James McBride

James McBride is an author, musician and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, "The Color of Water," rested on the New York Times bestseller list for two years, and is considered to be an American classic.

His debut novel, "Miracle at St. Anna" was translated into a major motion picture directed by American film icon Spike Lee. McBride co-wrote "Red Hook Summer", a coming-of-age story about the issues of race, neighborhood gentrification, impotent police, and the ravaging effects of drugs and gang violence on the African American community. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. His novel, "Song Yet Sung," was released in 2009, and "The Good Lord Bird," about American revolutionary John Brown, is the winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction.

A graduate of Oberlin College and the Columbia School of Journalism, McBride has written for The Boston Globe, People and The Washington Post. As an award-winning composer and saxophonist, McBride has penned songs for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr. and Gary Burton, as well as for the PBS character “Barney.”

In his keynotes, McBride touches upon life’s rich lessons, exploring the nature of identity, race and heritage. He often appears with his own jazz ensemble, using music to inspire audiences and lift his colorful, often humorous stories to another level.