Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq., President and Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, is internationally renowned for contributions to critical justice issues including the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the 2006 reauthorization of provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Currently, she also serves as Co-Chair and Facilitator of the National Commission for Voter Justice, the Millennial Votes Matters Convening and the Voting Rights Alliance. She was the head of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law from February 1989 until June 2015 and holds the honorific title of President Emeritus.

She served as the Charles Hamilton Houston Chair for the North Carolina Central University School of Law from 2016-2017 and has also taught at Columbia University School of Law. Her creation of the iconic Voting Rights “Map of Shame” in 2011 brought to light the rising issue of voter suppression in states across the country. Her exceptional work in civil rights and human rights advocacy has been celebrated with multiple prestigious awards. 

She co-hosts the Igniting Change radio show and frequently appears in national media, often being quoted in press articles. Having graduated from Scripps College and Duke University School of Law, she remains committed to advocating for civil rights and racial justice on a national and international level, with a focus on housing and lending, women’s rights, intersectionality issues impacting African American women and girls, community development, employment, voting, education, policing reform, and environmental justice.  Duke University honored Barbara Arnwine, Esq., with an Honorary Doctorate of Law on May 2nd, 2021.

Attorney Daryl Jones is the Board Chair of the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) and a distinguished legal advocate. After earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore, he served as the only African American prosecutor in Anne Arundel County and later became the first African American male elected to the Anne Arundel County Council. A member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, Jones has dedicated his career to creating a level playing field for all, inspired by the late Congressman Parren J. Mitchell’s philosophy of jumping into the “good political fights” for justice and equality.

Under his leadership at the TJC since 2019, Jones has spearheaded national initiatives like the John Lewis “Good Trouble” Votercade and March series, which significantly boosted voter participation among communities of color and young voters. For his tireless activism, he was honored with the National Bar Association’s Heman Sweatt Award. Beyond his legal work, Jones is a prominent political commentator on stations like Radio One and WAOK, currently leading nationwide efforts to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and combat voter suppression across the United States.

As the founder of Coly Advocacy/Alliance (ca/ca), she aligns national and international organizations to promote the inclusion of minorities and women. Previously, she spent over a decade as Managing Director of NAMWOLF, where her leadership secured 200+ Fortune 500 partners and helped generate over $1 billion for minority and women-owned law firms through the “Inclusion Initiative.” A recipient of the Vatican II and Hinton J. Lucas International awards, she is also the namesake of NAMWOLF’s “Yolanda Coly Advocacy Award.”

Jonnita Dockens is the Director of Operations for the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) and the founder of Confidante Consulting, where she supports small businesses through organizational development and the “Sipping with the Masters” series. Since joining TJC in 2016, she has been instrumental in leading the Gen Z/Millennial Votes Matter initiatives. With a graduate degree in Human Resource Management (specializing in Organizational Development) and a career spanning roles at Deutsche Bank, American Bar Association and the Social Security Administration, Jonnita brings vast strategic expertise to her work. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and lives by the philosophy of HOPE: Helping Other People Excel.

Michael Brown is a seasoned financial leader and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over 25 years of experience across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. As a founding member of the Transformative Justice Coalition, he leverages a deep background in fiscal management, having previously served as Deputy Director and CFO of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and CFO of the Northern Virginia Urban League. His distinguished career includes overseeing the State of Maryland’s $27 billion audit as a Principal at Abrams, Foster, Nole & Williams and managing over $350 million in mortgage revenue bonds for affordable housing. Holding a master’s degree from Bowie State University and an accounting degree from the University of Baltimore, Mr. Brown is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) recognized for restoring financial integrity and institutional credibility to major social justice and civic organizations.

Terry O’Neill is a feminist attorney, professor, and social justice activist currently serving as the Board Secretary of the Transformative Justice Coalition. As the former President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), she has a long history of high-level advocacy, including authoring federal amicus briefs on reproductive rights and providing expert testimony before legislative committees. A veteran political organizer, O’Neill has contributed to several historic campaigns, including those for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Senator Mary Landrieu. Beyond her legal and political work, she previously hosted the podcast What Equality Looks Like, further cementing her role as a leading voice for systemic change and gender equality.

Dianne Wilkerson made history in 1993 as the first African American woman elected to the Massachusetts State Senate, representing a diverse district across several major Boston neighborhoods. During her distinguished tenure, she held influential leadership roles, including co-chairing the Commission to Eliminate Racial & Ethnic Healthcare Disparities and the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. A key voice in policy, she served on the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and navigated a broad legislative portfolio spanning education, financial services, and healthcare reform.

Judith Abrams is a Tony and Olivier Award-winning producer whose storied career began with the creation of the acclaimed Broadway Pixie Judy Troupe, a “show-biz-for-kids-phenomenon” that performed globally and at the White House. A third-generation entertainment professional mentored by her aunt, Gertrude Berg, Abrams was discovered by Richard Rodgers and later founded the Pixie Judy Foundation to bring live theater to underserved children—work that earned her the prestigious Jefferson Award. Transitioning to Broadway, she produced a string of iconic hits including Spring Awakening, Kinky Boots, and The Visit, while also overseeing major national and international tours. Whether producing Off-Broadway with Meryl Streep or managing global productions of Kinky Boots, Abrams remains a powerhouse dedicated to the transformative power of the stage.

