OUR BOARD
Charisse Carney-Nunes, Esq. Writer, speaker, attorney and social entrepreneur, Charisse is the award-winning author of the children's books, I Am Barack Obama (2009), I Dream for You a World: A Covenant for Our Children (2007) and Nappy (2006), as well as Songs of a Sistermom: Motherhood Poems (2004). Charisse is the founder of a publishing company, Brand Nu Words LLC where she has sold over 10,000 books; a senior officer of The Jamestown Project, an action-oriented think tank focusing on democracy; and a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was a schoolmate of President Obama, Harvard's JFK School of Government, and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Charisse has served as a speaker or presenter for numerous national and regional organizations, and has appeared on ABC News Now, CBS's CW Network, Comcast's CN-8, Radio One, and American Urban Radio Networks.
Barbara Alexander. Educator, school principal, author, folklorist, and professional developer, Barbara has been a literacy consultant for twenty five years, most recently with the Children's Literacy Initiative, where she has been a Senior Literacy Trainer for more than ten years. Prior to that she served as a literacy coach and trainer for HeadStart and the Fund for Children's Excellence; and as the principal of the Ruth Nelson Cooke Academy, a private K-6 school in Tidewater, Virginia. She holds a master's in education from Columbia University Teacher's College, and is the author of two children's picture books, the most recent "Papa's Penny Party."
Stephanie Stanley. Stephanie has worked in the mental health field for over fifteen years, managing mentoring and tutoring programs for young adults. She serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Washington Post Capital BookFest.
Michael Williams. Educator, Poet, Textbook Author, and former Professional Soccer Player, Michael Williams is an AP History Teacher at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland. He received his Masters Degree in African American History from Northwestern University. He is the author of several books, including a recent AP History Exam Guidebook.
Kwame Alexander. Poet, playwright, publisher, and an award-winning producer of literary programs, Alexander was dubbed a "phenom" in the poetry world by The Charleston (SC) City Paper, Alexander has written for television the stage, and authored ten books including the best-selling Do The Write Thing: 7 Steps to Publishing Success, Tough Love: The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur, and most recently a young adult title, Crush: Love Poems. He speaks, and conducts writing/publishing workshops at schools and conferences throughout the country. He is the producer of several book festivals, including the Capital BookFest, presented by The Washington Post. The Kwame Alexander Papers, a collection of his writings, correspondence, and other professional and personal documents is held at the George Washington University Gelman Library. The founder/president of BlackWords Press (1995-2005), Alexander resides in the Washington, DC area, where he serves as the President of Book-in-a-Day, a literacy non-profit organization that teaches and inspires youth in the writing and publishing process.
