Fireside Chat: Bonnie Boswell Presents The Powerbroker
Presenting an opportunity to have a creative and thought-provoking Fireside Chat on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with Bonnie Boswell, an award-winning reporter and film producer using her film: The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights as the medium to drive a meaningful dialogue with corporate leaders and their teams as well as academic institutions, and their students.
“It truly was a wonderful piece—very moving and very powerful”
“This film changed my life. I thought I understood the civil rights movement until I saw this film”
The Film: The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights
Whitney Young was known as the “Inside Man” of the Civil Rights Movement and was also, Bonnie’s uncle. Sixty years ago, as the executive director of the National Urban League, Whitney Young championed issues of diversity, equity and inclusion before it was popular to do so. His access to powerful figures like Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon and titans of industry such as Henry Ford often put him at odds with the very people he was trying to help.
The PBS documentary, narrated by Alfre Woodard, tells the story of this unsung hero through the eyes of Congressman John Lewis, Henry Louis Gates, Vernon Jordan, Ramsey Clark, Dorothy Height, former American Express CEO Ken Chenault, Howard Zinn, Donald Rumsfeld and many others. The film was presented at the White House by Former First Lady Michelle Obama who called it “very moving and powerful.”
Telling the story of her Uncle Whitney has been an illuminating and personal journey for Bonnie. As a reporter she sees the importance and opportunity to highlight the relevance of his work as we continue to work on these issues in our society, institutions and corporations. She is passionate about creating a dialogue that inspires learning, insights and reflection on what can we learn from the past, what is different now and how do we sustain the quest for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice? Also, to highlight the leadership lessons that can be gleaned from Whitney Young’s approach and work with the business community.
“He was one of the earliest voices who said to corporate America … that business leaders and the business community had a stake in the development and rebuilding of urban America, but also in the success of civil rights,”
Background
In addition to being the executive producer/producer of The Powerbroker, Bonnie is the reporter/producer of Bonnie Boswell Reports seen on PBS NewsHour Weekend/PBS SoCal. She is the winner of “Best News Special” for Seeds of Peace produced for NBC while a reporter for NBC LA. Bonnie is a former associate producer for ABC’s 20/20, reporter for NBC-LA and the producer/co-host of Lawson, Live with legendary civil rights leader Pastor James M. Lawson, Jr.
Bonnie has presented two TedxTalks and was a guest on The Today Show, National Public Radio, MSNBC’s ‘Andrea Mitchell Reports,’ CNN’s “Talk Back” and “PBS NewsHour with Gwen Ifill.” She has been a guest speaker at Google, The Boeing Company, Southern California Edison, Harvard Law School, The Wharton School of Business, Princeton University, The National Urban League and The National Endowment for the Humanities. Her articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Louisville-Courier Journal, Essence Magazine. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“The film inspired and informed my students and reminded my faculty of the struggles of those days. Told with accuracy, passion and balance.”
Presentation
Bonnie has found that having employees/staff/students view The Powerbroker followed by a “Fireside Chat” with either the CEO or a DEI leader sparks an interesting and thoughtful dialogue and robust Q&A session. Most organizations stream the film and then host the “Fireside Chat“ within a week. The film will be made available to employees/staff/students through a Vimeo link.
Sample Fireside Chat Questions
Topic 1: The film: Bonnie’s inspiration to share her uncle’s story
Please share more about why you were motivated to tell the story of your Uncle, Mr. Whitney Young? Can you say more about your relationship with your uncle and what it means to you to have such a close tie to this vital story in our national history?
Topic 2: Civil Rights Movement & connection our organization’s work.
How can companies today support the ongoing fight for racial equity and economic empowerment?
You’ve done a lot of work with Pastor James Lawson, a collaborator of Dr. King. Are there insights and lessons that you think our team can learn from that relationship and his ongoing leadership?
Topic 3: Bonnie on her personal values and leadership principles.
What are some of your core personal values or principles that guide you in your work and your leadership?
“YOU WERE SENSATIONAL!!!!!
”
“That was incredible, Bonnie. You were really brilliant. I have a lot to learn!”
“I enjoyed the story of Whitney Young whom I knew nothing about before this event. It was such a heartfelt and epic story of a heroic character that many of us missed because many of these heroes were not in the limelight. …This was the best speaker/event I’ve been fortunate enough to have been present. Bonnie was such a delightful and powerful speaker, that I was moved to tears.”
“In a nutshell, it was an AMAZING presentation. I was so impressed by Bonnie’s presentation, I told family members about it, and how fantastic a speaker that she is. I commend you and Bonnie for providing everyone in the audience with a much deserved “eye opening” experience. So, THANK YOU Bonnie Boswell…you opened my eyes, and many, many others as well.”
“What a wonderful conversation Bonnie! Your thoughtful words, your vibrant spirit, and sharing the rich experiences you have had made it so special. I know the staff really appreciated being with you. Everyone jumped in with questions, which is not always the case – a great demonstration of their engagement. The photos were a treat and a window into the personal that was so compelling.”
“As Henry Louis Gates Jr. said – he was a prophet and so ahead of his time. Heartbreaking that he died so young –I really had to hold back tears on that footage of your Aunt going up the stairs of the plane to meet his coffin. Can’t help but wonder how much more of a difference he would have made. His legacy feels even more relevant today.”
