A Journey to Excellence: How far Have We Come? Where Do We Go From Here?
Bakari Sellers made history in 2006 when, at just 22 years old, he defeated a 26-year incumbent State Representative to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. In 2014, he was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in South Carolina. Earning his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College, where he served as student body president, and his law degree from the University of South Carolina, Sellers has followed in the footsteps of his father, civil rights leader Cleveland Sellers, in his commitment to service and championship of progressive policies that address issues ranging from education and poverty to domestic violence and childhood obesity. Sellers served on President Barack Obama's South Carolina steering committee during the 2008 election and is considered to be a rising star within the Democratic Party and a leading voice for his generation. He was recognized as TIME Magazine’s 40 Under 40 in 2010 and included in “The Root 100” list of the nation’s most influential African-Americans in 2014 and 2015. Bakari provides commentary and analysis to CNN and appears regularly on MSNBC.
Mr. Bakari will deliver the keynote address for the PEER Conference at Claremont McKenna College.