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Jodi Picoult, Author | Keynote Speaker

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 28 novels, including Mad Honey, Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page.

Picoult’s books have been translated into thirty-four languages in thirty-five countries. Four novels – The Pact. Plain Truth. The Tenth Circle. and Salem Falls – have been made into television movies. My Sister’s Keeper was a film released from New Line Cinema, with Nick Cassavetes directing and Cameron Diaz starring. Mad Honey is currently in development for a series/film. Small Great Things has been optioned for motion picture adaptation. Picoult also wrote five issues of DC Comic’s Wonder Woman. Picoult is the co-librettist for the stage musical adaptation of her two young adult novels, Picoult’s two young adult novels, Between The Lines and Off The Page, co-written with her daughter Samantha Van Leer, which premiered off-Broadway in Summer 2021 and will be licensed through Music Theatre International during the fall of 2022. She is also the co-librettist of the musical Breathe, which was inducted into the Library of Congress’s Performing Arts COVID-19 Response Collection; and of the musical adaptation of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which will play at the Coventry Belgrade and the Leicester Curve in the fall of 2023.

Picoult is the recipient of many awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction, the Alex Awards from the YALSA, a lifetime achievement award for mainstream fiction from the Romance Writers of America, the NH Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit and the Sarah Josepha Hale Award. She holds honorary doctor of letters degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of New Haven. She is a patron of the Carole Shields Prize for Fiction which is awarded to female fiction writers.

Picoult lives in New Hampshire with her husband. They have three children.

Stacey Abrams, Lawyer, Activist and Author | Speaker (via pre-recorded video)

Stacey Abrams is a political leader, business owner and New York Times bestselling author. A tax attorney by training, Abrams served eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as Minority Leader, and became the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in 2018 and 2022. Over the course of her career, she has launched multiple organizations devoted to democracy protection, voter engagement, tackling social issues, and building a more equitable future in the South. Committed to the pursuit of equity, she works to break barriers for young people, people of color and the marginalized through her work in the public, nonprofit and corporate sectors.

She currently serves as the Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics at Howard University and is a senior counsel to Rewiring America. Abrams is also the CEO of Sage Works Productions, Inc., an entertainment production company.

Abrams sits on both nonprofit and corporate boards, and she is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She has received degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and Yale Law School.

Lauren Groff, Author | Featured Author

Lauren Groff is a three-time National Book Award finalist and The New York Times–bestselling author of the novels The Monsters of Templeton, Arcadia, Fates and Furies, Matrix, and The Vaster Wilds, and the celebrated short story collections Delicate Edible Birds and Florida. She has won The Story Prize, the ABA Indies’ Choice Award, France’s Grand Prix de l’Héroïne, and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her work regularly appears in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. Her work has been translated into thirty-six languages. She lives in Gainesville, Florida.

George Emilio Sanchez | Speaker

George Emilio Sanchez is a writer, performance artist and social justice activist. He was born in Los Angeles, raised in Orange County, California, and became a New York transplant in 1978. He began making original pieces in 1992 and has continued making performance work and social justice projects to this day.

George’s work has been presented by theaters and museums in over 25 states and has received support from National Performance Network, the Fulbright Program (Peru), New York Foundation for the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. George has been an artist-in-residence at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Abrons Arts Center, Dixon Place, Dance Theater Workshop, Pergones Theater, The MacDowell Colony, Tigertail Productions (Miami), Dance Umbrella (Austin), Centro Cultural de la Raza (San Diego), and Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (San Antonio).

Damaris Allen, Executive Director, Families for Strong Public Schools | Moderator

Damaris Allen is a product of Hillsborough County Public Schools and the proud mother of a HCPS graduate and a HCPS student. She began her advocacy journey when she registered her oldest child for kindergarten and discovered her neighbors were opting out of sending their children to their neighborhood public school. Instead of pulling her child from her the school she decided to focus her efforts on working with parents, teachers, and the administrators to improve the school. Today, this local elementary school is one of the most sought after schools in the district. Damaris went on to serve in numerous roles, including but not limited to, President of Hillsborough County PTA/PTSA, Chair of the Hillsborough County School Board Citizens Advisory Committee, and a member of the Florida PTA Legislation Committee.

