Imagine An America

Two accomplished veterans of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Flonzie Brown Wright and Charles McLaurin, were involved in the 1966 March Against Fear and several other campaigns. Dr. Brown Wright became active in the movement in 1963 after the assassination of NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers. In 1968, she became the first African American woman elected to public office in Mississippi since Reconstruction, serving as an Election Commissioner. Mr. McLaurin joined SNCC in 1962 as a Field Secretary in Sunflower County, where he led voterregistration efforts and met sharecropper Fannie Lou Hamer, later serving as her 1963 congressional campaign manager. In 1964, he directed the Sunflower County Freedom Summer Project and helped organize the Mississippi FreedomDemocratic Party’s delegate challenge at the Democratic National Convention.

Tamika D. Mallory is a globally recognized civil rightsactivist, movement strategist, cofounder of the Women’s March and Until Freedom, and author of the powerful new memoir I Lived to Tell the Story. Many people know Tamika from the front lines of modern social justice movements, but in this podcast episode, she offers a deeply personal reflection on resilience, healing, and the costs—and courage—of leadership.

James W. Douglass is a longtime peace activist and writer. He and his wife, Shelley, are co-founders of the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action in Poulsbo, WA, and Mary’s House, a Catholic Worker house of hospitality in Birmingham, AL, where they now live. His books include: Martyrs of the Unspeakable; The Nonviolent Coming of God, Resistance and Contemplation; Gandhi and the Unspeakable; and JFK and the Unspeakable. In this episode, Douglass discusses how American leaders turned martyrs faced the ultimate sacrifice not only because they challenged the status quo, but also because of their alignment of philosophies and policies.

The Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu knew from an early age that the one thing she would never be was a priest. The daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, she has always said, “I have my father’s nose; I do not want his job.” However, after years spent as a development consultant, educator, and race and gender activist, she accepted her call to ordained ministry. She is an Episcopal priest who most recently was Associate Rector at All Saints, Beverly Hills, and is currently a part-time Priest Associate at All Saints, Atlanta. She compares the civil and human rights struggles in the U.S. and abroad and how we each must remain vigilant and steadfast.

This episode of Imagine an America was recorded on April 4, 2026, three months before Clara’s passing, when Clara spoke at the National Civil Rights Museum’s observance and visited the balcony for the first time since Dr. King’s assassination.

Listen as Clara shares the powerful details of that historic day and reflects on her enduring legacy of courage and service.

Clara J. Ester is a native Memphian, a graduate of LeMoyne-Owen College, and now a community organizer and nonprofit leader. Clara’s interest in social welfare and justice was fueled by her early relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She was very active in the civil rights struggle in Memphis, TN, and is a surviving witness on the Lorraine balcony when Dr. King was assassinated. She was one of the youth organizers for the Second Poor People's Campaign in Marks, MS. In this episode, she recounts the harrowing details of that fateful day on the Lorraine balcony of Room 306 on April 4, 1968.

Sheena Allen, Robert Higgins, Jr., and Seth Cohen are three brilliant entrepreneurs who share a lens on economic justice and the role of business in equity. Sheena Allen is a creative architect of products, companies, and systems. She’s built five top-ranking apps, constructed a digital bank from the infrastructure up, and become one of the youngest women in America to own and operate a bank, all as a non-technical founder from Mississippi. Sheena is currently architecting new ventures across technology, media, and financial systems, co-hosts Rich Lessons, and advises select founders and companies on product, design, and the full journey from pre-idea to scale. Robert Higgins, Jr. is a visionary entrepreneur, hospitality executive, and community leader with more than two decades of experience building and scaling premier dining and nightlife concepts. As the Founder and CEO of Make A Play Hospitality Group, he has established a dynamic portfolio of high-performing venues that redefine the intersection of culture, cuisine, and elevated entertainment. Seth Cohen is the founder of Applied Optimism and Optimistic Labs, a national business advisory firm focused on leveraging design thinking, storytelling, and technological innovation to help nonprofits, foundations, and corporate clients build inclusive communities and drive equity. Seth has served as the Chief Impact Officer at Forbes, where he founded the Forbes Impact Lab and launched multiple initiatives, including ForbesBLK and the Faith Forward initiative.

Judge Allyson K. Duncan and Judge James T. Giles served on the federal bench during periods of intense societal debate over civil rights and constitutional law. Judge Duncan was the first African American woman on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and held significant roles in the EEOC prior to her appellate service. Judge Giles served for decades on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, including as Chief Judge.

Judge Bernice B. Donald and Judge Jeremy D. Fogel are two individuals whose experience as federal judges brings context to the history and ongoing role of the courts in safeguarding civil rights, protecting constitutional freedoms, and preserving the rule of law. Judge Donald broke multiple historic barriers as an African American woman jurist—first in the Tennessee state court, the federal bankruptcy court, the federal district court, and ultimately the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Fogel served as a district judge in the Northern District of California and later as Director of the Federal Judicial Center. They examine civil rights issues through the lens of the law.

Mrs. Velma Lois Jones is a lifelong Memphian, trailblazing educator, civil rights leader, and community advocate. Mrs. Jones’ service has shaped generations. A 2025 Freedom Award honoree, she made history as the first classroom teacher elected president of both the Memphis EducationAssociation and the Tennessee Education Association, where she served as the longest-tenured president in the organization’s history. She is the first woman elected president of the NAACP Memphis Branch and served with distinction.internationally and regionally with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.She shares her journey in an education career and her hope for the growth andlearning of future generations.

Mr. Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League since 2003. Mr. Morial has transformed the 100-plus-year-old civil rights organization by renewing its focus on economic empowerment, education, and criminal justice reform. His leadership has expanded opportunities for underserved communities and solidified the Urban League’s position as one of the nation’s most influential civil rights organizations, and he is a recipient of the Museum’s 2025 Freedom Award.