SPEAKER & MODERATOR BIOs
(listed alphabetically)
John W. Boyd, Jr. (Speaker)
John W. Boyd, Jr. is a fourth-generation black farmer, businessman, and civil rights activist. As the
founder and President of National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), he works to encourage the
participation of small and disadvantaged farmers in gaining access to resources of state and federal
programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Boyd founded the NBFA after
encountering the US Department of Agriculture's discriminatory practices first-hand and meeting many
more black farmers who shared this experience. Boyd helped to bring the plight of black farmers to the
nation's attention by leading NBFA members in a march on the White House, meeting with President
Clinton, and to testifying before Congress. He has been featured in The Washington Post, "60 Minutes,"
"Nightline," CNN and as ABC News Tonight's "Person of the Week." He is a past nominee for the
NAACP's highest honor, The Springarn Award, and currently ranks as one of Ebony Magazine's most
influential African Americans.
Francis A. Boyle (Banquet speaker)
Francis Boyle was responsible for drafting the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, the
American implementing legislation for the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. He served on the Board
of Directors of Amnesty International (1988-1992), and represented Bosnia-Herzegovina at the World
Court where he argued and won two World Court Orders for Bosnia
on the basis of the 1948 Genocide Convention. He served as legal adviser to the Palestinian Delegation
to the Middle East peace negotiations from 1991 to 1993. In 2007, he delivered the Bertrand Russell
Peace Lectures. Professor Boyle teaches international law at the University of Illinois, Champaign and
is author of, inter alia, The Future of International Law and
American Foreign Policy, Foundations of World Order, The Criminality of Nuclear Deterrence, Palestine,
Palestinians and International Law, Destroying World Order, Biowarfare & Terrorism, Tackling America’
s Toughest Questions, The Tamil Genocide by Sri Lanka and The Palestinian Right of Return Under
International Law. He holds a Doctor of Law Magna Cum Laude as well as a Ph.D. in Political Science,
both from Harvard University.
Musa Dan-Fodio (Moderator)
As a trial lawyer and former Managing Attorney at Hyatt Legal Services, Musa Dan-Fodio has
successfully represented the concerns of the African-American community by advising his clients on
how to empower themselves by utilizing both the domestic and international legal systems. Musa Dan-
Fodio received a Doctorate of International Law degree at Barrington
University/ IHRAAM Institute for International Legal Studies, supervised by Dr. Yussuf Kly; a Juris Doctor
from John Marshall Law School; a Masters of International Business Administration studies from the
Monterey Institute of International Studies; and a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is admitted to practice law in the U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court,
and Georgia Supreme Court. He has served as a delegate to the United Nations World Conference
Against Racism; a speaker at the First International Conference on the Right to Self-Determination; a
Human Rights Defender, UN Commission on Human Rights; Legal Advisor, Somali-American Trade and
Economic Council; Board Member, African Trade Center, Inc.; 1000 Lawyers For Justice; and a
presenter at the “Islamic West Africa’s Legacy Of Literacy & Music To America and The World”
Conference. Currently, he serves as a Human Rights Advocate on matters affecting victims of Crimes
Against Humanity and as a consultant for the International Human Rights Association of American
Minorities (IHRAAM).
Henry L. English (Speaker)
Henry L. English serves as the President and CEO of the Black United Fund of Illinois, which works to
create, support, and sustain African American social, economic, cultural, and educational institutions
and to improve the quality of life for African Americans through reliance on self-help at the local
community level. He is also the Chief Fiscal Officer of the PEOPLE
Programme (Public Elected Officials and others for Policy Leadership and Exchange). The PEOPLE
Programme brings about the international exchange of ideas between Europe, the United States, and
Africa to help craft programs and policy innovations that identify ways in which residents of inner city
communities can forge relationships with people from other
nations to advance mutually beneficial programs and policies.
Kamm Howard (Moderator)
Kamm operates apartment, retail, and office spaces on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. He is also a
leading figure with the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (NCOBA). He has served
on the National Board and is currently the National Co-Chair of its Legislation Commission working to
get HR 40, the Commission to Study Reparations Proposals for
African Americans Act, passed into law. Kamm co-founded the Amos N. Wilson Book Club and the
Amos N. Wilson Institute. The Institute operates as a Black think tank and means for propagating and
testing the power theories of Dr. Amos N. Wilson. Kamm, along with Pat Hill, convened the 2011
International Year of People of African Descent Coalition for African Descendants of Chicago also know
as IYPAD- Chicago, with the mission “to educated, mobilize, and organize people of African descent in
Chicago around IYPAD banner to promote the right for self-determination.”