Prior to becoming a full time education advocate she studied Christian Education and Theatre at Florida Southern College and worked with children, youth, and their families in the United Methodist Church. Her advocacy work has taught her to never underestimate the power of the collective voice to transform education.

Katie Blankenship, Senior Director, Florida, PEN America | Facilitator

Katie Blankenship is the inaugural senior director of PEN America’s new Florida office. She oversees advocacy in defense of free expression, including strategies for educating and empowering writers and other communities, in the state that has led the nation in book bans and education gag orders that limit what can be taught and learned in public classrooms. The new presence in Florida was funded by a group of bestselling writers who came together to fight censorship in Florida.

Katie came to PEN America from the ACLU of Florida, where she served as deputy legal director and focused on developing integrated advocacy strategies to defend free speech and immigrants’ rights. She created a First Amendment campaign to address the censorship crisis in Florida, managed the immigrants’ rights campaign and created the ACLU of Florida’s Detention Program to combat rampant abuses in the state’s immigrant detention centers.

Katie studied cultural anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz and has a Masters in Humanities from New York University. She was a member of the Belmont University College of Law’s 2014 charter class, where she served as a founding member of the Belmont Law Review and the founder and president of the Belmont Legal Aid Society. After law school, Katie served as a judicial law clerk in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Prior to joining the ACLU of Florida, Katie was a civil litigation attorney with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP, representing international clients in cross-border disputes and maintaining a robust pro bono practice. Prior to practicing law, Katie served as a director of children’s music programs and summer rock and roll camp.

Pat Blankenship, Author | Featured Author

Pat Blankenship is the author of two children’s picture books, Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words and Listening Lucas Listens to Letters. A third children’s picture book, Marvelous Margot Makes Art is in design and expected to be released later this year. Pat’s books celebrate the hard work kids do as they move through developmental milestones like finding their voices, using their imaginations, and creating the art of shapes and color. Pat’s books, filled with rhyme and rhythm, illustrate the joyful impact of having adults celebrate, respect and listen to their hard-working kiddos! Pat Blankenship lives and works in Murfreesboro, TN. She is an author, a yogi, a retired attorney, and a lover of language, art and children.

Reverend Tom Capo | Facilitator

Reverend Tom Capo serves as the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami. He is also the co-chair of the clergy dialogue for Mosaic Miami. Reverend Tom is active in Miami PACT (People Acting in Community Together) and in the South Miami Rotary. Reverend Tom has served Unitarian Universalist congregations in Iowa, Chicago, and Texas and in each city where he served he was active on Interfaith boards (Including being on the executive board of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago) and Nonprofit Boards including Family Promise of Linn County, the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, and Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa. He also served on the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights commission. Reverend Tom Capo was a psychotherapist for 30 years before coming to the ministry, not only working with individuals and families, but providing consulting and training to Hospitals, Universities and NASA JSC on issues ranging from stress management to eating disorders. One of the projects Rev. Tom is most proud of is helping to create SMILE (Students-Mentors-Internship-with Local Employers) with his congregation in Naperville. SMILE is a mentor program for teens of color to help them realize their potential through positive work experience.

Cameron Driggers, Founder/Executive Director, Youth Action Fund | Facilitator

Cameron Driggers is a student activist based at the University of Florida. He began organizing as a high schooler to respond to the bigoted agenda of his local school board. Cameron co-organized the state-wide “Say Gay” school walkouts in March 2022 and spearheaded a successful campaign to remove two Moms for Liberty-backed members of his school board. Currently, Cameron serves as the founder and Executive Director of Youth Action Fund, a youth-led resource center dedicated to empowering young Floridians to make progressive change in their communities.

