Bakari Sellers Keynote Speaker

Former South Carolina House of Representative
CNN Commentator
Named One of TIME Magazine’s 40 Under 40 and One of “The Root 100's” Most Influential African-Americans in the Nation

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Bakari Sellers's Biography

Bakari Sellers was born in 1984 and grew up in Denmark, South Carolina. He graduated from the South Carolina public school system, earned his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in 2005, where he served as student body president, and received his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 2008.

In 2006, Bakari made history at 22 years old by defeating a 26-year incumbent to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. He was the Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor of South Carolina in 2014. Bakari has worked for U.S. Congressman James Clyburn and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, served on President Barack Obama’s South Carolina steering committee in 2008, and is widely recognized as a rising star in the Democratic Party and a leading voice for his generation. He was named to TIME Magazine’s 40 Under 40 in 2010 and to The Root 100 list of the nation’s most influential African Americans in 2014 and 2015.

Bakari has been a featured speaker at events for the National Education Association, College Democrats of America National Convention, and the 2008 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller My Vanishing Country and a CNN political commentator.

Bakari is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in South Carolina and is a member of the South Carolina Bar, Richland County Bar Association, and the South Carolina Association for Justice. He has been with Strom Law Firm since 2007.

A Look Down the Political Pipeline

At no other time in American history have so many watershed moments run parallel to one another. In what may be, as Bakari Sellers puts it, “the weirdest convergence of events in our country’s history,” we’re left with more questions than answers when it comes to political progress in our country. Formerly the youngest African American elected official in the U.S. and currently a rising star in the Democratic party considered among the most prominent voices of his generation, Sellers is uniquely positioned to analyze the day’s pressing issues and offer candid, expert commentary on the present political landscape.

Recognized from his appearances on nation’s leading news outlets, Sellers is a household name who breaks down issues such as race, immigration, trade, and national security, as well as the impact presidential administrations, both past and present, have had on various policy positions in our country. An extremely articulate and passionate speaker, Sellers’ 360-degree view of the future of U.S. politics will leave audiences informed and uplifted, and instill new sense of duty within each person to play his or her role in reshaping our nation.

My Vanishing Country

Based on his New York Times best-selling memoir of the same name, in this talk, Sellers takes audiences on an eye-opening journey through America’s past, present, and future. In what can be described as a unique blending of cultural analysis and poetic personal history, Sellers explores the plight of Black Americans while shining the light on, and humanizing the struggle of, the “forgotten men and women” – the people who are often overlooked by the media, but have, nonetheless, played a pivotal role in shaping our country.

A courageous conversation about race and our country’s path forward in the wake of current events, Sellers’ message is one that will give marginalized members of society a sense of pride while helping others develop a deeper understanding of their struggles. Audience members will be inspired to play their role in reimagining an America for all and tackling society’s prevailing challenges head on – beginning within their own organizations.