Meet Our Speakers

Historian

A historian who brings hidden histories into full view, Dr Fields-Black’s research reshapes the understanding of Black resistance, community and freedom in the United States.

• 2025 Pulitzer Prize in History

• 2025 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize

• 2025 Tom Watson Brown Book Award

Author of Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War.

Author & Policy Advocate

Heather McGhee explores how racism and economic inequality are interconnected and why fixing one benefits everyone.

A New York Times bestselling author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, she previously served as President of the “think-and-do” tank Demos, now chairs the board of Color of Change and contributes regularly to NBC News.

She holds a B.A. in American Studies (Yale) and a J.D. (UC Berkeley).

Novelist

Bernardine Evaristo is an award-winning novelist whose work celebrates the breadth and complexity of Black British life. Her writing is known for its inventiveness, humour and deep humanity.

She is the first Black woman to win the Booker Prize, awarded for Girl, Woman, Other, and serves as President of the Royal Society of Literature.

Design Director & AI Practitioner

Ovetta Sampson works at the intersection of human-centred design and artificial intelligence, helping organisations build technology that serves people with clarity, care and ethical awareness. With experience across IDEO, Microsoft and Google, she brings deep expertise in guiding teams toward more inclusive and responsible innovation.

She was named one of Business Insider’s “Top 15 Most Important People in Enterprise AI.”

Art Historian & Curator

Alayo Akinkugbe is an art historian whose work expands the visibility of Black artists within the global history of art. Through her platform A Black History of Art, she highlights artists who have shaped visual culture across centuries.

She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and the Courtauld Institute of Art, and has worked as a Curatorial Intern at the National Gallery in London.

Writer & Broadcaster

Afua Hirsch is a writer and broadcaster whose work brings clarity and nuance to conversations about identity, culture and social justice. Her journalism and commentary have shaped public dialogue in the UK and beyond.

She is the author of Brit(ish) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Novelist

Mohamed Mbougar Sarr is a Senegalese novelist whose writing blends philosophical reflection with lyrical storytelling. His work has earned international acclaim for its ambition and emotional insight.

At 31, he was the winner of the most prestigious French literature prize, the Prix Goncourt for La plus secrète mémoire des hommes.

Historian

Christy Pichichero is a historian whose research examines race, culture, slavery and colonialism in 18th and 19th century Europe. Her work brings new understanding to the roots of contemporary debates on identity and power.

She is the author of The Military Enlightenment and an Associate Professor at George Mason University.

Writer & Former Minister of Justice of France

Christiane Taubira is a writer and stateswoman whose leadership shaped major national conversations in France on equality, citizenship and historical memory.

Her work blends political insight with literary depth.

She is the author of L’esclavage raconté à ma fille and L’esclavage, racine de la République, and is a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

Art Historian & Curator

Dr Denise Murrell is an art historian whose research reframes modern art by restoring the central role of Black models and subjects long overlooked in Western narratives.

Her curatorial work has shifted how museums present the history of modern art.

She is the author of Posing Modernity and Curator at large at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Writer & Cultural Critic

Enuma Okoro is a writer and a weekly columnist for the Financial Times Weekend's Life & Arts section.

Her column The Art of Life explores the intersection of arts, culture, spirituality and contemporary life. She invites readers to consider questions of belonging, meaning and interiority.

The Flesh of the Earth, her fictional short story is part of universities writing programs.

Scholar & Author

Dr Ruha Benjamin is a scholar whose work explores the social dimensions of science, medicine and technology. She examines how innovation can either reinforce inequity or become a tool for justice and collective wellbeing.

She is a MacArthur Fellow and the author of Race After Technology and Viral Justice, influential books that inspire new visions of equitable futures.

Journalist, Scholar & Cultural Critic

Pamela Newkirk is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and scholar whose work examines race, representation and power in American culture. Her writing and research bring historical depth and clarity to contemporary debates around media, justice and belonging.

She is the author of Diversity, Inc. and Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga, and a professor of journalism at New York University.

Chief of Staff & Cultural Advocate

Keyza Nubret is Chief of Staff at a French government agency, where she works at the intersection of public policy, culture and representation. She is deeply committed to amplifying voices from France’s Overseas territories, strengthening their visibility and influence across institutional, media and cultural spaces.

Through her work, she contributes to more inclusive narratives within public life and cultural discourse.

Model & Diversity Advocate

Chrystèle Saint Louis Augustin rose to prominence as a leading fashion model in the 1990s, recognised for challenging industry norms by wearing her hair natural at a time when few models of colour did so. She has long spoken openly about identity, often affirming her experience as both European and a Black woman.

Following her modelling career, she has become a committed advocate on issues of diversity, representation and race, using her voice to challenge exclusion within cultural and public spaces.