Norfolk State University
Founders Day Breakfast Speaker
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Keynote Speaker
Juan Williams, American journalist and political analyst
New York Times Best-Selling Author, Fox News Political Analyst & Award-Winning Columnist
Widely regarded as one of America’s top speakers, New York Times Best-selling Author, Fox News Political Analyst and Award-winning Columnist Juan Williams has a talent for motivating and inspiring audiences. He does this with his exceptional storytelling and deep knowledge of the media, civil rights, politics and American history. He is truly one of the nation’s leading public intellectuals and has an unflinching dedication to giving people the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.
His deep knowledge comes from years of experience and always striving to do the best. Williams spent 23 years as a reporter, award-winning investigative journalist, White House correspondent, editorial writer, columnist and magazine writer at The Washington Post.
While at the Post, he covered every major political campaign from 1980 to 1996. He interviewed Presidents, including Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. He has also interviewed members of the Supreme Court and Congress, as well as civil rights leaders and global leaders, including Nelson Mandela.
At NPR [National Public Radio], Williams hosted “Talk of The Nation,” the network’s afternoon talk show from 1999-2002 and brought the show’s ratings to record heights. He hosted a prize-winning series of town halls across the country for NPR’s “Changing Face of America,” series at the start of the century. He later served as NPR’s senior national correspondent.
For a decade he hosted “America’s Black Forum,” a weekly national show on news focused on race relations. He has appeared on TV news programs framing from “Meet the Press” to “Oprah” and “Inside Washington.” He was a substitute co-host on CNN’s “Crossfire” from 1990-1997 and from 1995-1997 the host of “Capitol Gang Sunday” on CNN. He was a political analyst for CBS News from 1990-1993. He was a featured commentator for the ESPN series “Top Athletes of the 20th Century.” He wrote Oprah Winfrey’s first primetime television special “No One Dies Alone,” which was based on a story he wrote for The Washington Post Magazine.
He has written for magazines ranging from The Atlantic to The New Yorker, GQ, The New Republic and Ebony. He is currently senior political analyst for Fox News Channel and a weekly columnist for The Hill.
With the release of his last book, What the Hell Do You Have to Lose?: Trump’s War on Civil Rights, Williams once again adds to his stellar reputation as a civil rights historian. In this book, he sounded the alarm over President Trump’s efforts to trip up the tremendous racial progress made by historic figures, from Dr. King through President Obama.
The book follows Williams’s multiple best-sellers, including Eyes on the Prize; We the People: The Modern-Day Figures Who Have Reshaped and Affirmed the Founding Fathers’ Vision of America; Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary; Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America—and What We Can Do About It; This Far by Faith; Stories from the African American Religious Experience; and Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate. As a speaker, Williams has earned a sterling reputation for graciousness, consummate professionalism, entertaining storytelling and a commitment to partnering with event leadership. Known as much for his preparation as his performance, he gets to know your organization and the goals of the event, delivering a keynote experience that is personalized, inspiring, authentic and unforgettable.
Topics:
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The Changing Face of America
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The Leadership Challenge
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An American Revolutionary
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Eyes on the Prize
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The Latest from Washington: An Insider's View
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The Fierce Face of Moderation: Battering Ram & Gridlock Buster