LaTosha Brown

LaTosha Brown will kick off GVSU's week of events designed to commemorate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brown will give a presentation on Tuesday, January 21, at 10 a.m. in the Kirkhof Center. This event is free and open to the public

LaTosha Brown is a visionary thought leader, institution builder, cultural activist, artist and connector. She is a nationally recognized “go-to” expert in Black voting rights and voter suppression, Black women’s empowerment, and philanthropy. 

She is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter, Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. These initiatives are designed to boost Black voter registration and turnout, as well as increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. Her voice is the nexus between the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement and Black Lives Matter. 

Brown founded and serves as co-anchor of a regional network called the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium, a $100 million initiative to invest in organizations that serve Black women and girls. 

Brown is the 2020 Hauser leader at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, the 2020 leader in practice at Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program, and a 2020-2021 American Democracy fellow at the Charles Warren Center at Harvard. 

She has worked in 23 countries, including Kenya, Guyana and Brazil. Her op-ed articles have been showcased in the New York Times, Politico and Essence. Her work has also been highlighted in several docuseries, including "What’s Eating America?" "American Swamp" and "Finding Justice."

Dar Mayweather, '07 and '09

Dar Mayweather, a two-time GVSU graduate, will give a presentation to the campus community on Wednesday, January 22, at 4:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room.

This event follows the silent march, which will begin at 4 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. 

Mayweather, '07 and '09, is the founder and CEO of Good Mayweather Consulting and a leadership studies faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

As a first-generation college student, Mayweather pushed beyond challenges to earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, master's degree in education and a doctorate in educational leadership.

As a speaker, Mayweather guides organizations and individuals past the fear of “doing inclusion perfectly” by fostering trust, empathy and meaningful human connections.

As a faculty member, he empowers college students to identify their unique talents and articulate those strengths to industry leaders, ensuring they secure jobs or graduate school placements before graduation. His coaching has led to a 100% success rate in helping students achieve these milestones. He credits his professional growth to the Social Justice Training Institute, the University of Michigan’s Program on Intergroup Relations, and Dr. Eric Thomas’s Game Changers Speaker Certification Program.