Michael Beard is founder and President of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, the largest gun control organization in the United States.  As a lobbyist, he has testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as various state legislatures and city councils.  Beard’s op-eds and presentations call for a strategy to reduce handgun violence, challenging the role of guns and gun rights in a democratic society.

Located In: Debates

One of this country's most distinguished legal scholars and civil rights activists, Derrick Bell explores race, identity, cultural diversity, ethics and the law.  He is the author of Silent Covenants: Brown v. Board and the Unfulfilled Hopes for Racial Reform, Ethical Ambition, and Faces at the Bottom of the Well.

Located In: Black Heritage Month, Commencement Speakers

Has led the battle for bilingual education and better racial relations.  His name has become synonymous with building positive synergy through ethnic diversity.  Much more than a lecturer, Betances works to help others learn how adding cultures together can equal the solution to bringing America back to the top - in education, business and society.

Located In: Latino Speakers

Who is Jack Abramoff, and how did he turn Washington upside down?  What really goes on behind the scenes in the nation’s capital? Author and Washington Post columnist Jeff Birnbaum is an expert in both the financial and political worlds.  Like few others, his unique perspective enables him to decode the complex connections between politics, business, lobbying and campaign fund-raising.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Media, Commencement Speakers

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Dr. Zohara Boyd was a Jewish child in Europe during World War II. Dr. Boyd grew up in Poland during the Nazi occupation and obtained documents of a Polish Catholic family to survive. She started teaching at Appalachian State University in the late 1970s and has since helped found ASU’s Office of Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies at Appalachian State University. She continues to travel with Dr. Peter Petschauer and visits elementary and middle schools to deliver lectures and answer questions about the holocaust.

Located In: Speaking on Human Rights and Social Justice

steve brodner

Starting with a small newspaper, to his syndicated series “Tomorrow’s News Tonight” and his retrospective Freedom Fries, Steve Brodner’s award-winning career as a satirical illustrator and art journalist spans three decades.  His iconic caricatures of pop and political culture have appeared all over the U.S, as well as his visual essays of political campaigns and the struggles of everyday working families.

Located In: Media, Programs $5000 and Under

roy brooks

A leading legal scholar and civil rights activist.  Author of Re-Thinking The American Race Problem and Atonement and Forgiveness: A New Model for Black Reparations, and editor of When Sorry Isn't Enough: The Controversy over Apologies and Reparations for Human Injustice, he argues persuasively that African Americans are owed reparations for the centuries of enslavement their ancestors endured.

Located In: Black Heritage Month, Debates

tony brown

Nationally known television commentator of “Tony Brown's Journal”, syndicated columnist and film director, his first book is entitled No White Lies. No Black Lies. Only the Truth!  Mr. Brown’s other books include Empower the People and What Mama Taught Me: The Seven Core Values of Life.

Located In: Black Heritage Month

joan jacobs brumberg

Award winning author of Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa and The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls.  She holds a unique appointment teaching in the fields of history, human development, and gender studies. Her most recent book, Kansas Charley - The Story of a 19th Century Boy Murderer explores the history of the juvenile death penalty in America.

Located In: Women's Issues

robert bullard

Leading the battle for environmental justice, from dealing with the toxic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to curbing urban sprawl, Dr. Bullard tells the stories of frontline warriors who are fighting environmental and human rights abuses. His research and activism challenges government and industry policies that place people of color and the poor at special risk. He is the author of 14 books, including Growing Smarter: Achieving Livable Communities, Environmental Justice, and Regional Equity and The Black Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century: Race, Power, and the Politics of Place, which were released in 2007.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Black Heritage Month, Environmental Speakers, Commencement Speakers

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http://www.ejrc.cau.edu
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ken burns

Called “the most accomplished documentary filmmaker of his generation” by The New York Times, Burns is the creator of such acclaimed PBS series as “Baseball”, “The Civil War” – the highest rated series in the history of American Public Television – and most recently “Unforgiveable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson.”

Located In: Performing Arts

chandler burr

One of the most lucid and provocative writers on gay and lesbian issues, Chandler Burr is the author of the widely praised book A Separate Creation: The Search for the Biological Origins of Sexual Orientation.  Burr is also an expert on the mysteries of perfume and the little-understood sense of smell.  In his book The Emperor of Scent, he tells the amazing story of a real-life genius of aromas, engaging the reader in the science and art of how perfumes are made, and the secretive industry that makes them.