Tyson King-Meadows (Speaker)
Tyson King-Meadows, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Maryland
Baltimore County. There he also holds affiliations with the Department of Public Policy, the Department
of Africana Studies, and the Honors College. His general field of expertise is American politics, and his
specializations include black political engagement, racial representation, and identity group politics. He
is author of When the Letter Betrays the Spirit: Voting Rights Enforcement and African American
Participation from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama (Lexington Books/Rowman and Littlefield, 2011)
and co-author of Devolution and Black State Legislators: Challenges and Choices in the Twenty-First
Century (State University of New York Press, 2006). Prof. King-Meadows is president of the National
Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS).
Chokwe Lumumba (Speaker)
Attorney Chokwe Lumumba is the National Chairman and a cofounder of the New Afrikan People’s
Organization (N.A.P.O.) and has served as chairperson since its inception in 1984 having been re-
elected to the position in 2004. On July 7, 2009, Chokwe Lumumba was seated as Ward 2 City
Councilperson in Jackson, MS. He has pursued human rights on the streets and in the courtroom. He
graduated with honors from Wayne State University Law School in 1975 after finishing first in his
Freshman law class in 1973-74. In 1977, Chokwe Lumumba briefly served as Attorney for Black
Liberation Army Soldier, Assata Shakur, in a murder case which was dismissed in Brooklyn, New York.
Practicing law for more than 35 years, Lumumba is currently the senior law partner of Lumumba,
Freelon and Associates in Jackson, MS.
Cynthia McKinney (Speaker)
Cynthia McKinney has made a career of speaking her mind, challenging authority, and pressing for
government transparency and accountability. As the first African American woman to represent
Georgia in the United States House of Representatives, she supported the creation of a Palestinian
State in the Israel-occupied territory, sparked controversy by criticizing American
policy in the Middle East, and criticized the U.S. government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. After
serving 6 terms in the House, in 2007, she left the Democratic Party and became the Green Party
Presidential Candidate and ran for President in 2008. Cynthia is a vocal advocate of the creation of
peaceful US foreign policy. She joined the Bike4Peace 2010 cyclists, and
completed a 21-city peace tour in the United States educating urban communities in order to promote a
more peaceful U.S. foreign policy. She is a supporter and follower of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s
efforts to “criminalize war”, and served as an official observer at the historic Kuala Lumpur War Crimes
Tribunal that found former President George W. Bush and former Prime Minister Tony Blair guilty of the
crime of aggression and other crimes against the state and people of Iraq. Cynthia now travels the
world speaking out on human rights, nature’s rights, and peace while she contemplates a return to
politics.
Gregory A. Mitchell (Moderator)
Gregory Abdullah Mitchell received a Bachelor of Science in Business and Juris Doctor from Duquesne
University. He is admitted to Illinois Supreme Court, United States District Court of Northern District of
Illinois, United States Bankruptcy Court of the Northern District of Illinois, and the Pennsylvania Supreme
Court. Attorney Mitchell started his legal career as an Assistant
District Attorney, Allegany County, Pennsylvania. He has spent the last 25 years in private practice as a
civil litigator gaining extensive experience in personal injury, family law, incorporation, bankruptcy,
mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and contract litigation. His current focus is mediation,
alternative dispute resolution, and bankruptcy. Over the years, Attorney Mitchell has devoted his time
and legal expertise to various nonprofit organizations that serve minorities and protect the human
rights of the underserved with a focus on African-Americans and Muslims. He served as a board
member of the Islamic Center of Cleveland; African American Historical Society of Cleveland; Cleveland
Islamic Organizations; Cleveland Area Islamic School Project; Masjid Al-Amin; Masjid Al-Amin School;
Universal School; Geneva Scott Outreach Services; Downtown Islamic Center; and Muslim Association
for Civil Rights and Legal Defense. He has received numerous awards recognizing his commitment to
community service and outreach.
Mary A. Mitchell (Moderator)
Mary A. Mitchell is an editorial board member and columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a
recipient of numerous journalism awards, including the Award of Excellence from the National
Association of Black Journalists; the Studs Terkel Award from the Community Media Workshop; the
Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club; the Phenomenal Woman Award-Media from the
Expo for Today's Black Woman; and the Humanitarian Award from the 100 Black Men of Chicago. In
2004, Crain's Chicago Business honored Mitchell as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in the city.
