Ms. Abernathy delivered her first public speech at the age of 12 at “The Children for Survival March” in Washington, DC. She has been the Keynote Speaker for the National Association of Women Judges - Annual Conference, the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association - Mid Year Conference, the Annual Unemployment Appeals Court Judicial Conference, the NGO United Nations Women's Federation for World Peace and for the 2016 Democratic National Convention - African American Caucus. She has spoken for the Senate and Congressional Faith in Politics Civil Rights Pilgrimage, for Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s and Elihu Harris’ Lecture Series - “Daughters of the Civil Rights Movement” with Luci Baines Johnson, Kerry Kennedy and Peggy Wallace Kennedy. She has lectured at Harvard University Law School, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, Pepperdine University’s Distinguish Lecture Series, Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State’s Women’s Peace Summit, Morgan state University, University of Utah, Weber State University, Virginia Military Institute, University of Rochester, University of Memphis, Mary Washington University and more. Through the Teaching American History Program, she has taught teachers how to teach African American and Civil Rights History. She has lectured on Implicit Bias for President Obama’s organization Organizing for Action. At the 45^th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott Celebration, she was given the honor of introducing Mrs. Rosa Parks in one of her last public appearances.

She was one of the leading actors in Warner Bros. Civil War epic, Gods and Generals. She starred as the leading lady in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning HBO film, Don King - Only In America. She also starred in the Emmy and Golden Globe winning Miss Evers Boys, in NBC’s Golden Globe nominated The Tempest, and NBC’s DGA Award winning movie, Murder in Mississippi. She has starred in many independent films including, 59 Seconds. She starred for four years on the Lifetime Television’s acclaimed series, Any Day Now. She recurred on the series Shooter, Suits, The Walking Dead, Lincoln Heights, Commander in Chief, EZ Streets and Dangerous Minds. She has starred in several television movies The Sky’s on Fire, Abducted - A Father’s Love, Ned Blessing, Grassroots and has guest starred on Chicago PD, the Vanity Fair series Decades, Agents of Shield, Shameless, CSI, House, Judging Amy, 24, Chicago Hope and NYPD Blue. Along with her husband Dar Dixon, they created, directed and produced the documentary Saint Francis Medical Center. For the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus at the National Black Arts Festival, she wrote and starred in Billy Strayhorne’s Lush Life. She wrote, directed and starred in The Women of Niagara for the National Park Service of Harper’s Ferry Centennial Celebration of the Niagara Movement and WEB DuBois. For the University of Utah at Park City and the grandson of John Brown, she wrote and performed with Dar Dixon, John Brown - The Abolitionist.

She is a founding Trustee of the New Visions Foundation/Coalition for Engaged Education and a former Vice President of the Board and New Roads Schools. She was a Spokesperson for the CDC’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Program and for Amnesty International. She currently volunteers for Juveniles in the Los Angeles County Justice System. Read Less ^