Community & Nonprofit

One of ten children born to a mother that suffered from both mental illness and substance use disorder, Christina Meredith endured years of traumatic abuse. Empowering others with her inspiring life story, Christina survived sexual, mental and emotional abuse, poverty and homelessness to forge a life committed to helping others. Through strong faith, hard work, and creativity she went on to become Miss California, enroll in college, found her own nonprofit foundation, and pursue the path to becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.

APB speaker John Quiñones is an ABC news veteran as well as the host of What Would You Do? on ABC with a new season premiering July 7th  at 10|9c. What Would You Do? is the highly-rated, hidden camera ethical dilemma newsmagazine, and Quiñones has literally become “the face of doing the right thing” to millions of fans. The bystanders on this hidden camera show are forced to make tough calls when directly faced with situations of racism, violence, hate crimes and other cultural issues going on everyday.

In celebration of Pride Month, we honor APB speaker Cleve Jones, a renowned activist and speaker whose work began in the 1970s during the gay liberation movement. A mentee of groundbreaking LGBTQ+ activist Harvey Milk, Jones has gone on to co-found the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, create the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and publish the memoir, When We Rise. 

New York Times bestselling author and APB speaker Wes Moore is about to release his new book, Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City, which was originally based on his personal journey to explore what happened in his hometown, but soon turned into a larger exploration of poverty and inequity; purpose and disillusionment; focus and frustration.

Known best for her role as "Maria" on Sesame Street, APB speaker Sonia Manzano is teaming up with National Geographic on a powerful new children’s book called A World Together. During a time when the world must come together as one, Sonia’s Sesame Street character “Maria” offers readers warmth and wit in a picture book that looks across cultures and generations to celebrate what unites us. National Geographic and Manzano are excited to unveil A World Together, which will be released on September 15th 2020. 

College football star, attorney, author, former FBI agent and former federal prosecutor M. Quentin Williams is now working with law enforcement, the community and a growing number of athletes in building bridges to inspire social change and understanding.

Today is Juneteenth, a day that should be recognized by all Americans. It marks June 19, 1865, when enslaved African-Americans throughout Texas learned that they were free—news that took approximately two months after the Confederate surrender of  the Civil War and two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation to reach them. It is also the anniversary of the Greenwood Massacre, one of the worst episodes of racist violence in U.S. history. On June 19, 1921 a white mob stormed a thriving African-American neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, burning it to the ground and killing 300 people. As our nation recognizes the legacy of Juneteenth during a time of heightened consciousness over pervasive racism and persecution in our nation, we urge you to learn more about the significance of this anniversary.

Award-winning author and APB speaker Dr. Donna Hicks is the pioneering mind behind the Dignity Model, a signature approach that she has applied to the most divisive and deep-seated conflicts around the world. In her recent blog post, Donna mentions how the assaults to the dignity of African Americans perpetrated by police have a long history in this country.

New York Times bestselling author, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation and APB speaker Wes Moore captured the nation’s attention with his debut book The Other Wes Moore, a firsthand account of a life journey empowered by the strength of family, educational opportunities and community network. Wes is now speaking out against the systemic injustice and racism happening in our country. 

Over 55 years ago, APB was founded on the mission to provide an open forum for individuals to voice their opinions and points of view. Now is the time to speak out. Now is the time to stand together. Now is the time for change. We have a long history of working toward racial justice and providing a platform to those giving a voice to the voiceless, from such leaders as Martin Luther King, Jr., Dick Gregory, and Adam Clayton Powell to the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. As we reflect on everything that is happening, let’s be confident that change will come – and smart enough to know that it must involve all of us.