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Black Future Symposium 2026

February 26th 2026, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Vanderbilt Black Cultural Center Auditorium

DESCRIPTION

The Black Futures symposium is annual event where the Black Cultural Center seeks to expand the current discourse about the future of the Black Community in America. Each year has a unique theme and invites various perspectives on the current and future state of Black people as it relates to that years theme. The speakers generally include an alumni presenter, and industry presenter, and a Vanderbilt Faculty member. 
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2026 Theme: Blackness and Artificial Intelligence

This year's event will be held on February 26th at 5 pm in the Black Cultural Center Auditorium and will feature three dynamic presenters with varying experiences and ideas related to Black culture, Black identity, and their relationship to Artificial Intelligence (AI). We will engage in interactive dialogue about how AI is being used by Black people, the opportunities and the shortfalls of AI for black communities, and what the future might hold as it relates to AI and Race. 

Speakers and Presenters

  • Morgan Debaun, Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc

    Morgan DeBaun, a visionary leader in media and technology, serves as the Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc. Since its inception in 2014, Morgan has steered the company to become a global corporation serving multicultural consumers. Blavity Inc. is renowned for its diverse brands including AfroTech, Travel Noire, and Shadow and Act.

    Recognized for her dedication to inclusive advertising and tech innovation, Morgan has been honored with several prestigious awards, such as the American Advertising Hall of Fame, Inc.’s Female Founders, and Forbes' 30 Under 30. Some of her recent clients include Nike, Microsoft, American Express, Capital One and Newell Brands. Her commitment is further exemplified through her influential role as an angel investor and a board advisor to American Airlines, Pepsico and the Black Economic Alliance.

    A proud alumna of Washington University in St. Louis, Morgan is an advocate for small business owners and workplace equity. She frequently speaks on global platforms, sharing her insights and inspiring change. Beyond her executive role, Morgan nurtures future leaders as a podcast host and advisor, focusing on elevating entrepreneurs.

  • Corey Ponder, Global Head of Policy and Product Partnerships at TikTok
    Corey Ponder is a global senior leader and strategist with a strong background in policy, technology, and government. He has extensive experience in building high-performing teams, driving strategic company initiatives, and fostering innovation across diverse industries. As the Global Head of Policy and Product Partnerships within TikTok's Trust & Safety Outreach and Partnerships Management team, he leads a team of policy and issue experts who partner with NGOs to advance trust and safety.

    Corey's leadership is further demonstrated by his experience at Google, where he led cross-functional teams in developing trust-focused answers for Google Assistant and advised on product privacy. His time at Meta included several key roles where he drove initiatives to expand digital programs, championed creator well-being and equity, and managed critical projects to address privacy vulnerabilities. He also previously led teams at the Central Intelligence Agency, using advanced data sets to develop new agency capabilities. Beyond his professional career, Corey is dedicated to community leadership, having served on the board of directors for Youth Speaks leading several strategic initiatives and as a VC in Residence for W Fund, offering strategic guidance and mentorship to portfolio companies. He has also dedicated time to his alma maters, serving on the alumni boards for both the University of California, Berkeley, and Vanderbilt University.

    Outside of his professional work, Corey is a creative with a passion for music and poetry, having released two albums and one EP, as well as sharing several poems across his social media platforms and website.

  • Dr. Charreau Bell, Senior Data Scientist at Vanderbilt' Data Science Institute

    Charreau Bell, Ph.D. is the Senior Data Scientist at the Data Science Institute (DSI) at Vanderbilt University. In her current role, she leads several data science projects across a spectrum of disciplines using machine learning and deep learning. In her 2 years at the DSI, Dr. Bell has engaged with students and faculty in data science projects in areas including law, history, archaeology, sustainability, social good, and education. She is a consultant for researchers and industry organizations to help form, plan, evaluate, and reach data-driven academic or business objectives.

    Prior to joining the DSI, she earned her Doctorate, Master’s, and Bachelor’s degrees in engineering from Vanderbilt University. Her Ph.D. focused on creating new algorithms for understanding the resting state behavior of the brain using functional brain imaging technology. She also taught computer science courses at Tennessee State University as an adjunct professor, and interned with NASA implementing machine learning and other optimization algorithms for robotic systems and instrument sensorization.

We would like to thank our partners and event sponsors:

Dialogue Vanderbilt

We would like to thank our partner Dialogue Vanderbilt for supporting this event including it as apart of their dialogue series: 250 Conversations on America!

Read more about dialogue Vanderbilt

Presenting Sponsor: Alliance Bernstein

We want to thank Alliance Bernstein for being our Presenting sponsor for this event. Their generous support allowed us to bring our Keynote Presenter Morgan Debaun. 

Read more about Alliance Bernstein

Vanderbilt College of Connected Computing

We would like to thank Dr. Charreau Bell and the college of connected computer for supporting this event

Read more about the College of Connected Computing

FAQs

  • Who can attend this event?

    This event is free and open to the public, but we ask that folks use this link to RSVP for the event as seating capacity will be limited

  • Where is the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center

    The Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center is located in the heart of Vanderbilt's campus, next door to the Sarratt Student Center and Buttrick Hall. You can use this Google Maps link to point you in the right direction: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iBBipoHkNorCwSeHA

  • How long is the event?

    This event will start at 5 pm central time and end at 7 pm central time. 

  • Will this event be recorded?

    This event will be live streamed via Zoom the day of and recorded for future watching. Please email Black.Cultural.Center@vanderbilt.edu if you would like to watch live on zoom or view the recording.  

  • What should I do about parking?

    In order to attend this event, we are encouraging visitors to park in the Vanderbilt 25th Avenue Garage which has pay-per-hour visitor parking. Visitors can also park in paid street parking along Garland Avenue as well as 24th Avenue.