Located In: GLBT, Science Speakers, Programs $5000 and Under

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nigel cameron

Founder of the journal Ethics in Medicine, Nigel Cameron has an international reputation as commentator on bioethics and biotech issues, with appearances on ABC's “Nightline”, PBS' “Frontline”, and other network television, congressional testimony, and a string of publications. He lectures widely on college and medical school campuses, directs the DC-based Council for Biotechnology Policy and recently represented the United States at the United Nations meeting on human cloning.

Located In: Debates

bruce campbell

Cult movie icon in the Evil Dead series, and star in television and films, Bruce Campbell's multimedia talk offers a hilarious and insightful look at his career and Hollywood pretension. He is also the author of two books: If Chins Could Kill and Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Performing Arts, Commencement Speakers

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http://www.bruce-campbell.com
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hector cantu

Hector Cantú created his first newspaper cartoon when he was twelve.  Now he is the writer and co-creator of the successful syndicated comic strip Baldo.  Through sophisticated, gentle humor, he seeks to bring a different perspective to daily comic pages, giving a peek into the daily lives of a Latino family.  Cantú speaks frequently on Latino images in pop culture, and reaching out to Latino youth.

Located In: Latino Speakers

capitol steps

The only group in America that attempts to be funnier than the Congress, Capitol Steps is a troupe of current and former Congressional staffers who provide musical political satire on current issues.  Capitol Steps has been featured on National Public Radio as well as on “Good Morning America”, “The Late Show”, “20/20”, and NBC’s “Nightly News”, and has recorded twenty-four albums.

Located In: Performing Arts

christina chan

Chan stars in the one woman play "Unbinding Our Lives" which shatters the exotic, subservient, “China doll” image.  In this powerful show Ms. Chan portrays three real Chinese American women from China in the 1800's and their personal stories of being sold into child slavery, prostitution, and abandonment.  An unforgettable look at forgotten history.

Located In: Asian Speakers, Diversity Programs $5000 and Under, Women's Issues, Women Programs $5000 and Under, Performing Arts, Programs $5000 and Under

denise chavez

Playwright, poet and fiction writer, Denise Chavez offers the voice of a new generation of Hispanic women, articulate and bursting with energy and drive.  Her works include the novels The Last of the Menu Girls, Face of an Angel and Loving Pedro Infante, and her plays “Women in the State of Grace”, “Novena Narrative” and “Language of Vision.”

Located In: Women's Issues

linda chavez

Chavez discusses the integration of Hispanics into American society and how public policy should respond to their needs.  Her books include Out of the Barrio, Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics and her autobiography An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal (Or How I Became the Most Hated Hispanic in America).

Located In: Latino Speakers, Outstanding Women

kate clinton

Kate Clinton is a “faith-based, tax-paying, America-loving political humorist and family entertainer.”  Her work has been described as “deft takes on politics and culture, believing in laughter’s ability to subvert authority and promote democracy.”  Her “stand-up” lectures combine rollicking laughter with keen insight into the use of humor as a political force.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Women's Issues, GLBT, Performing Arts

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ted conover

Ted Conover’s experiences as a rookie prison guard, companion of undocumented Mexicans, and hopper of freight trains are just some of what makes him a celebrated participatory journalist. The stories he tells about these adventures, and his insights into our shared humanity, are what make him a favorite college speaker.

Located In: Authors

barbara coombs lee

Barbara Coombs Lee is President of Compassion in Dying Federation, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding and protecting the rights of the terminally ill. She practiced as a nurse and physician assistant for 25 years before beginning a career in law and health policy. Since then she has devoted her professional life to individual choice and empowerment in health care. As a private attorney, she has championed initiatives that enable individuals to consider a full range of choices and be full participants in their health care decisions.

Located In: Debates

stephanie coontz

Stephanie Coontz addresses today’s debates on marriage and family in the 21st century.  One of the most widely quoted researchers on family issues in America today, and the author of six books on family history and sociology, Coontz draws on history, facts, figures, and anecdotes to challenge our most cherished myths about the past and future of marriage, parenting and family relations.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Women's Issues

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camille cooper

Cooper’s powerful multi-media presentation, "Discover the Truth," addresses issues of women in Hollywood and how the media portrays the "perfect American girl". She delivers a unique, humorous, and insightful look at a media industry obsessed with thinness and beauty.  Ms. Cooper has worked professionally in film and television.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Women's Issues, Women Programs $5000 and Under, Media, Programs $5000 and Under

cheryl ann costa

Cooper’s powerful multi-media presentation, "Discover the Truth," addresses issues of women in Hollywood and how the media portrays the "perfect American girl". She delivers a unique, humorous, and insightful look at a media industry obsessed with thinness and beauty.  Ms. Cooper has worked professionally in film and television.

