Cornell William Brooks

Cornell William Brooks

Keynote Speaker: Former President & CEO of the NAACP; Civil Rights Attorney; Social Justice Activist; Ordained Minister; Professor at Harvard Kennedy School

Cornell William Brooks Biography

Cornell William Brooks is Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations and Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also Director of The William Monroe Trotter Collaborative for Social Justice at the School’s Center for Public Leadership, and Visiting Professor of the Practice of Prophetic Religion and Public Leadership at Harvard Divinity School. Brooks is the former president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a civil rights attorney, and an ordained minister.

Brooks was most recently visiting professor of social ethics, law, and justice movements at Boston University’s School of Law and School of Theology. He was a visiting fellow and director of the Campaign and Advocacy Program at the Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics in 2017. Brooks served as the 18th president of the NAACP from 2014 to 2017. Under his leadership, the NAACP secured 12 significant legal victories, including laying the groundwork for the first statewide legal challenge to prison-based gerrymandering. He also reinvigorated the activist social justice heritage of the NAACP, dramatically increasing membership, particularly online and among millennials. Among the many demonstrations from Ferguson to Flint during his tenure, he conceived and led “America’s Journey for Justice” march from Selma, Alabama to Washington, D.C., over 40 days and 1000 miles.

Prior to leading the NAACP, Brooks was president and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, where he led the passage of pioneering criminal justice reform and housing legislation, six bills in less than five years. He also served as senior counsel and acting director of the Office of Communications Business Opportunities at the Federal Communications Commission, executive director of the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington, and a trial attorney at both the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the U.S. Department of Justice. As a DOJ trial attorney, he secured a record-setting settlement for housing discrimination victims and filed the first government case alleging housing discrimination against a nursing home. Brooks served as judicial clerk for the Chief Judge Sam J. Ervin, III, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Brooks holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was a senior editor of the Yale Law Journal and member of the Yale Law and Policy Review, and a Master of Divinity from Boston University’s School of Theology, where he was a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar. Brooks has a B.A. from Jackson State University. He is the recipient of several honorary doctorates including: Boston University, Drexel University, Saint Peter’s University and Payne Theological Seminary as well as the highest alumni awards from Boston University and Boston University School of Theology. Brooks is a fourth-generation ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

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Cornell William Brooks Videos

Cornell William Brooks on CNN 6/21/2020
Cornell William Brooks Addresses the 2017 Graduating Class ...
NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks | NCRC 2016 ...

How do I book Cornell William Brooks to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Cornell William Brooks for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Cornell William Brooks, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Cornell William Brooks or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Cornell William Brooks for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Cornell William Brooks, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Cornell William Brooks are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Cornell William Brooks, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Cornell William Brooks speak about?

Cornell William Brooks is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Executive Leadership, Civil Rights, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Diversity & Inclusion, Social Justice, Government, Political, Social Activism, Faith & Religion and Law.

Where does Cornell William Brooks travel from?

Cornell William Brooks generally travels from Cambridge, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Cornell William Brooks?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Cornell William Brooks for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Cornell William Brooks for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Cornell William Brooks or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Cornell William Brooks is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Executive Leadership, Civil Rights and Black Heritage. The estimated speaking fee range to book Cornell William Brooks for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Cornell William Brooks generally travels from Cambridge, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are S. Lee Merritt, Bakari Sellers and Dr. Bernice King. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Cornell William Brooks for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 29/01/2024.

Cornell William Brooks Videos

Cornell William Brooks on CNN 6/21/2020
Cornell William Brooks Addresses the 2017 Graduating Class ...
NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks | NCRC 2016 ...

Cornell William Brooks News

  • How do I book Cornell William Brooks to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Cornell William Brooks for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Cornell William Brooks, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Cornell William Brooks or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Cornell William Brooks for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Cornell William Brooks, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Cornell William Brooks are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Cornell William Brooks, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Cornell William Brooks speak about?

    Cornell William Brooks is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Executive Leadership, Civil Rights, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Diversity & Inclusion, Social Justice, Government, Political, Social Activism, Faith & Religion and Law.
  • Where does Cornell William Brooks travel from?

    Cornell William Brooks generally travels from Cambridge, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Cornell William Brooks?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Cornell William Brooks for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Cornell William Brooks for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Cornell William Brooks or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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