Dr. Marvin Dunn, Historian, Author, and Professor Emeritus at Florida International University | Panelist

Dr. Marvin Dunn, a native Floridian, is professor emeritus and retired chairperson of the Department of Psychology at Florida International University. Born during the Jim Crow era, he brings a perspective to black history that has been missed, distorted, and minimalized in the past. He co-authored The Miami Riot of 1980: Crossing the Bounds (1984). He authored Black Miami in the Twentieth Century (1997), A History of Florida: Through Black Eyes (2016) and The Kingsleys (2022). Dr. Dunn is the founder and President of the Miami Center for Racial Justice, a non-profit organization created to tell and preserve the true black history of Florida – especially those stories that are difficult to hear. Dr. Dunn is a renowned expert on race and ethnic issues in America and a nationally respected scholar, author, historian, documentary filmmaker, and community activist. He lives in Miami, Florida. Much of his work can be found on Dunnhistory.com.

Dr. Christine Emeran, National Coalition Against Censorship | Speaker

Dr. Christine Emeran is director of the Youth Free Expression Program at the New York based non-profit, National Coalition Against Censorship (ncac.org). She researches and writes on contemporary social movements about students, democracy, civil society and free expression social movements in the U.S. and Western/Eastern Europe. Dr. Emeran has taught sociology at St. John’s University, Manhattan College and political science courses on social movements at SciencesPO in Paris. She holds a PhD in sociology from the New School for Social Research, New York. Her latest publication is Emeran, C. (2023). “Students Fight Back School Censorship.”Sociological Research and Urban Children and Youth. Edited Collection. Bingley, UK: Emerald.

Representative Anna Eskamani, Florida State Representative, District 42 | Panelist

Anna is a bold fighter for Florida families and everyday people. Born and raised in Orlando, she’s the daughter of working class Iranian immigrants who came to this country in search of the American Dream. Anna went to public schools, the University of Central Florida, and is a nonprofit professional currently seeking her PhD in Public Administration. She ran for office as a first time candidate in 2018, flipped a legislative seat, and is proud to serve as a State House Representative for District 42 winning both of her re-election campaigns in a landslide. She just ended her term as Chair of the Orange County Legislative Delegation and serves as the current chair for Florida Legislative Energy and Climate Caucus. Before running for office, Anna served as a Senior Director at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. A track record of kind sacrifice, endless hard work, and iron-clad values, Anna is known across the state and nation as a leader who is unbothered, unbossed, and committed to the people of Florida.

Crystal Etienne | Facilitator

Crystal Etienne is a dedicated Public Education advocate and a passionate Civics teacher in Miami-Dade. As a mother of four college graduates, she deeply understands the transformative power of public education. Crystal actively champions the importance of quality education and encourages other teachers to stand up for and advocate for public education policies.

Her advocacy is centered on ensuring that every child has access to excellent educational opportunities. Crystal empowers her students and the broader community to become informed and engaged citizens, underscoring her commitment to public service and education advocacy.

Maxx Fenning, Executive Director, PRISM | Facilitator

Maxx Fenning is the founder and Executive Director of PRISM, a youth-led nonprofit that works to expand access to LGBT-inclusive education and sexual health resources for young people in South Florida. In addition to his advocacy work, Maxx is active on TikTok, where he discusses hard-hitting topics on gender and sexuality, sexual health, mental health, and LGBT History, all in an effort to prove that safe sex is sexy.

Lissette Fernandez, Moms for Libros | Facilitator

Lissette Fernandez is a concerned parent of two young children who decided to fight back against the attacks on educational freedom by helping to start Moms for Libros. Her work aims to address these attacks by raising awareness about pertinent issues facing the state of Florida with the hope of fostering a better-informed electorate who will advocate against censorship and uphold public education in the upcoming elections. Her dedication underscores the importance of civic engagement in safeguarding the quality of education for all children.