Located In: Women's Issues, Women Programs $5000 and Under, GLBT, Programs $5000 and Under

avi cover

This attorney and advocate works to promote human rights and civil liberties in U.S. counterterrorism and national security policy. As well as analyzing U.S. uses of security and detention at home and abroad, Cover helps coordinate legislative efforts in Human Rights First's "End Torture Now" campaign. He has also monitored the military commission process, attending hearings at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

Located In: Speaking on Human Rights and Social Justice, Programs $5000 and Under

ann crittenden

What happened to the women’s movement, and where do we go from here?  Why is parenting the most important job in our economy?  How does raising children and running a home give you the management skills for the working world?  Ann Crittenden addresses these questions in her books The Price of Motherhood and If You’ve Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything as well as her presentations to audiences.

Located In: Women's Issues

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stanley crouch

Whether writing about jazz music or the state of black America, this iconoclastic cultural critic relishes taking down sacred cows.  His scope of topics are as broad as his work as a columnist, novelist, television commentator and artistic consultant.  Contrarian and courageous, Crouch’s fiercely argued viewpoints take American culture to task.

Located In: Black Heritage Month

george curry

How does the mainstream media affect perceptions of race, both within and from outside the African-American community?  George Curry gives an alternative media perspective on affirmative action, health care in minority communities, and young people of color.  One of the nation’s most influential black journalists.

Located In: Black Heritage Month, Media, Commencement Speakers

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frank deford

Among the most honored and versatile of writers, Frank Deford’s work has appeared in virtually every medium.  The dean of America’s sportswriters, he exposes the hype and hypocrisy that often goes on in sports today.  Best known for his commentary in Sports Illustrated and on National Public Radio, he is also the author of Everybody’s All American and other books.

Located In: Media, Commencement Speakers

gail dines

Once marginalized, pornography has now become a central part of our cultural landscape, with its idealized, mass produced images of women, men and sex seeping into our identities, body image, and relationships.  In this powerful multi-media presentation, Dr. Gail Dines explores how gender is shaped by a consumer-driven culture, and the ways the public images we consume on a daily basis spill over into our most private worlds.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Women's Issues, Women Programs $5000 and Under, Programs $5000 and Under

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susan douglas

Media critic, American Studies professor, and author of Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media, Susan Douglas reveals how television and advertising target images of women.  Her other recent books include Listening In, a history of radio listening, and The Mommy Myth, an examination of how motherhood has been portrayed in the mass media from the late 1960s to the present.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Women's Issues, Women Programs $5000 and Under, Media, Programs $5000 and Under

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sylvia earle

Internationally noted oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle has led more than 50 worldwide expeditions in connection with her research. She has been a tireless defender of the world’s oceans, and has authored scores of publications on marine science and technology.

Located In: Commencement Speakers

john echohawk

As Executive Director for the Native American Rights Fund, Echohawk discusses his organization, as well as other Native American issues such as religious freedom and civil rights.  He is the recipient of numerous service awards and has been recognized for his leadership in the field of Indian law.

Located In: Native American Speakers

martin espada

An award-winning poet, Martin Espada brings the shared experiences of Latin American workers and immigrants to his work. Political poetry at its best, he brings a dignity to the insulted and injured of the earth. His latest collection, The Republic of Poetry,was recently published.

Located In: Latino Speakers

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warren faidley

Imagine if your job required you to stand in the winds of a Category 5 hurricane.  That’s just one of the adventures of the world’s first full-time professional storm chaser, who regularly risks his life to capture some of the most breathtaking images of extreme weather.  Warren’s first-hand experiences of outwitting storms have made him one of the most sought-after experts on storm chasing and storm survival.

Located In: Environmental Speakers

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http://www.stormchaser.com
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nuruddin farah

International award winning Somali novelist, whose themes focus on women’s liberation and political and individual freedoms in his homeland.  Widely recognized as the best contemporary African writer of our time, his stories are vivid reminders of living through cultural conflicts.

Located In: Black Heritage Month, Authors

jonathan farley

Dr. Jonathan Farley is both a mathematician and a progressive political activist.  The son of educators, he is a graduate of Harvard and Oxford, and his fields of interest include applying mathematical theories to counterterrorism and consulting for the hit television series “Numb3rs”.  Farley’s essay, “My Fellow Americans: Looking Black on Red Tuesday,” was published in Beyond September 11: An Anthology of Dissent.

