Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney is Associate Professor of History Emeritus, former Interim Director of the Center for African American Studies, and the former Chair of the Department of History at the University of Texas, Arlington. He is a graduate of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History, magna cum laude. He earned his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in American and African-American history at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is a native of Alliance, Ohio.

In addition to teaching at UTA for eighteen years, he has taught at Central State University, Ohio State University, and St. Olaf College in Minnesota. From 1994 to 2008, he served as Executive Director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture and Director of the African American Studies Program at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.

He has published scholarly articles and reviews in the Journal of Negro History, Civil War History, Southwestern Historical Quarterly, The Houston Review, The Historian, Pacific Historical Review, Texas Journal of Ideas, History and Culture, Legacies, Encyclopedia of African-American Civil Rights, Locus, The Georgia Historical Quarterly, The New Handbook of Texas, Our Texas magazine, African Americans: Their History, the South Carolina Encyclopedia, The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, Lone Star Legacy: African American History in Texas, The African American Experience in Texas History: An Anthology, and the Handbook of African American Texas.       

His most recent publications are: “Julia Scott Reed: Presenting the Truth about African Americans in Dallas” in Texas Women: Their Histories, Their Lives, Stephanie Cole, Rebecca Sharpless and Elizabeth Hayes Turner, Editors (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2015), pp. 389-409; “The Troubled History of American Policing,” The Crime Report, May 19, 2015, http://www.thecrimereport.org/news/cjn/2015-05-the-troubled-origins-of-american-policing; “Juanita Craft: Another Unsung Heroine of the Civil Rights Movement,” Legacies 29 (Fall 2017):38-45; and “Lies Across the Landscape: Removing Confederate Monuments and Memorials in the South,” Rethinking Public History, (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2019),  forthcoming.

He serves on the board of directors of the Texas State Historical Association and the editorial board of Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas. He has won numerous awards for his community service, activism, and scholarship.

Known as the “King of Motown,” Smokey Robinson founded the R&B group The Miracles, which delivered 37 Top 40 hits for Motown Records. Smokey Robinson is second to only Berry Gordy in the founding of Motown. A prolific songwriter, he is credited with 4,000 songs and 37 Top 40 hits, including “Tears of a Clown,” “Tracks of My Tears” and “Love Machine.” Robinson also served as vice president of Motown Records, writing and producing hits for groups such as The Temptations (“My Girl”) and Mary Wells (“My Guy”).

Singer, songwriter and record producer Smokey Robinson was born William Robinson Jr. on February 19, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, Robinson started out singing in local groups. In the early 1950s, he formed the Matadors, which later became the world-famous group The Miracles. A chance meeting with record producer Berry Gordy Jr. led to a contract with Motown Records as well as an important working relationship.

The Miracles scored their first big hit with “Shop Around” (1960) and developed quite a following with their energetic R&B sound. The group has numerous hits, including “You Really Got a Hold on Me” (1962) and “I Second That Emotion” (1967). Robinson also worked behind the scenes, composing and producing for The Miracles and other Motown artists, such as Mary Wells and The Temptations. His work contributed to the success of Motown Records and helped advance the popularity of soul music. Bio from https://www.biography.com/musician/smokey-robinson.smokey

Listed amongst the Most Influential People of 2021 by TIME100, Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 Most Influential African Americans, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, and the 2014 NNPA Newsmaker of the Year, Attorney Ben Crump is referred to as Black America’s Attorney General. Through a steadfast dedication to justice and service, renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Benjamin Crump has established himself as one of the nation’s foremost lawyers and advocates for social justice. His legal acumen has ensured that those marginalized in American society are protected by their nation’s contract with its constituency. He is the founder and principal owner of Ben Crump Law.

Crump’s tireless advocacy has led to legislation preventing excessive force and developing implicit bias training and policies. He has represented families in several high-profile civil rights cases including Trayvon Martin, who was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida, in 2012; Michael Brown, who was killed by a law enforcement officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014; and Stephon Clark, who was killed by police officers in Sacramento, California, in 2018. Crump represented 9 of the 13 black women who were victims in the Holtzclaw Oklahoma City Police rape case in 2015 and worked on the precedent-setting U.S. Supreme Court case involving excessive police force against Robbie Tolan in 2008. Most recently, Attorney Crump has represented the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, the residents of Flint, Michigan, who were affected by the poisoned water of the Flint River, as well as the family of Henrietta Lacks in a landmark reparations case. Crump has helped reach historic settlements and verdicts for families that have faced injustices. Crump won a $411 million verdict for Duane Washington who was horribly injured in a truck accident, he helped reach a $641 million settlement for the children of Flint, Michigan, he reached a $27 million settlement for the family of George Floyd, a $12 million settlement for the family of Breonna Taylor, and over $200 million in settlements in banking while Black cases, among others.
Crump is the President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association and previously served as President of the National Bar Association. He was the first African-American to chair the Florida State University College of Law Board of Directors and is the founder and director of the Benjamin Crump Social Justice Institute. In 2021, St. Thomas University College of Law, one of the most diverse law schools in the nation, announced the Benjamin L. Crump Center for Social Justice in his honor, which will open doors for minority students pursuing law degrees.

Among dozens of accomplishments, Attorney Crump has been recognized with the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, the SCLC Martin Luther King Servant Leader Award, the American Association for Justice Johnnie Cochran Award, and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Eleanor Roosevelt Medallion for Service. He hosted the critically acclaimed legal docudramas “Evidence of Innocence” on TVOne and “Who Killed Tupac: The Search For Justice” on A&E, and served as executive producer and writer for the documentary, “Woman in Motion,” about Nichelle Nichols, one of the first African-American TV actresses. He is a frequent contributor to MSNBC, CNN, and USA Today.

Crump’s book, published in October 2019, Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, reflects on the landmark cases he has battled, and how discrimination in the courthouse devastates real families and communities. Crump graduated from Florida State University and received his law degree from FSU College of Law. He is married to Dr. Genae Angelique Crump. Bio from https://bencrump.com/about/attorneys/ben-crump/

Rita Ali is an American politician serving as the 47th mayor of Peoria, Illinois since 2021. She was elected on April 21, 2021, finishing just 43 votes ahead of her opponent, councilman Jim Montelongo. Ali was sworn in two weeks later on May 4, becoming both the first woman and the first African American to serve as mayor of Peoria. She has previously served on the Peoria City Council and has held a position as Vice President of Workforce and Diversity at Illinois Central College. Bio from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Ali