by FDFI_Admin | May 21, 2024 | Douglass Mind Blog, In the News
Morley Prize Podcast
Series 4 Episode 4: Kenneth B. Morris Jr
In this podcast, Dr Florence Marfo talks to Kenneth B. Morris Jr., co-founder and president of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI), the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. They discuss the legacies of these historic giants and the contribution of the women in their lives to the empowerment of Black communities in the US.
Click here to listen to the interview.
Her single-authored books include: African American Visual Arts, Characters of Blood, Suffering and Sunset, Stick to the Skin, If I Survive, Living Parchments, Battleground, The Anna Murray and Frederick Douglass Family Papers and Douglass Family Lives. Winner of a British Association for American Studies Book Prize and co-winner of a European Association for American Studies Book Prize and International African American History and Genealogical Society Maryland Book Award, she has delivered over 250 guest lectures and plenaries and held visiting appointments and fellowships at Memphis, Harvard, Yale, Oxford, King’s College London, University of California, Santa Barbara, the National Center for the Humanities in Durham, North Carolina, and the Obama Institute in Mainz, Germany.
Previously Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of American Studies published by Cambridge University Press, Bernier is the recipient of a UK Philip Leverhulme Prize and Major Research Leverhulme Fellowship, AHRC Research and Leadership Fellowships, and Terra Foundation for American Art Program and Publication Grants. In 2018, she was awarded a Citation by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford of Maryland “as an internationally respected scholar, author and world-renowned historian of African American Studies.” She is currently working on a three-year international interdisciplinary research project funded by the UK Leverhulme Trust titled, Sacrifice is Survival: Black Families Fighting for Freedom in the USA and Canada (1732-1936).
Prior to AWS, he served as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Saxiom Advisors, a boutique consulting firm operating at the intersection of strategy and analytics.
He has held management and operational roles at organizations across multiple industries, including education, non-profit, real estate and financial services. He has collaborated with clients on various projects ranging from developing a B2B market entry strategy for a major financial services firm to identifying a wholesale distribution strategy for a specialty glass and pottery designer and manufacturer.
Mr. Miles holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College. Additionally, he is a certified Change Management Advanced Practitioner (CMAP) and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.
Sybil is a former actress and professional dancer who co-produced and co-directed the documentary PUSHING MOTHERHOOD. She is currently the researcher for the ABC show Station 19 and has recently been tapped to adapt an optioned novel into a screenplay.
Sybil led the team that succeeded in getting the Los Angeles Unified School District to commit to transitioning to 100% clean, renewable energy and is humbled to be the 2022 recipient of the Climate Reality Project’s Green Ring Award. She first read the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass twenty-five years ago and was deeply inspired. She is honored to amplify the legacy of the Douglass family.
She leads the growth of Warner’s network of owned-and-operated consumer brands and oversees the day-to-day operations including streaming account management and playlisting, direct-to-fan and merchandising operations, consumer acquisition, content creation, legal & business affairs, and finance.
Maria has over three decades of experience leading marking and media teams. Previously, she was the Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer at Comcast Advertising where she created a strong, international marketing organization to support the company’s growing business needs. Maria was responsible for all facets of marketing and branding for the company’s advertising sales division, Effectv, including leading its rebrand from Comcast Spotlight. She also oversaw its full-service creative agency Mnemonic, as well as FreeWheel, which provides advertising software and solutions for the television ecosystem. Additionally, she helped provide relief to Black-owned small businesses that were affected by COVID-19 through launching the Comcast RISE program.
Prior to Comcast, Maria was one of the founders of Interactive One, the digital division of Urban One (formerly Radio One), overseeing marketing and digital ad sales across all of the Interactive One brands. Among other projects, she co-produced Interludes, a music showcase series on TV One and HelloBeautiful. Maria was also the co-founder of Triple Threat Films, a film fund that financed and executive produced award-winning cinematic projects. Maria previously held various senior marketing and creative services roles at HBO, where she most notably oversaw audience segmentation marketing. Her content marketing and acquisition strategy led to several of HBO’s programming successes, including the launch of The Wire, Def Poetry, and many others.
Maria received the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications Award of Excellence, the Council of Urban Professionals Catalyst Award, and multiple honors from The Telly Awards and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing. She serves on the boards of She Runs It, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, Figure Skating in Harlem, and the International Radio and Television Society. Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies from Pace University and a Master of Professional Studies from Pratt Institute.
CHARLES RANDOLPH-WRIGHT has built a dynamic and diversified career in directing, writing, and producing for theatre, television, and film. He currently is Executive Producer/Director on the initial season of the television series DELILAH on OWN. Upcoming theatre directing projects are the world premiere of AMERICAN PROPHET: FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN HIS OWN WORDS (which he co-wrote with Grammy winner Marcus Hummon) at Arena Stage in D.C., TROUBLE IN MIND by Alice Childress on Broadway at the Roundabout Theatre, and ORFEUS: A HOUSE MUSIC OPERA at the Young Vic in London. His play BLUE (starring Leslie Uggams and Lynn Whitfield) will be directed by Phylicia Rashad at the Apollo Theatre. Charles directed the smash hit MOTOWN THE MUSICAL (Broadway, London, and the National Tour).
