PUBLIC SPEAKING

Sally Kohn is an energetic, funny and accessible speaker on a wide range of topics — winning broad praise from the diverse audiences she speaks to, whether universities, philanthropic executives, grassroots volunteers, emerging business leaders or others.

Sally was the perfect opening night speaker for our national leadership conference.
She was engaging, witty and 100% on point, and she left the group with the
energy and vision that we were hoping for.

- Nat’l Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

TOPICS

Sally frequently gives provocative and inspiring speeches in the following topic areas:

Crossing the Partisan Divide

As one of the most prominent liberal voices on Fox News, Sally manages not only to speak out but to be heard, too. In our incresingly hyper-partisan landscape, talking across differences — not at each other, but with each other — is a core necessity of our democracy, but a skill in shrinking supply in an era of talk show shouting and hyper-polarization. Peppered with humorous personal stories and insights, Sally loves talking about making “frenemies” — building relationships of mutual respect and civility among those with whom you disagree, whether it’s your relatives or the leading political figures in the country.

Social Movements Past and Present

The United States has a rich tradition of social justice movements, from the founding of our nation to abolition through the 1960s. Today, from immigrant rights to Occupy Wall Street, vibrant social movements continue that tradition. An accomplished scholar and practitioner of movement organizing and theory, Sally can talk artfully about the history of social movements, analyze and explain the current incarnations and help young people explore their role and voice in the movements of the future.

Related writing: The progressive movement and Occupy Wall Street; The moral authority of protesters; Civil Society and Equality (in Oxford Handbook on Civil Society)

Fresh Perspective on Hot Issues

Sally is a prominent gay rights activist who will talk about why marriage equality should not be the movement’s main agenda. Sally is an accessible populist who will talk about economic justice and social entrepreneurship with a focus on bold, alternative models. Sally is a white woman comfortable with deconstructing her own implicit bias and talking frankly about race and racial injustice. From women’s rights to the role of government to the latest cultural trends, Sally reliably offers out-of-the-box perspectives on the pressing issues of the day.

TESTIMONIALS

“It is a gift to be a radical populist—and Sally Kohn has that rare and effective gift.” – Gloria Steinem, feminist activist

“Sally Kohn has a unique, penetrating and accessible insight into how American politics works (and doesn’t). The more people that hear her perspective, the better off we’ll be.” – Chris Hayes, MSNBC host

“Sally Kohn is a big, brave thinker coming to progressives at the moment we need her most. She says what needs to be said, with just enough humor to make it go down smoothly but with full effect.” – Rinku Sen, Applied Research Center/Colorlines

“If Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow had a love child, it would be Sally Kohn.” – Geraldine Laybourne, Founder of Oxygen Media