Stephana Ferrell, Director of Research & Insight, Florida Freedom to Read Project | Panelist

Stephana Ferrell is an Orange County Public School parent of two and the Director of Research & Insight at Florida Freedom to Read Project. Caring deeply about academic freedom, freedom of speech, truth in education, and equal access, Stephana found other like-minded people after writing an op-ed in November 2021 about her district breaking with policy to remove books. Her background as a small business owner, visual storyteller, and curriculum developer helps her lead an advocacy organization that recognizes the importance of an informed public.

Pamela Burch Fort, President, The Commerce Group | Panelist

Pamela is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Law. In addition to her law degree, Pamela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Florida State University. She joined the staff of the Florida Legislature in 1979. As President of The Commerce Group since 1995, Pamela lends her extensive expertise to an array of major businesses, associations, local governmental entities, law firms and political candidates. For The Commerce Group, Pamela assists clients in analyzing issues, exploring and developing appropriate strategies to address legislative, business and political concerns and engages principals in the discussion of specific solutions.

Pamela also maintained active participation in the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) participating in numerous presentations focused on Florida’s legislative structure and function, effective staff communication with legislators and committees, legislative strategies and negotiations, and legislative ethics. Pamela served on the NCSL’s Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee Citizen’s Initiative Task Force which produced a significant publication entitled “Educating Citizens About the Legislative Process.” Additionally, Pamela served as Chair of the Research and Committee Staff Section.

Adam Friedman, Organizing & Elections Strategist, Interfaith Alliance | Facilitator

Adam Friedman, Interfaith Alliance’s Organizing & Elections Strategist, is an organizer and advocate based in Washington, DC. Adam first got involved with advocacy work through the Reform Jewish Youth Movement before co-founding Team ENOUGH, Brady United’s youth initiative, and Team ENOUGH’s Lobbying Collective programs. Adam currently oversees democracy and voting rights work at Interfaith Alliance, in addition to managing IA’s election year initiatives. Adam is dedicated to building power across movements in opposition to white Christian nationalism in the United States, and cites his Jewish values as the core of his justice work.

Representative Maxwell Frost, Central Florida (FL-10) in the United States House of Representatives | Speaker (via pre-recorded video)

The first member of Generation Z to be elected to Congress, Maxwell Alejandro Frost is proud to represent the people of Central Florida (FL-10) in the United States House of Representatives. As a young Member of Congress and Afro-Latino, Congressman Frost brings a fresh, progressive perspective to an institution formerly out of reach for young, working Black and Latino Americans.

As a former organizer, musician, and community activist, Frost was inspired to get to work at 15 years old after the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary claimed the lives of 26 innocent people. From that moment on, Frost dedicated his life to fighting against gun violence and empowering communities across Florida and the U.S. to get behind gun reform, including joining forces with those affected by the Parkland and Pulse shootings to shed light on this epidemic.

In 2016, after years of organizing and advocacy work, Frost himself became a survivor of gun violence after witnessing a shooting in downtown Orlando. The experience only further committed Frost to fight for commonsense solutions to this senseless loss of life through leadership roles at ACLU and eventually March for Our Lives, where he served as National Organizing Director.

Now, as a freshman member, Frost has been appointed to the powerful Committee on Oversight and Accountability, where he will deliver on his mission of ushering justice and transparency to Floridians while fighting against House Republicans extremist attempts to politicize the work of the committee by attacking democracy and promoting ridiculous MAGA conspiracies.

In Congress, Frost is committed to representing the people of his hometown in Orlando and Central Florida and being their voice in Washington, D.C. Frost is laser-focused on working to deliver change and results on issues of housing affordability, healthcare, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, transportation, justice reform, climate change and more.