The Honorable Louis A. Elisa is a distinguished public servant, educator, and community advocate who currently serves as an elector to the Massachusetts Electoral College. His expansive career includes high-level roles such as the Director of Port Development for Massachusetts and a presidential appointment as a FEMA Regional Director, where he represented the United States at NATO in Brussels. An expert in urban planning and emergency management with degrees from SUNY and Harvard, Elisa has spent over 40 years shaping political landscapes as a leader in eight Democratic National Conventions and a key strategist for numerous presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. Beyond his administrative expertise in environmental justice and public safety, he is a dedicated community pillar in Boston, having served as President of the Boston Branch NAACP and on various boards to champion public education, civil rights, and neighborhood revitalization. A 33rd Degree Prince Hall Mason and active leader at Peoples Baptist Church, Elisa continues to leverage his vast experience in both the public and private sectors to empower underrepresented communities.

Brenda Ford Harding is a seasoned civil rights attorney and advocate whose career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to justice for vulnerable populations. After earning her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she pioneered voting rights litigation and led several prominent organizations, including the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project and the Neighborhood Legal Services Program in Washington, D.C. A former Deputy Director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Chief Deputy Commissioner of the N.C. Employment Security Commission, Brenda has balanced high-level executive management with hands-on advocacy in housing, welfare reform, and civil rights. Recognized with numerous honors, including the Outstanding Woman Attorney award from the NC Association of Women Attorneys, she continues to serve her community as a mentor and educator, firmly believing that access to education is the most effective tool for overcoming poverty.

Dr. Luke C. Harris is a distinguished scholar and advocate serving as the Associate Professor of American Politics and Constitutional Law at Vassar College and the Chairman of the Board for the African American Policy Forum (AAPF). A former Fulbright Scholar and clerk for the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham Jr., Dr. Harris co-founded the AAPF alongside Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to advance public education and activism at the intersection of race and gender. He is a widely published author on contemporary equality, contributing seminal essays to anthologies like Black Men on Race, Gender and Sexuality, and served as the chief consultant for the award-winning documentary A Question of Color. His extensive body of work, including his forthcoming book The Meaning of Equality in Post-apartheid America, continues to shape critical discourse on social justice and feminist issues within the Black community.

Dolores Huerta is a legendary labor activist and civil rights leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers. A pivotal figure in the Chicano movement, she broke gender barriers as the lead negotiator for the 1965 Delano grape strike and orchestrated the nationwide boycotts that secured the first union contracts for farm workers. Her tireless advocacy resulted in the landmark California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, granting workers the legal right to organize for better wages and safer conditions. Beyond the fields, Huerta has spent decades lobbying for legislative representation and empowering women and Latinos in politics. For her monumental contributions to social justice, she has been honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and she continues her work today through the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

Dr. Karen McRae is a trailblazing leader who made history as the first female President and CEO of the National Organization of Concerned Black Men (CBM), Inc. Her distinguished career includes executive directorships at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, as well as over 15 years of experience on Capitol Hill. A multifaceted professional, she has served as a public-school educator, deputy city manager, and adjunct professor of American Government and Public Policy. Dr. McRae holds degrees from American University, Rutgers University, and Bethesda Bible College, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Guided by her philosophy as a “Transformational Leader with a Servant Mindset,” she has successfully cultivated global partnerships across the corporate, legislative, and community sectors to advance social and educational equity.

Lawrence H. Parks is a co-founder of Forethought Advisors and a veteran legal and policy expert in financial services and economic development. Throughout a distinguished career that includes serving as Senior Vice President at the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and a Senior Advisor in the Clinton Administration, Parks has been a pivotal architect of national housing and community reinvestment policy. Notably, he was the primary staff author of reforms to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), and he established the Affordable Housing Program (AHP). A graduate of Yale Law School and former judicial clerk, Parks has also served on two Presidential Transition Teams and led major initiatives to bridge the gap between financial institutions and underserved communities, earning recognition from the Congressional Black Caucus for his advocacy in expanding liquidity for community-based lenders.

Harvey Wasserman, host of the “Green Power & Wellness Hour,” is a legendary activist with over 50 years of experience championing civil rights, nuclear disarmament, and ecological sustainability. A co-founder of the global grassroots green power movement, Wasserman helped coin the phrase “No Nukes,” organized iconic anti-nuclear concerts at Madison Square Garden, and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An influential author and journalist, he co-founded the Liberation News Service and has written extensively on election integrity and “Solartopian” green energy, including his seminal work SOLARTOPIA! Our Green-Powered Earth. From his early calls for cannabis legalization to his modern leadership in the fight for election protection and a nuclear-free world, Wasserman’s career reflects a lifelong commitment to a socially just and democratically controlled planet.