Bankole Thompson, Journalist, Founding Dean, The PuLSE Institute

Nationally acclaimed journalist, and standard-bearer for economic justice Bankole Thompson will discuss the road ahead in “Race and Democracy at the Crossroads: The Quest for Freedom, Justice and Equality for All.” Thompson advocates for Black and underserved communities to build and create agencies of empowerment in the demand for economic justice and educational equity. He will discuss the role of institutions in advancing racial and economic justice issues drawing from a theme he shared in a 2022 keynote lecture he gave for the Ivy League School Brown University and the need for institutions to maintain the foundational principles of equality and freedom. Thompson is the Founding Dean of The PuLSE Institute and an opinion columnist with The Detroit News. His latest book is Fiery Conscience.