Mitchell earned a B.A. in journalism at Columbia College Chicago. She joined the Chicago Sun-Times as
an education writer in 1991, and has covered City Hall and the U.S. Federal Courts. Mitchell’s columns
continually raise community awareness about important advocacy issues, including criminal justice,
police misconduct, race relations. Mitchell’s reporting has led state legislators to strengthen laws
protecting the rights of women and children. Mitchell’s reporting often rallies African American readers
to empower their communities by promoting education and by protecting the most vulnerable members
of our society -- our children and our elderly. Her column appears on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Sundays She is a frequent panelist on WTTW's Week In Review, FOX-TV, and has appeared on national
news programs, including Meet The Press.
Ava Muhammad (Speaker)
Dr. Ava is the National Spokesperson for Minister Louis Farrakhan. She received her Bachelor of Arts
in history from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. In 1975, she received a Juris Doctor from
Georgetown University Law School and was admitted to the New York Bar. Her earliest professional
experience was in law enforcement, in the New York State Office of
Child Support Enforcement and later served as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens, New York. In
addition to be the author of several books and having been recognized by Essence as one of the 30
most influential Black women in America in 2000, Dr. Muhammad is a gifted lecturer and researcher
which has placed her in great demand among colleges, universities,
churches, conferences and radio programs. She has addressed the National Association of Black
Social Workers, the NAACP Leadership Conference, the Million Woman March, the 40th Anniversary of
the March on Washington in 2003. Dr. Muhammad is the first Muslim woman in modern history to
occupy a position of authority over a mosque anywhere in the world. She
served as the Nation of Islam’s Southern Regional Minister from 1998 until 2000, after she was
appointed a National Spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, a position she continues to hold this day.
She is married to Darius Muhammad. They currently reside in Chicago and are the parents of two lovely
daughters, Sasha and Cherelle.
Dr. Farid I. Muhammad (Speaker)
Dr. Muhammad has represented IHRAAM in a variety of international and domestic venues. This
includes serving as the key representative and facilitator for a 41 member IHRAAM delegation to the U.
N. World Conference Against Racism (UN/WCAR) in Durban, South Africa, 2001. Born, raised and
educated in Harlem, N.Y.C., N.Y. Dr. Farid I. Muhammad currently serves as the
Chairman of the Department of Behavioral & Social Sciences at East-West University (EWU) in Chicago,
Illinois. He also serves as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference’s (OIC) www.oic-oci.org
Board of Trustees (BOT)/Board Steering Committee (BSC) and Interim Executive Council (IEC) for the
American Islamic College (Chicago, Illinois, USA). He completed his B.A. degree in psychology at Iona
College in New Rochelle, N.Y.; his M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois and
his Ed.D. in Administration & Management at the University of Sarasota (Argosy University) in Florida. In
1975-79, he served as Assistant Director of Adult Education and subsequently Director of the Ministry of
Education for the Muhammad University of Islam/Sister Clara Muhammad school system Chicago,
Illinois. He also served as the Project Documentor and Deputy Director of the Federal Teacher Corp
Training Program via the College of Human Learninig and Development at Governors State Univerity,
Illinois In addition to his current administrative and academic responsibilities at EWU, he has also
designed and managed federal projects under the U.S. Department of Education. During a twelve year
period, these multi-million dollar projects were designed
to help identify and train qualified first-generation and low-income high school students who needed
socio-academic assistance in making a transition to varied institutions of higher education.
Leonard Murray (Moderator)
Judge Murray received a B.S. in Economics from St. Francis College and a J.D. from Northwestern
University School of Law. Prior to receiving his education, he served in the Foreign Service of the U.S.
Army from 1968 –1970. Judge Murray was appointed Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook
County, Illinois, in April 2007. Prior to his appointment, he worked as an attorney for Touche Ross’ Tax
Department and in his own private law practice. Judge Murray has served as a member of several bar
associations and organizations, including the Chicago Bar Association, where he served as Chair of
both the
Election Committee and the Judicial Evaluations Committee — Appeals and as a Member of the CBA
Board of Managers; the Illinois State Bar Association; the Cook County Bar Association; and the Board
of Governors for the National Bar Association. Judge Murray also served as Chair of the Executive
Committee for the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening and as the Chair of the Board of
Directors of Africa International House USA, Inc. Judge Murray continues to receive numerous awards
for his outstanding service to the legal community.
Carla D. Pratt (Speaker)
Carla D. Pratt is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at Penn State University,
Dickinson School of Law where she has taught courses in Constitutional Law, Race and American Law,
and Criminal Law. Professor Pratt's scholarly interests examine the legal construction of racial identity
and the role of race in the legal profession. Her research employs
Critical Race Theory, to explore how law often unintentionally operates to perpetuate the subordination
of racial minorities rather than achieve true equality. Her current research project examines tribal law’
s exclusion of blacks and posits that slaveholding Indian tribes have consistently viewed blacks as
racially ineligible for tribal citizenship. Prior to entering
academia, Professor Pratt practiced civil litigation in the NJ Attorney General’s Office and the law firm
of Drinker Biddle & Reath,, LLP in Philadelphia.
Queen Quet (Speaker)
As the first Queen Mother and official spokesperson for the Gullah/Geechee Nation, Queen Quet spoke
on behalf of her people before the United Nations in Genevé, Switzerland. In 2008, she was recorded at
UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France at a United Nations Conference to have the human rights story
of the Gullah/Geechee people archived for the United Nations. In 2009, she was invited by the Office of
the High Commissioner of the United Nations to come and present before the newly founded “Minority
Forum” as a representative of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and the International Human Rights
Association for American Minorities (IHRAAM). Queen Quet has won numerous awards for her
scholarship, writings, artistic presentation, activism, cultural continuation and environmental
preservation including: the United States Jefferson Award for community service, the Jean Laney Folk
Heritage Award for Gullah Advocacy from the state of South Carolina, numerous Woman of Distinction
Awards, the National Black Herstory Award, and the “Preserving Our Places in History Lifetime
Achievement Award” from the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission.
Vernellia Randall (Speaker)
Professor at the School of Law since 1990, Vernellia Randall writes extensively on and speaks
internationally about race, women, and health care. She is the recipient of the Ohio Commission on
Minority Health Chairman’s Award. Professor Randall provided public health nursing services and
served as an administrator for a statewide health program in Alaska. Involved in
public health work for more than 15 years, Professor Randall focused on eliminating disparities in
health care for minorities and the poor. Professor Randall has also served as a grant reviewer for the
National Institute of Health. She has been recognized in Who's Who in the World since 1995 and Who's
Who in the United States since 1998. Professor Randall is the
editor and webmaster for four academic websites on race, health care, gender, and academic support.
She is the author of “Dying While Black”. More importantly, she is the proud mother of her adult sons,
Tshaka and Issa and the Nah-Nah of Ajani and Makai.
Daniel Turp (Speaker)
Daniel Turp studied law at the Université de Montréal and the University of Ottawa, and received his
legal license in Sherbrooke. He gained a Master's degree at the Université de Montréal and Doctorate
(summa cum laude) from Pantheon-Assas Paris II University. He is a professor at the Faculty of Law of
the Université de Montréal since 1982. He lectures in the area of Public International Law, International
and Constitutional Human Rights Law and Advanced Constitutional Law. Professor Turp served as
member of the House of Commons of Canada for Beauharnois-Salaberry from 1997 to 2000 and was
the Bloc Québécois' critic for Foreign and Intergovernmental Affairs. Professor Turp was elected
President of International Relations Committee of the Parti Québécois on February 10th, 2002 and is
now a member of its National Bureau. He has published extensively in the areas of international and
constitutional law as well on Québec and Canada's political future. His latest legal and political essays
have been published under the titles The Right to Choose: Essays on Québec's Right to Self-
Determination and The Muzzled Nation : Plan B or Ottawa's Offensive against Québec.
Standish Willis (Speaker)
Stan Willis practices law in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in personal injury, criminal defense, and
federal rights cases. Stan earned a baccalaureate and masters degree from The University of Chicago
and later studied graduate economics at the University of Illinois-Chicago and earned a Jurist Doctorate
from The Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago Kent College of Law. During his over 25 years of legal
practice, Stan advocated for the human rights of African Americans in US. courts and before
international bodies including the United Nations’ Committee to Eliminate Racial Discrimination (CERD);
the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and submitted
reports as part of its Universal
Periodic Review (UPR) of the United States. He also co-founded and co-chaired Black People Against
Police Torture “BPAPT”, a grass-root, community-based organization to insure justice in the Chicago
police torture cases, and to build a Human Rights movement within the African American community.
He also helped draft and successfully lobby for a bill titled “The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief
Commission Bill” to create the Torture Commission, that would have the authority to review the cases
of those 24 torture victims who remain in prison.
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