For television, Charles directed episodes of the series GREENLEAF (OWN, Netflix), KATY KEENE (CW), STEP UP HIGHWATER (YouTube Red), LINCOLN HEIGHTS (ABC), and SOUTH OF NOWHERE (Nick). Charles directed and co-produced Bebe Winans’ special AMERICA AMERICA (BET), and co-produced AN EVENING WITH THE GOLDEN GIRLS. Charles has directed many videos and commercials, including the award-winning European “Freestyle” campaign for Nike.
His feature film directorial debut, PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, swept the feature film prizes at the American Black Film Festival and was featured in numerous festivals (including the Pan African Film Fest, Cannes, and London). He is an Executive Producer of the film MAURICE HINES: BRING THEM BACK, which won the Grand Jury Prize of the NY Documentary Film Festival and the Jury Award at ABFF. Charles has written screenplays for Showtime, Walt Disney Pictures, HBO, and 20th Century Fox. He also co-wrote the screenplay WHITE CHOCOLATE (with John Leguizamo).
For the theatre, Charles directed the Broadway bound musical BORN FOR THIS (Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, Cutler Majestic Theatre), which he co-wrote with gospel icon Bebe Winans, the Pulitzer prize-winning play RUINED and the record-breaking musical SOPHISTICATED LADIES (starring Maurice Hines) at Arena Stage, GUYS AND DOLLS (50th anniversary national tour), the 75th anniversary tour of the opera PORGY AND BESS, Brian Stokes Mitchell in his solo show LOVE/LIFE at Lincoln Center, Daniel Beaty’s THROUGH THE NIGHT at the Union Square Theatre and the Geffen Theatre, the world premiere of AKEELAH AND THE BEE for the CTC in Minneapolis and Arena Stage, THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG (in Portuguese) in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brasil, and BLOOD KNOT at ACT in San Francisco (featuring music by Tracy Chapman).
Charles directed and co-wrote THE DIVA IS DISMISSED (starring Jenifer Lewis) at the NYSF Public Theater and the Hudson Theatre (LA), ME AND MRS. JONES (a musical which starred Lou Rawls, and featured the classic R&B music of the Sound of Philadelphia) at the Prince Music Theatre, and HOMEWORK (starring Kim Coles) in NYC, Crossroads (NJ), and LA.
He directed the world premieres of TOUGH TITTY by Oni Faida Lampley at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and SENOR DISCRETION HIMSELF, (the last musical written by Frank Loesser, based on a story by Budd Schulberg, and co-written with Culture Clash). He also directed TARTUFFE, INSURRECTION: HOLDING HISTORY, and BLITHE SPIRIT at ACT, HUNDREDS OF SISTERS at New York Theatre Workshop, and CABARET VERBOTEN at the Mark Taper Forum (with Bebe Neuwirth and Roger Rees). Charles directed HAIR … FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, the 20th anniversary event at the United Nations, which was the first benefit of its kind for children with AIDS, and MUSIC AND REMEMBRANCE (starring Leontyne Price, Itzhak Perlman, and James Galway) at Carnegie Hall.
Charles wrote the play BLUE, starring Phylicia Rashad, which broke box office records at Arena Stage (where Charles is an inaugural resident playwright). BLUE has had many productions throughout the United States, including the Roundabout Theatre and the Pasadena Playhouse (which starred Ms. Rashad, Diahann Carroll, and Clifton Davis). Charles also wrote CUTTIN’ UP (based upon the best selling book by Craig Marberry), THE NIGHT IS A CHILD (starring JoBeth Williams), LOVE IN AFGHANISTAN, and co-wrote JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS starring Bea Arthur, which toured internationally, including a Tony nominated run on Broadway.
Charles’ productions have received numerous awards, including NAACP Image, Bay Area Critics, Drama-logue, LA Weekly Theatre, Helen Hayes, Ovation, and Audelco as well as Grammy and Tony nominations. Charles was awarded grants from the Theatre Communications Group, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the NEA, the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award, and also is the recipient of the S.C. Medal of Honor in the Arts, the Creative Spirit Award from the New Professional Theatre, The Pasadena Playhouse Theatrical Diversity Award, an honorary MFA from ACT, and the Paul Robeson Award from Actors’ Equity.
As a performer, Charles’ credits include Broadway (the original cast of DREAMGIRLS), television (HILL STREET BLUES, MELROSE PLACE, FALCON CREST), music (a disco group which will remain nameless that nonetheless garnered three gold records), film, numerous shows in theatre, and countless television commercials.
A native of York, South Carolina, Charles is an honor graduate of Duke University where he was an A.B. Duke Scholar and recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award. He serves on the Advisory Committee of the American Theatre Wing, the Board of Directors of the Roundabout Theatre, is an associate artist at The Young Vic, and a founding member of the Wright Family Foundation of South Carolina. Charles’ website is www.Randolph-Wright.com.
