The HistoryMakers

We see The HistoryMakers Speakers Bureau as a natural extension of The HistoryMakers mission to disseminate information about the archives and the HistoryMakers themselves as widely as possible. In fact, we are often asked: "How can we access the archives?" "How do we learn more about individual HistoryMakers?"

What is The HistoryMakers Speakers Bureau?

The HistoryMakers Speakers Bureau is a new service that will place our various HistoryMakers in front of various groups and organizations to talk about their lives and careers. The bureau will function as a referral service.

What is its mission and goals?
The mission of The HistoryMakers Speakers Bureau is to promote The HistoryMakers and its work by putting our HistoryMakers and their life stories in front of as many audiences as possible to show the richness of their lives and their experiences. The goal is to show that African American life and culture is much more diverse than is commonly portrayed. Furthermore, these HistoryMakers are true examples of leadership. Their stories of those of perseverance, success and achievement often in face of great odds. At The HistoryMakers, we believe that these are America's Missing Stories™.

When is it getting started?
The Bureau was officially launched on June 3, 2003 at a reception hosted by Harris Bank. To date, the Bureau has made two out of ten placements requested by Dr. Doris Odem, head of the University of Illinois-Extension program. Past speakers scheduled include the late songwriter and poet, Oscar Brown, Jr. who served as the keynote speaker for an event on Friday, June 27, 2003; former U.S. Ambassador and U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun addressed a group of seniors in September of 2003; and Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles served as a speaker on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday in 2007.

How will people hear about the Bureau?
We will promote the Bureau on our website and through our newsletter and at all of our events. Of course, there is no other promotion like having a HistoryMaker present and hearing their life stories. In many ways, the HistoryMakers themselves will be our best promotion. We expect that each HistoryMaker will behave in a professional manner so as to well represent The HistoryMakers and its mission.

How does it work?
Interested parties should complete a Speakers Bureau Application Form. This form will assist us in matching the request with our pool of HistoryMakers. If we cannot fulfill the request, we will let the requesting party know that.

Name of Organization:____________________________________
Contact Person:_________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________
Phone:_________________________________________________
E-Mail:_________________________________________________
Type of Organization:_____________________________________
Event Name:____________________________________________
Event Date:_____________________________________________
Type of Event:___________________________________________
Intended Audience (age, interest, etc):______________________
Size of Audience:________________________________________
Type of Venue:__________________________________________
REQUESTED SPEAKER(S)
Category of Speaker (What type of Maker?)________________
Name of Speaker (if applicable)____________________________

Area of Expertise:________________________________________
Number of Speakers Requested:___________________________
Proposed Honorarium:___________________________________