Civil Rights Attorney & Voting Rights Advocate; Founder of Transformative Justice Coalition; Former Executive Director at Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Washington, DC, USA
Live Event: Please Contact Virtual Event: $20,000 - $30,000 More Fee Info

Barbara Arnwine Biography

Barbara R. Arnwine is a civil rights attorney whose advocacy has influenced legislation and protected voting rights across the United States. Arnwine was the first African American woman to lead the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, serving as executive director. She is a graduate of Scripps College and Duke University School of Law, and her work spans civil rights, racial justice, housing and lending, community development, employment, voting rights, education, and environmental justice.

After law school, Arnwine began her legal career with the Durham Legal Assistance Program as a Reginald Huber Smith fellow, later joining the legal service's head office in Raleigh, North Carolina. There, she worked on affirmative action policies, contract review, and legal aid programs. In the 1980s, she served as executive director of the Boston Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights before leading the national organization in Washington, D.C. In this role, Arnwine advocated for changes to national civil rights and environmental policy. She played a key role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and contributed to the congressional report that informed the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.

Arnwine's international civil rights work includes leading the Electoral Observers delegation in South Africa, investigating the conditions of Haitian refugees at Guantanamo Bay, and heading a delegation to the Decade of Women Conference and NGO Forum in Beijing. She contributed to the platform for protecting women facing multiple forms of discrimination. Arnwine also helped draft provisions for the program of action at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Xenophobia in Durban, South Africa. Domestically, she founded Election Protection, a nonpartisan voter protection coalition supporting historically disenfranchised voters, and created the Voting Rights "Map of Shame," highlighting voter suppression trends.

After her tenure at the Lawyers' Committee, Arnwine founded the Transformative Justice Coalition. She serves as co-chair and facilitator of the National Commission for Voter Justice, the Millennial Votes Matters Convenings, and the Voting Rights Alliance. Arnwine has held the Charles Hamilton Chair at North Carolina Central University School of Law and has taught at Columbia University School of Law. Her advocacy covers civil rights, racial justice, women's rights, immigrant rights, judicial diversity, criminal justice reform, racial profiling, health care disparities, LGBTQIA rights, and policing restructuring.

Arnwine has received honors including the Charles Hamilton Houston Medallion award, the Gruber International Justice Prize, the Feminist Majority Foundation's Fearless Trailblazer Award, the Sojourner Truth Woman of Truth award, the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award, and the Stateswoman for Justice award. Her commentary appears in Human Rights magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BET, and TV One. Arnwine also launched "Igniting Change with Barbara Arnwine" on Radio One's WOL 1450 AM, focusing on civil rights, voting rights, and social justice issues.

BOOK Barbara Arnwine

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/23/2026.

Barbara Arnwine Videos

Barbara Arnwine speaks before sentencing of Arbery's killers

Barbara Arnwine speaks before sentencing of Arbery's killers

“This is judgement day," Arnwine says. She says they’re asking for life sentences for all three to be served consecutively not concurrently with...

Women of Color in the Legal Profession: Fireside Chat with Barbara Arnwine

Women of Color in the Legal Profession: Fireside Chat with Barbara Arnwine

Join the ABA YLD Women of Color Task Force for the Fireside Chat Series. During each Fireside Chat, women of color in the legal profession share...

  • How do I book Barbara Arnwine to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Barbara Arnwine for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Barbara Arnwine, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Barbara Arnwine or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Barbara Arnwine

    Speaking fees for Barbara Arnwine, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Barbara Arnwine are available upon request for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Barbara Arnwine, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Barbara Arnwine speak about?

    Barbara Arnwine is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Anti-Racism, Black Heritage, Civil Rights, DEI, Female Leadership, Feminism, Government, Immigration, Influential Women, Law, Leadership, LGBTQ, Social Activism, Social Justice, Women's Rights
  • Where does Barbara Arnwine travel from?

    Barbara Arnwine generally travels from Washington, DC, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Barbara Arnwine’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Barbara Arnwine for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Barbara Arnwine for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Barbara Arnwine or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Barbara Arnwine is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Barbara Arnwine for your event is available upon request. Barbara Arnwine generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Maya L. Harris, Nkechi Taifa, Blair Imani, Angela Davis and Aisha Fukushima. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Barbara Arnwine for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.
Please Select Event Budget
Please enter your message
Please Enter Your Name
Please Enter Your Email
  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP