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35th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy delivered by
Award Winning Actor and Advocate
Jeffrey Wright
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
7:00 p.m. ET
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, DC
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Jeffrey Wright
2024 Lecturer, Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy
Jeffrey Wright is a Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor who has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning the worlds of theatre, film, and television. Wright can currently be seen giving one of the best performances of his career in Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios’ American Fiction, written and directed by Cord Jefferson. Thus far, Wright has received nominations from the Academy Awards, Gotham Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, Critics Choice Awards, SAG Awards and NAACP Image Awards for his wonderful performance as protagonist, “Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison.”
Wright was most recently seen in the critically acclaimed role of “Bernard Lowe” in HBO’s Westworld, for which he earned three Emmy nominations. He can currently also be seen in the George C. Wolfe-directed Civil Rights film, Rustin, in a supporting role portraying “Adam Clayton Powell.” Rustin is produced by Michelle and Barack Obama’s Higher Ground Productions.
In June 2023, Wright was part of the all-star ensemble cast in the Wes Anderson film Asteroid City. In March of 2022, Wright portrayed the iconic character, “Jim Gordon,” in the latest installment of The Batman franchise directed by Matt Reeves. In April 2021, Wright reprised his role of CIA agent “Felix Leiter” in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. In October 2021, he starred in another all-star ensemble cast in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch. Other recent projects include lead roles in Netflix’s All Day and a Night (May 2020); HBO’s O.G., which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, where Wright won the award for Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film; and Netflix’s Hold the Dark (September 2018).
Wright is also highly acclaimed for his Emmy Awards-winning role as “Belize” in both HBO’s anthology series Angels in America (2004) and his Tony Awards-winning role on Broadway in Angels in America: Perestroika (1994) based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play written by Tony Kushner.
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Congressman JAmes E. Clyburn
Recipient of the 2024 Congressional Arts Leadership Award
Rep. James E. Clyburn is the Assistant Democratic Leader in the United States House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Faith Working Group. He previously served in the post from 2011 to 2018 and served as Majority Whip from 2007 to 2010 and 2019 to 2022, making him the first African American to serve multiple terms as Majority Whip. A native son of South Carolina, Clyburn has represented the state's Sixth Congressional District since 1993.
Congressman Clyburn’s humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, as the eldest son of an activist, fundamentalist minister and an independent, civic-minded beautician, grounded him securely in family, faith, and public service. A 1961 graduate of South Carolina State he began his professional career as a public-school teacher in Charleston, SC.
He later served as an employment counselor, and director of two youth and community development programs. In 1971, he joined the staff of Governor John C. West, becoming the first African American advisor to a South Carolina governor. In 1974 Governor West appointed him South Carolina Human Affairs Commissioner where he served until 1992 when he retired from state government to run for Congress.
Read James E. Clyburn's full bio on his website.
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Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
House Democratic Leader, Presenter of the 2024 Congressional Arts Leadership Award
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is the Democratic Leader, having been unanimously elected to that position by his colleagues in November 2022. In that capacity, he is the highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. He is also the former Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus and previously co-chaired the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee where he helped develop the For The People agenda.
In Congress, Rep. Jeffries is a tireless advocate for social and economic justice. He has worked hard to help residents recover from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, reform our criminal justice system, improve the economy for everyday Americans and protect our healthcare from right-wing attacks.
Since President Biden took office in January 2021, Rep. Jeffries has been instrumental in House Democratic efforts to put people over politics by lowering costs, creating better-paying jobs and fighting for safer communities. Over the past two years Democrats have passed the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Read Hakeem Jeffries’ full bio on his website.
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Ben Folds
Acclaimed musician and Arts Action Fund Board Member, Special Performance
Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation.
The Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records.
For the past three decades, he’s toured as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras.
A New York Times Best Selling author and podcast host, Ben also composes for film, tv and theatre, guest stars in films and TV, and serves as the Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
A longtime advocate for arts and music education funding, Ben launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina entitled “Keys For Kids,” which provides funds and keyboards to existing nonprofits that provide free or affordable music lessons to interested school-age children. On the national level, he’s active as a member of Americans For The Arts, a proud member of the Arts Action Fund board of directors, and ArtsVote Chair.