Located In: Black Heritage Month

warren farrell

Over a period of twenty-five years, Warren has formed over 600 women’s and men’s groups and has worked with more than 150,000 men and women from all walks of life.  He is the only man to have been elected three times to the Board of the National Organization for Women in New York City; he has also served on the boards of the National Organization for Changing Men and the National Congress for Men.  The Chicago Tribune described Warren as “the Gloria Steinem of Men’s Liberation”

Located In: Debates

judy foreman

A nationally syndicated health columnist, Judy Foreman offers a lively, informative slide show/lecture on health issues facing college students, including eating disorders; depression and anxiety; reproduction and contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, violence against women, and chemical abuse. An excellent orientation program!

Located In: Women's Issues

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patrice gaines

An award winning former Washington Post reporter, Ms. Gaines works to empower girls and young women at risk, drawing from her experiences on the streets and in prison.  She is co-founder of Brown Angel Center, providing formerly incarcerated women and their families with the tools to renew their lives.  Gaines is author of Laughing in the Dark and Moments of Grace: Meeting the Challenge to Change. She currently is doing commentaries for National Public Radio.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Black Heritage Month, Diversity Programs $5000 and Under, Women's Issues, Women Programs $5000 and Under, Programs $5000 and Under, Authors

farooka gauhari

Powerful and touching!  A voice for countless Afghan families, Farooka shares her experiences of escape and loss and helps us to understand life under totalitarian rule.  Her critically acclaimed book, Searching for Saleem: An Afghan Woman’s Odyssey, was applauded as the first English language memoir by an Afghan woman.

Located In: Middle East Speakers, Diversity Programs $5000 and Under, Outstanding Women, Women Programs $5000 and Under, Speaking on Human Rights and Social Justice, Programs $5000 and Under

nikki giovanni

A world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator, and one of the most widely read American poets, Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality.  Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others.

Located In: Outstanding Women, Commencement Speakers

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jack gordon

With a sharp eye focused on the mysterious death of President Kennedy, Gordon is one of our country's leading experts on the world of political assassinations.  In this highly detailed multi-media presentation, Gordon addresses the larger issues of assassination in America and examines why all the investigations into JFK's death have been inconclusive.  In addition, Gordon probes into the murders of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Located In: Programs $5000 and Under

chris gore

Chris Gore is a writer, filmmaker and speaker who has built a solid reputation as an outspoken voice in the independent film world. As the creator of FilmThreat.com, he hosts television shows such as the Independent Film Channel original series "Ultimate Film Fanatic." Chris is the author of The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide.  He recently returned to filmmaking as the co-writer and producer of the feature comedy, My Big Fat Independent Movie.

Located In: Media, Programs $5000 and Under

carl gottlieb

Imagine your friend gets you a bit part on a film he’s directing, then he asks you to polish up the script.  That’s how Carl Gottlieb got his big break as co-writer of the screenplay for Jaws.  But if you think that’s his only Hollywood story, think again!  Carl’s been in the business for four decades as a writer, actor, director and producer – and with plenty of tales to tell.

Located In: Performing Arts

susan griffin

Poet, playwright, essayist and novelist Susan Griffin inspired eco-feminism with her classic work Woman and Nature.  She has won several awards for her work, including an Emmy for her play Voices, and was named by Utne Reader as one of a hundred important visionaries of the new millennium.  Her latest work is The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues.

Located In: Women's Issues

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mary hallan-fiorito

Executive Assistant for the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Chicago, attorney Mary Hallan-FioRito has overseen pro-life activities for the Catholic church in the Chicagoland area and spoken to numerous audiences on issues such as abortion and euthanasia.  She holds a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law and is admitted to the bar of the State of Illinois.

Located In: Women's Issues, Debates

tissa hami

From Islamic fundamentalists to white liberals to good old-fashioned racists, no one is safe from stand-up comic Tissa Hami’s sharp wit.  One of the world’s few female Muslim stand-up comics, she hopes that her comedy will help break down stereotypes about Muslim women and foster understanding between Iranians and Americans, though she warns that people who disapprove of her act will be taken hostage.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Middle East Speakers, Diversity Programs $5000 and Under, Women's Issues, Women Programs $5000 and Under, Performing Arts, Programs $5000 and Under

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david hardy

After ten years of service as an attorney with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., David T. Hardy returned to Tucson, Arizona, where he has handled everything from death penalty appeals to First Amendment cases. An ardent defender of the Second Amendment right to bear arms, he is a leading attorney with the National Rifle Association.  Hardy is co-author with Jason Clarke of Michael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White Man (HarperCollins) and creator of the website mooreexposed.com.