Cristina Gilbert, Author | Featured Author

South Florida native Cristina Gilbert is a dedicated educator in the Broward County school system, where she passionately shapes young minds on a daily basis. Beyond the classroom, Gilbert is a multifaceted entrepreneur and author, balancing her roles as the proud owner of One Candle Company—a boutique brand specializing in all-natural coconut-apricot wax candles—and as a published author.

Gilbert’s entrepreneurial journey began with One Candle Company, where she combines her love for sustainability with exquisite craftsmanship to create eco-friendly candles that bring warmth and fragrance to homes. Her commitment to quality and environmental consciousness has garnered a loyal following among candle enthusiasts.

In addition to her business ventures, Gilbert recently ventured into the literary world with her debut book, I am Light. I am Love, an affirming collection tailored for both children and adults. Inspired by her three-year-old son, Jaxson, Gilbert’s book reflects her belief in the power of positivity and encouragement in shaping young hearts and minds.

As a devoted mother and educator, Gilbert continues to inspire others through her creativity, dedication to education, and commitment to sustainable living.

Pastor Laurie Hafner | Facilitator

The Rev. Dr. Laurinda M. Hafner’s passion for prophetic ministry, the social gospel and the arts has been the mark of her vibrant ministry. Called as Senior Pastor of Coral Gables Congregational UCC in 2006, Hafner came from Cleveland, Ohio where she served as senior pastor of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, for almost 18 years. The dynamic ministry she led at Pilgrim Church has been described by Niles Harper in his book, Urban Churches, Vital Signs: Beyond Charity Toward Justice, and by Chris Hobgood in Welcoming Resistance. In 2000, Hafner was named by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as one of “Those Who Will Help to Shape Our Lives in the New Millennium” in the field of religion and faith. Also in 2000, Hafner planned and presided at Pilgrim Church’s Easter worship service, “Joy,” which was broadcast by ABC Television across the nation on Easter Sunday morning.

Pastor Laurie, as she is known, is presently a board member of the Collective Empowerment Group of South Florida, an organization dedicated to building communities and developing assets in Miami-Dade County; has served as chair and co-chair of MOSAIC, formerly the Miami Coalition for Christians and Jews Clergy Dialogue, the oldest interfaith dialogue in the country; served as president of P.A.C.T. (People Acting for Community Together), which seeks to promote fairness, justice, and democracy in Miami-Dade County; and is probably best known as the pastor who goes up into the Church Tower each year and stays there until at least five tons of food is collected. Over the past years she has raised more than 100 tons of food for the hungry of South Florida.

Hafner is a political science graduate of Elon University. She received her Master of Divinity Degree from Christian Theological Seminary and was awarded a Doctor of Ministry Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In 2023, she was recognized by the General Synod of the United Church of Christ as a Movement Maker for her work in reproductive justice.

Karla Hernandez-Mats, President, United Teachers of Dade | Panelist

Karla Hernández-Mats is currently serving her third term as the president of the United Teachers of Dade, the largest teachers’ union in the southeastern United States. Her goal as she leads is to have a profound impact on education policy and ensure a sound future for all children attending Miami-Dade County Public Schools while also fighting for working rights. In July 2019, Karla was recognized by Miami Today as part of its Achiever Series for her work in advancing public education throughout the Miami-Dade community. Karla serves on the FEA (Florida Education Association) Governance Board, the FEA Cabinet, the State AFL-CIO Executive Board, the Board of The United Way, and serves as the Chairperson of the American Federation of Teachers Women’s Rights Committee and as a Vice President of the AFT. She often speaks to national groups about the challenges public education teachers face and is an ardent advocate for immigration reform, worker’s rights, and the protection of children’s rights. In this role, she has served as a featured speaker and presenter for the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Miami Women’s March, the Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C., and many other organizations that fight for the protection of rights and freedoms of all people. Most recently, Karla was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Florida.

Amanda Jones, Author | Featured Author

Amanda Jones has been an educator for 22 years at the same middle school she attended as a child and is the President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. She was the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, 2021 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and 2020 Louisiana School Librarian of the Year. Amanda is a sought-after keynote speaker at national and international conferences. Amanda co-founded the Livingston Parish Library Alliance to defeat censorship attempts in her community and is a founding member of the Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship, which fights against censorship efforts across the state. She lives in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.

Steve Macek, Author | Featured Author

Steve Macek is a professor of Communication and Media Studies at North Central College in Naperville, IL., teaching courses on media studies and the First Amendment. He is the author of Urban Nightmares: The Media, the Right and the Moral Panic over the City and has contributed chapters to several Project Censored yearbooks, including the latest, State of the Free Press 2023.

Olivia MacLennan, National Coalition Against Censorship | Speaker

As the Community Organizer for the Right to Read Network, Olivia MacLennan works with organizers and advocates nationwide to build power and fight back against book censorship. Prior to joining the National Coalition Against Censorship, she worked in political organizing and the lobbying field. She can be reached at [email protected].

Tranée McDonald, Policy & Advocacy Associate, Interfaith Alliance | Facilitator

Tranée McDonald serves as the Policy & Advocacy Associate at Interfaith Alliance, where she works to protect public education, advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and advance reproductive freedom through coalition building and advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. She draws from her background in public education, where she worked for six years as an educator in Sacramento and D.C. Her experience spans charter and traditional public school settings, specializing in reading and early intervention for elementary students. Before joining Interfaith Alliance, she empowered parent advocates in Washington, D.C., influencing local education policies.

Valentina Mena | Featured Poet

Valentina Mena is a 17-year-old student from Argentina and she came to Miami three years ago with her family. She is an IB senior student at Miami Beach Senior High School, where she enjoys celebrating the arts and her culture in different clubs. She is a member of the Sirens Dance Team, the co-president for the National Dance Honors Society, a member of Quill and Scroll club, the head of the College club for ESOL students, and the president of the Hispanic Honors Society.

Last year, her immigrant narrative was found by O, Miami in an English class where she wrote her first poem talking about what Miami signifies for her. From there, her words were selected to be portrayed onto two massive water tanks outside her school. “My Home, Mi hogar” now paints Miami’s landscape with vibrant colors and the unique phrase “finding my home in every voice that I hear” written in both English and Spanish.

Nowadays she volunteers for O, Miami’s events and participates in poetry readings and workshops around the city. Thanks to her passion for the arts and a deep dedication to her studies, she has found her place in her community and she is now involved in projects advocating for education and the creative expression of ideas.

Zander Moricz | Panelist

Zander Moricz is the founder and Executive Director of the SEE (Social Equity through Education) Alliance, a coalition of thousands of grassroots organizers from across the United States most known for organizing the largest student-led protest in Florida’s history. He is also a primary plaintiff in the Don’t Say Gay Lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida, on the advisory board of the Boxser Diversity Initiative, and on the youth boards for Reform Alliance and the brand Revolve. 

Zander and SEE’s activism have reached over 1 billion people in 101 countries. In response to SEE’s explosive growth, Zander has taken a leave from Harvard to return to his hometown of Sarasota and lead the Alliance in organizing community actions, registering youth voters, and in opening SEE Spaces.

In addition to being one of Seventeen’s Voices of the Year, Zander is one of GLAAD’s 20 under 20, one of Axios’ Power Players, LGBTQ Nation’s Hero of 2022, the Stonewall National Museum and Archives Leader of Tomorrow, one of Into Magazine’s 20 under 20, WST Alliance’s Inaugural Creative Activism Award recipient, the Spirit of Matthew Shepard Award recipient, ADL’s Kay Family Award recipient, the Standing Strong Award recipient, Equality Florida’s Voice of Equality Award recipient, and the recipient of Equality Forum’s Frank Kameny award.

Ana Sofía Peláez, Co-Founder and Executive Director Miami Freedom Project | Moderator and Facilitator

Ana Sofia Peláez is an activist, community organizer, and NGO executive who has led Latino get out the vote efforts since 2016. Through her nonprofit organization, Miami Freedom Project, she is committed to building a community of leaders capable and willing to change the narrative of what it means to be progressive in Miami. She is also an award-winning food, culture, and political writer. As an advocate for cultural representation, her first cookbook The Cuban Table was nominated for a James Beard award and she also contributed to The Immigrant Cookbook to benefit the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. She has worked in the childhood nutrition equity space and contributed to national media outlets.

James Ponti, Author | Featured Author

James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; The Edgar Award-winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, D.C.; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida.

Trenece Robertson, Organizing Lead, Youth Action Fund | Facilitator

Trenece Robertson has been involved with activism and organizing since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Although her advocacy background is in reproductive health, she cares about the current attacks on education. In 2023, she and other Florida A&M University students held teach-ins and rallies in response to Florida House Bill 999. Since the start of 2024, she has worked with the Youth Action Fund to organize protests at the Board of Governors meetings. Trenece cares about the attack on education because knowledge allows people to gain power and autonomy, which are things people deserve.

Pastor Sarah Robinson | Facilitator

Born in Indiana and from a Lutheran background, Pastor Sarah loves living in the eclectic Audubon Park neighborhood, where she bikes all over and has an edible and pollinator garden covering her entire front yard! Having served God all over the world, Pastor Sarah loves traveling and is a foodie who finds great joy in connecting with people and with their arts and cultures. Prior to joining the Audubon Park Church community, Pastor Sarah was Associate Pastor at the Community Covenant Church in Clear Lake, WA. She graduated from Valparaiso University in 2002 with a Bachelors in Elementary Education, and in 2010, she earned her Masters of Divinity from North Park Seminary. Ordained in the summer of 2013 in Detroit, MI, Pastor Sarah was officially installed as pastor of our church December 8, 2013. She is vibrant, energetic, and loves her calling as Pastor of APC and as a community leader.

Lee Rowland, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Censorship | Participant

Lee Rowland is a lifelong free speech advocate and the Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship (ncac.org), a non-partisan coalition of over 60 non-profit organizations dedicated to the freedom of expression. Lee has extensive experience as a litigator, lobbyist, and public speaker. She served as Policy Director of the ACLU of NY for several years, running the civil rights organization’s lobbying and public advocacy work; she also was a leading First Amendment attorney for the national ACLU. Lee has also taught free speech law and policy at New York University School of Law and the Hunter College Human Rights Program. She lives in Brooklyn, where she is addicted to bocce and crossword puzzles.

Rob Sanders, Author | Featured Author

Rob Sanders, from Brandon, Florida, is a teacher who writes and a writer who teaches. He is known for his funny and fierce fiction and nonfiction picture books and is recognized as one of the pioneers in the arena of LGBTQIA+ literary nonfiction picture books. Rob’s nonfiction books continue to break new ground, including the first picture books about the Pride Flag, the Stonewall Uprising, a transgender Civil War soldier, a gay presidential candidate, and the first gay marriage in America. His work also continues to introduce readers to heroes of the LGBTQIA+ community—from Harvey Milk to Gilbert Baker, from Cleve Jones to Bayard Rustin, and more. His fiction explores friendship, relationships, standing up for others, and being allies. Blood Brothers, his first middle grade novel, written in powerful, raw verse released in July 2022 and was named an NCTE 2023 Notable Novel in Verse. 2024 releases will include Rob’s first nonfiction poetry collection—Queer and Fearless: Poems Celebrating the Lives of LGBTQ Heroes (Penguin Workshop) and two fiction picture books—Between You and Me (HarperCollins) and We Are a Class! (Beaming Books). Rob believes in paying it forward. He serves on the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund Steering Committee and is a frequent speaker, teacher, mentor, coach, and critiquer. Rob is represented by Rubin Pfeffer and Amy Flynn of Aevitas Creative Management.