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Tanya Lombard
Vice President of Global Public and External Affairs at AT&T, Introducing Lecturer
Tanya Lombard is a paragon of leadership in government relations, public policy, and corporate social responsibility. Her exceptional acumen and strategic foresight have established her as an indispensable asset in navigating the intricate dynamics between corporate innovation and social impact. Lombard’s career is distinguished by her adeptness in fostering meaningful change and building bridges between the corporate sector and community interests, positioning her at the vanguard of executives who not only envision but enact a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Ms. Lombard currently serves as the Vice President of Global Public and External Affairs at AT&T. Working with executives across the organization in dealing with the intricate challenges in a rapidly changing digital economy and formulating strategic policy and inclusive approaches to the marketplace. In addition, her experience allows her to manage external relationships, public engagement, and strategic partnerships with communities of color. Because of the energy she has brought to the role while at AT&T, Ms. Lombard is viewed as a strategic thought leader and confidant to key stakeholders at the highest levels of government, business, entertainment, national, civic, and professional organizations.
Prior to joining AT&T, Ms. Lombard was a Principal with Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart, Inc., a premier international government relations firm providing strategic, legislative, regulatory, public policy and communication services to clients around the world.
Ms. Lombard previously served as the Director of Government Affairs for Altria Corporate Services, Inc. in Washington, D.C. where she was responsible for representing Altria and related companies including Kraft Foods, Kraft Foods International, Miller Brewing, Philip Morris International, and Philip Morris USA. At Altria, she managed the landmark Youth Smoking Prevention legislation with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Ms. Lombard was deeply involved in the development of international trade strategies, including the Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA).
During President Clinton's administration, Ms. Lombard had the honor to serve as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs. In this capacity, Ms. Lombard advised the President, Vice President, First Lady, and senior White House officials on the national political climate in the United States and abroad.
In recognition for her distinguished work in the technology sector while also breaking barriers for women in corporate America, Ms. Lombard was recently honored by Forbes as one of the 50 Over 50: Innovation distinguished women leaders in the country. Amongst some of her highest awards, Ms. Lombard has received the prestigious Power Rising Award, the National Urban League’s Woman of Power Award; the Lifetime Achievement in Technology Award by Dope Black Girls and Color Vision; and was also recently named the US Black Chamber’s Women of The Year.
Ms. Lombard is active in several professional and civic organizations including serving as member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She currently serves on the NAACP Foundation Board, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Action Network, ColorComm, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Urban League’s Corporate Roundtable and on the board of Horton’s Kids, a community resource center for kids in Washington D.C..
Ms. Lombard is a native of New Orleans and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Xavier University, and is a former elected official in Louisiana, serving on the Democratic State Central Committee and Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee. Continuing her drive for personal excellence, Ms. Lombard recently earned her MBA from the Harvard Business School.
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SYMONE Sanders TOWNSEND
Author, Seasoned Democratic Strategist, Co-Host of MSNBC’s The Weekend
Symone Sanders Townsend is an author, seasoned democratic strategist and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend.
Symone rose to prominence in 2016 as the national press secretary for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’s then-presidential campaign. At 25, she became the youngest presidential press secretary on record and was named to Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 16 young Americans shaping the 2016 election. At 29, she published her first book, No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America and served as a senior advisor for President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. At 31, Symone was appointed as a senior member of the Biden-Harris administration serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris. With her White House appointment, Symone became the first Black woman to serve as a spokesperson to a Vice President. In 2022, she joined MSNBC to host “SYMONE” providing essential context on the most pressing issues facing Americans today.
Now, Symone brings the depth of her experience to The Weekend where she and her co-hosts serve as the go-to source for viewers on headlines of the day.
A communicator with a passion for problem solving and social justice, Symone served as the national chair of the Coalition of Juvenile Justice Emerging Leaders Committee and a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice before joining Senator Sanders’s campaign. There, she worked to raise the profile of young voices in the fight for juvenile justice reform and brought millennial perspectives to policy conversations. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, Symone owned her own consulting firm where she helped clients find sound solutions to tough political and social problems.
She is a former political commentator for CNN and resident fellow of both Harvard's Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School and the University of Southern California's Center for the Political Future. Symone holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from American University. In 2024, she received Black Enterprise’s Luminary Award at the Women of Power Summit.
She is a proud member of the Links Incorporated and a native of North Omaha, Nebraska. Symone currently resides in Washington D.C. with her husband, Shawn Townsend.
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Americans for the Arts extends its gratitude to the sponsors of the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy
The Rosenthal Family Foundation
(Jamie Rosenthal Wolf, Rick Rosenthal, and Nancy Stephens)
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Presented by Americans for the Arts, the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy is a leading national forum for arts policy intended to stimulate dialogue on policy and social issues affecting the arts. The lecture is named for Nancy Hanks, former president of Americans for the Arts and chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who devoted 15 years of her professional life to bringing the arts to prominent national consciousness.
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Americans for the Arts is pleased to make this lecture accessible at no charge as well as offer nationwide livestreaming and ASL interpretation.
This program is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.