Located In: Debates

julia hare

Co-founder of The Black Think Tank, Dr. Julia Hare has been recognized nationally as a pioneer of the black male/female relationship.  Her commentary and lecture topics include: politics, education, religion, war, foreign and domestic affairs, sexual politics, and contemporary events.

Located In: Black Heritage Month, Outstanding Women

suzan harjo

Suzan Shown Harjo is a poet, journalist and activist for Native American rights and culture. She is President of The Morning Star Institute, a non-profit cultural rights and arts advocacy group; a columnist for the Indian Country Today newspaper; a School of American Research 2004 Artist Fellow and Summer Scholar; and a founding trustee of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Located In: Native American Speakers, Outstanding Women

harlem gospel choir

Get ready to rejoice!  For over two decades, the Choir has brought audiences around the world to their feet, sharing its joy of faith through its music and dynamic performance.  Their songs of inspiration touch the depths of the soul and raise spirits to angelic heights.

Located In: Performing Arts

daisy hernandez

Fierce, fresh and smart, author and journalist Daisy Hernandez focuses on race, gender, sexuality, and other issues affecting young women of color. She is Senior Writer and Managing Editor for ColorLines magazine, coeditor of the book Colonize This! Young Women of Today’s Feminism, and on the editorial advisory board for the Feminist Press. Her editorials and columns have appeared in the New York Times, Ms. Magazine, and many other publications.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Latino Speakers, Diversity Programs $5000 and Under, Women's Issues, Women's Programs $5000 and Under, Programs $5000 and Under

philip hilts

The US may have one of the best medical systems in the world, but pandemics do not recognize national borders.  The next epidemic might arrive with a returning vacationer or exchange student.  Philip Hilts, in his book Rx for Survival, shows how vulnerable we are to the devastating effect of infectious diseases brewing in developing nations, and what we must do to create a healthier world.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Science Speakers, Programs $5000 and Under

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kathleen hirsch

In A Sabbath Life: One Woman’s Search For Meaning, she explores women’s shifting priorities and personal values across the life cycle. She argues that womanhood is a more dynamic, creative, and spiritually vital reality than we allow ourselves to realize.


Located In: Women's Issues

roald hoffman

Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann is a superb teacher, lecturer and writer who has done much to convey the importance of chemistry to the general public. He helped prepare and narrate the PBS series "The World of Chemistry" and is a frequent columnist for American Scientist. His books include Chemistry Imagined, a unique combination of art, science and literature, and Old Wine, New Flasks: Reflections on Science and Jewish Tradition.

Located In: Science Speakers

linda hogan

Ms. Hogan is a Chickasaw poet, novelist, and essayist.  She is the author of several books of poetry and a collection of short fiction.  Her books have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize as well as the National Book Critics Award.  Her works include Mean Spirit, The Book of Medicines and The Woman Who Watches Over the World.

Located In: Featured Speakers, Native American Speakers, Outstanding Women, Authors

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pam houston

Pam Houston is the author of Cowboys Are My Weakness and the novel Sight Hound, and editor of the anthology Women on Hunting.  A part time river guide and hunting guide, her narratives navigate the landscape of relationships against the backdrop of the Rockies.  Pam's articles appear regularly in Elle, Allure, Vogue, Food & Wine, Mirabella, and Travel and Leisure.

Located In: Women's Issues, Authors

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patricia ireland

As past President of the National Organization for Woman (NOW) for two consecutive terms, Patricia Ireland led the largest, most visible and most successful feminist organization in the United States. She continues as an advocate and activist for women’s rights and gender equality worldwide. Ireland is the author of the acclaimed What Women Want.

Located In: Women's Issues, Debates

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jeff jacoby

Conservative columnist for the otherwise liberal Boston Globe, Jacoby’s provocative and engaging columns on the political and social issues of the day evidence his legal training and passionate beliefs.

 

Located In: Programs $5000 and Under, Debates

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jana

Native American by birth and heritage, contemporary artist through hard work, destiny and the spirits, Jana brings a fresh outlook and exotic presence.  Jana states that “being an ‘Urban Indian’ is to walk in both worlds but not compromise my cultural identity.  I cannot ignore who I am and where I came from.  I am proud that I can maintain my traditional customs while living in today’s world.”