of Saving OurSelves Coalition, singer, and songwriter
ACTIVISM IN TRYING TIMES
Featuring Dr. David J. Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition,
Tamika Mallory, Co-founder of Until Freedom, Co-chair of the Women’s March, author, and podcast host of Street Politicians,
and Ben Crump, acclaimed civil rights lawyer, author, and President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association
RACE, GENDER, AND THE NFL
Featuring Jonathan Beane, Senior Vice President and
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the NFL
PROTECTING YOUR PURPOSE: A SURVIVOR’S STORY
Featuring Sabrina Greenlee, mother of Arizona Cardinals receiver
DeAndre Hopkins, entrepreneur, author, and domestic violence survivor
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN THE POST-GEORGE FLOYD ERA
Featuring Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney,
Darcel Clark, 13th District Attorney for Bronx County, and
Aisha N. Braveboy, State's Attorney of Prince George's County, Maryland
HOW MOVEMENTS HAVE MADE US STRONGER
Featuring Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach,
Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, professor, pastor, and author