Cecile M. Scoon Esq., Co-President, League of Women Voters of Florida | Facilitator

Cecile Scoon received a Visual and Environmental Studies undergraduate degree from Harvard in 1981. She is currently a civil rights lawyer in Panama City, Florida. After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1984, she spent five years as an active duty Air Force JAG prosecuting in military courts-martial. She retired from the A.F. reserves as a Major in 2005.

Cecile attempts to protect the rights of those wronged at work due to their race, religion, age, disability, place of birth, or unwanted sexual advances. When not burning the midnight oil drafting lengthy pleadings, Cecile enjoys parenting her three children, as well as running, gardening, painting, and watching soccer matches with her best friend, husband, law partner, and LWV member, Alvin Peters.

Cecile currently serves as the Co-President of the LWV of Florida. Cecile is the first Black woman to serve in this capacity. Cecile serves as the sole president of the LWV of Florida from 2021-2023. She is also a past president of the League of Women Voters of Bay County. Cecile previously served as chair of the Florida League’s efforts on Restoration of Rights (including passing Florida’s 2018 Amendment 4) as well as heading up the Health Care Action Team. Cecile is a proud member of the Xi Omicron Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Carlos Guillermo Smith, Senior Policy Advisor, Equality Florida | Panelist

Carlos Guillermo Smith has been with Equality Florida since 2015 and now serves as Senior Policy Advisor to the organization. Carlos made history as Florida’s first openly-LGBTQ Latino lawmaker with his election to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, where he served three consecutive two-year terms. In the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in his community, Carlos championed the needs of survivors and families and became a national leader in gun violence prevention. A graduate of the University of Central Florida, Carlos is a respected civil rights leader who has been recognized by organizations such as the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, the Florida Alliance for Arts Education, Florida PTA, Hispanic Federation, the League of Women Voters of Florida, the LGBTQ+ Center Orlando, and the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce for his public service and advocacy. Orlando Magazine has named him as one of Orlando’s 50 Most Powerful People annually since 2018. Carlos lives in East Orlando with his husband, Jerick Mediavilla, an educator from Corozal, Puerto Rico.

Dr. Hanah Stiverson | Speaker

Dr. Hanah Stiverson is a Researcher for the Extremism & Human Rights Program at Human Rights First where she focuses on the mainstreaming of male supremacy, anti-LGBTQ+ extremism, and attacks on education and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Her broader research focuses on the rising fascist movement in the U.S. and how it has integrated into mainstream spaces through digital recruitment, branding, and social networking.

Her co-authored book, Racist Zoombombing, details the racist hate speech and online harassment faced by users of the Zoom platform during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her upcoming edited volume, Banal Fascism Online: Weaponizing the “Everyday” for Extreme Ends, addresses the rising mainstream fascist movement in the U.S. and how it intersects with online culture and technology.

Trey Walk, Human Rights Watch | Participant

Trey Walk is a researcher and advocate for Human Rights Watch’s US Program. In this role Trey documents and challenges threats to voting rights, access to truthful information, and civic engagement, and he collaborates with movements working to promote robust multiracial democracy in the United States.

Trey came to HRW from the Groundwork Project, where he managed the commitment of over $2 million of grant funding to grassroots community organizers in Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. He also developed advocacy training and capacity-building support for civic leaders in these states. Prior to Groundwork, Trey was a project manager at the Equal Justice Initiative, where he facilitated EJI’s Community Remembrance Project, an effort to support advocates across the nation confront local histories of lynching and racial violence. Trey was a researcher and educator for EJI’s public history projects that link mass incarceration and the history of racial injustice in the US.

Trey has worked with a number of organizations on community organizing, direct client services, and policy advocacy. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice. Originally from South Carolina, Trey graduated with a B.A. in History with Honors from Duke University.