Tavis Smiley, 9/12/11

PBS talk show host, PRI radio host

Behind every education statistic is a boy with hopes and dreams and abilities that may not show up in standardized testing.

Sujatha Fernandes, 9/12/11

Professor and Author

In Cuba, the events of 9/11 provided a new platform for young people involved in the movement of Cuban rap. Echoing the words of their leader Fidel Castro, they took the opportunity to reflect on the state of world politics.

James H. Lowry, 9/12/11

Workforce and Supplier Diversity Expert, Senior Advisor for The Boston Consulting Group

Black-owned small businesses have the fastest new jobs growth rate, according to the Department of Commerce. Still, fewer than5 percent of black-owned businesses employ more than five people.

Marian Wright Edelman, 9/9/11

President, Children's Defense Fund

As rampant unemployment and housing foreclosures ravage families across our nation, an increasing number of children are living in households headed by grandparents and other relatives, often three generations sharing scarce resources due to the recession.

Jermaine Spradley, 9/11/11

Writer

It's our turn to fulfill the promise of our generation and be the people we were raised to be. My plan is simple. Quit your day jobs.

Nate Larson, 9/12/11

Nia/Purpose/eOne Soul/R&B; Recording Artist

Soul music is not for Black people, or White people, or Brown people, or Purple people; it's for anyone who's ever heard a melody\ and had it come together in such a way that it transports them to a place where only the music is powerful enough to speak for them.

Mike Green, 9/12/11

Award-winning journalist; public speaker on Innovation Economy

I propose we invest in creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem with a goal of generating 150,000 jobs in the next 12 months.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, 9/9/11

Senior Pastor, Potter's House, Texas

In spite of such pain we honor you as the God and guide who has enabled us to endure what we thought was impossible. Thank you for your sovereign grace that guides us beyond one moment of terror to a collective destiny beyond that moment.

Michael W. Waters, 9/9/11

Founder and Pastor, Joy Tabernacle A.M.E. Church, Joytabernacleame.org, Faithforchange.org

Where do we see the authentic human spirit captured in handwritten glory today? In love letters? In loving notes placed in lunchboxes? Or do we consider our humanity best expressed in tweets?

Karla Redding-Andrews, 9/10/11

Project Director, The Big ā€œOā€ Youth Educational Dream Foundation

The love and the principles, my father, Otis Redding, embodied are the reasons that we established the Big "O" Youth Educational Dream Foundation. Our mission is to motivate and empower the youth of today to "stay the course" and never give up on a dream.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, 9/8/11

Civil rights activist

The time to act is now. Congress - Democrats and Republicans alike - must swiftly move from debate to passing the President's positive, job creating, legislative proposals.

Peniel E. Joseph, 9/9/11

Professor of History at Tufts University and Award Winning Author

A president elected on the combined strength of dazzling oratory and improbable personal biography has proved more deft at saving his political career in times of great crisis, than crafting a bold vision of American democracy in the 21st century.

Clarence B. Jones, 9/9/11

Scholar in Residence, Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University

On its 40th anniversary, the rebellion at Attica is not merely a harrowing memory of desperate decisions, the struggle for control, the animal panic of cornered men, but a harbinger of things to come.

Russell Simmons, 9/8/11

Founder of GlobalGrind.com

My challenge to Republicans: get into the game now -- don't wait for the election. You can make your case to the American people without holding them and their aspirations hostage.

Rev. Al Sharpton, 9/9/11

President, National Action Network

The depth of our current economic crisis is so complex -- there are no easy answers. But if we are to maintain our strong standing in the world, we must begin to follow through on the president's suggestions.

BenƩ Viera, 9/9/11

Journalist and Freelance Writer

While I respect the commitment to serving the women in the natural hair community, Pi Nappa Kappa may have missed the mark as a sorority.

Randy Jurado Ertll, 9/9/11

Author, 'Hope in Times of Darkness: A Salvadoran American Experience'

African Americans and Latinos alike simply want to achieve the American dream.We should help each other achieve this dream first by studying and respecting each other's history and culture and then by working together in common cause.