Negelle Morris is a business leader with over 25 years of experience working within multiple clinical and corporate environments where her focus has been in direct patient care, healthcare leadership, sales strategy development, and patient access. She currently leads a team of 600 employees as Commercial Vice President at Novo Nordisk Inc., a global pharmaceutical company specializing in the treatment of Diabetes, Obesity and other rare diseases.
Prior to her 5-year tenure at Novo Nordisk, Negelle spent 14 years at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, where she started as a Specialty Sales Representative and took on roles of increasing responsibility including Trainer, District Sales Manager, Regional Account Director, Integrated Markets Director and National Account Director. In these roles, she led regional and national strategy and helped shape and implement organizational approach to Health System and payer customer segments. Before her start in Pharma 19 years ago, Negelle spent 8 years as a licensed clinician and Program Administrator in the mental health arena and worked in managed care with Magellan Behavioral Health.
Throughout her career, Negelle has championed diversity and inclusion, focusing on the development of others within organizations, both through her work as a mentor and as a national executive board member in various company sponsored employee network groups. She has also continued to serve her community, centering her attention on healthcare disparities and underserved populations. To this end, she spent 3 years on the Board of Directors for the Fayette Care Clinic, a non-profit organization in Fayette County, Georgia focused on delivering healthcare for uninsured and underserved populations. Negelle has been fortunate to receive several awards and accolades throughout her career including multiple national leadership, partnership and performance awards.
Negelle grew up in Southern California and is a graduate of Loma Linda University where she received her B.A. degree in Clinical Psychology before moving to Atlanta and receiving a Master’s in Social Work from Clark Atlanta University.
She currently lives in Atlanta with her husband Douglass Morris, and their 3 boys, David Austin (20), Doug Jr. (20) and Austin Bailey (17).
Gabi resides with her family in Chevy Chase, MD.
Gabi is a new member of the Board of Directors of the Gandhi Brigade Youth Media. The mission of this organization is “to create communities where young people build
the confidence and media skills to express themselves and to promote community building, multicultural understanding, and the commongood.” https://www.gandhibrigade.org/
Gabi served on a multi-disciplinary team for the comprehensive redevelopment of an historically significant African American neighborhood with deep ties to Frederick Douglas. Gabi has designed, preserved and rehabilitated eastern shore properties in Maryland, including a national folk duplex, circa 1880, adapted to a single-family home (www.208southstreet.com)
Richard Newman is Professor of History at Rochester Institute of Technology and the author or editor of seven books, including Freedom’s Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the Black Founding Fathers, Abolitionism: A Very Short Introduction, and Pamphlets of Protest: An Anthology of Early African American Protest Literature, 1790-1860 (with Philip Lapsansky and Patrick Rael). He is the former Director of the Library Company of Philadelphia and the book series editor (with Patrick Rael and Manisha Sinha) of “Race in the Atlantic World,” published by the University of Georgia Press. He lives in Frederick Douglass’s Rochester.
Students read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, analyze primary sources related to Anna Murray Douglass and Frederick Douglass, and discuss how abolition can be applied to contemporary challenges. 7th-graders learn from the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI), the Antiracism Center at America University, local community members, University of Idaho faculty and students, and the Idaho Black History Museum. Rebekka is passionate about this collaborative work because “We are all living with the remnants of slavery and it is essential that American students (and teachers) understand the structures and biases that allow and encourage discrimination and racism to persist.”
In 2017, Rebekka was invited by FDFI to create curricula at the U.S Library of Congress with a team of educators in honor of Frederick Douglass’s Bicentennial. In 2018, Rebekka received FDFI and American University’s, FD200 Award for her work as an abolitionist teacher. In the summer of 2019, Rebekka received a Think Open Fellowship from the University of Idaho to write an inquiry-based curriculum about the life of abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor Anna Murray Douglass, with the support of FDFI and historians incorporating resources from the U.S. Library of Congress and the Maryland Archives.
Rebekka has a B.S. in Geography from Portland State University, a K-8 teaching certificate from California State University, L.A., and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Idaho. She is currently a Wright Fellow and doctoral student. At the University of Idaho, Rebekka is the assistant manager of the Indigenous Knowledge for Effective Education Program where she supports Indigenous scholars pursuing teacher certification in order to teach Indigenous students with a focus on cultural responsiveness.
He has toured the world serving, experiencing, educating, and inspiring the importance of education and history. Kevin welcomes those interested in his personable style of educating and motivating the world. Kevin would love to have a conversation with your students, institution, or organization. He provides his time and support to the Frederick Douglass Family Initiative, and the ideals it stands for. Kevin joins the soldiers who continue the wage the war on modern-day enslavement and sex trafficking, in the name of his great, great grandfather Frederick Douglass.
To book Kevin for your next speaking engagement, click here.
Erica attended The Ohio State University with a focus on African/African American Studies. Erica has held several board positions including Crime Stoppers of Central Ohio and a member of ASIS (The American Society of Industrialized Security) for many years and served as the Women in Security Chair and currently holds the position of Legislative Chair in Columbus, OH. Erica is an advocate against human trafficking and domestic violence working with multiple agencies including former Attorney General now Governor Mike DeWine’s Blue Campaign and local domestic violence shelters aiding survivors.