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The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau

A speakers bureau that represents the best original thinkers,
writers, and doers for speaking engagements.

George M. Johnson

Stories of queer identity and Black joy have the power to educate us on diversity, inspire social justice activism, and build community.

New York Times Bestselling Author Of All Boys Aren’t Blue and We Are Not Broken | Emmy Nominee | LGBTQIA+ Activist

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Sharing Our Stories Opens the Door for Others (2:39)

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Why We Need to Shift the Narrative on Boyhood (2:46)

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The Power of Ancestral Storytelling (2:52)

Lavin Exclusive Speaker

Storytelling isn’t just a form of entertainment—for GEORGE M. JOHNSON, whose body of work on diversity and queer identity inspires readers across the world to “be themselves unapologetically,” writing has the power to change lives. The award-winning Black non-binary author and activist is one of the TIME100 Next, TIME‘s annual list of rising stars, as well as one of Out’s 100 Most Influential LGBTQ+ People. They use their inspiring life story to teach individuals, corporations, and policymakers about LGBTQIA+ activism and social justice in healthcare. Their New York Times bestselling memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue, a powerful recounting of George’s adolescence growing up as a young Black queer boy in New Jersey, was optioned for television by Gabrielle Union and Sony TV and called “an exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but cleareyed love for its subjects” by the New York Times.

“Love—deep, soulful, clarifying love—shines in George M. Johnson’s writing like sunlight passing through a church’s stained-glass windows. Their storytelling and the mission that propels the telling is always right on time.”— Saeed Jones, award-winning author of How We Fight for Our Lives

In their forthcoming book, Flamboyants, George celebrates the writers, performers, and activists from 1920s Black America whose queer identities have been obscured throughout history. Through 14 essays, they reveal just how much American culture has been shaped by Queer Black icons, and why their stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety.

George is the author of the New York Times Bestselling Young Adult Memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue, which explores their adolescence growing up as a young Black Queer boy in New Jersey through a series of powerful essays. The book is a Teen Vogue Recommended Read, a Buzzfeed Recommended Read, a People Magazine Best Book of the Summer, a New York Library Best Book, and a Chicago Public Library Best Book. It was optioned for Television by Gabrielle Union’s “I’ll Have Another Productions” and Sony TV. George serves as the executive producer and co-writer for the upcoming series based on their real-life college experience at the HBCU Virginia Union University.

George’s second memoir We Are Not Broken tells the vibrant story of George, Garrett, Rall, and Rasul—four children raised by Nanny, their fiercely devoted grandmother. Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, calls the book “a deeply impactful account of intergenerational love that reveals the power of accepting young people exactly as they are while encouraging them to be ever more themselves.” They’re also an HIV activist, serving as Chair of the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition for Black Gay Men for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a National Advisor for ViiV pharmaceutical, and Gilead Speaker.

Interspersed with personal narrative, powerful poetry, and illustrations by award-winning illustrator Charly Palmer, Flamboyants looks to the past for understanding as to how Black and Queer culture has defined the present and will continue to impact the future. With candid prose and an unflinching lens towards truth and hope, George M. Johnson brings young adult readers an inspiring collection of biographies that will encourage teens today to be unabashed in their layered identities.

They’ve written for major outlets including Teen Vogue, Entertainment Tonight, NBC, The Root, Buzzfeed, Essence, Ebony, THEM, and The Grio. They have also served as Guest Editor for BET.com’s Pride month. They were awarded the 2019 Salute to Excellence Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for their article “When Racism Anchors your Health” in Vice Magazine and was named to The Root 100 Most Influential African Americans in 2020.

George is a proud HBCU alum twice over, and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.

Testimonials

George M. Johnson is an incredible thought leader, advocate and activist who uses their voice as a platform to inspire and ignite others to action! It was an absolute pleasure having them speak to our employees at Nike and our teammates left with a renewed sense of the role we must all play to drive solidarity and allyship in what at times seems like a depraved world. I highly recommend any company to bring George in to speak to employees about the need to educate ourselves on the intersectional experiences marginalized communities face in America and around the world.

Nike

Testimonials

An immense thank you to George for joining us for the 826 Staff Development Conference. It was truly an honor and a gift to have them join us for this time together. The reflections they shared will live deeply in our own writing minds and in our work alongside tens of thousands of young writers in the year ahead. It was truly the standout talk and conversation of our week, and we have heard from team members across the country how meaningful the keynote was.

826 National

Lavin Exclusive Speakers

Angela Duckworth

Author of Grit, the #1 New York Times Bestseller | Pioneering Researcher on Grit, Perseverance, and the Science of Success

Daron Acemoglu

2024 Nobel Prize Winner | 3rd Most Cited Economist in the World | MIT Institute Professor | Bestselling Co-Author of Why Nations Fail and Power and Progress

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Creator of The 1619 Project | Executive Producer of the Emmy Award-Winning 1619 Project Hulu Docuseries | MacArthur Genius

Greg Hoffman

Nike's Former Chief Marketing Officer | Author of Emotion by Design

Nicholas Thompson

CEO of The Atlantic | Former Editor-in-Chief of WIRED

Speech Topics

Inclusion

Diverse StorytellingAnd Why it Matters

As George’s memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue has reached massive success as a New York Times bestseller, it has become American Library Association’s third most challenged book of 2021. But with each shove, George just continues to persevere and advocate for Black and queer voices. “Black storytelling has often been banned,” George says. “My book is a tool so that Black queer kids and LGBTQ teens can see themselves, and read about themselves, and learn about themselves.”

In this talk, George speaks on the importance of sharing diverse stories: why we should remain resilient, how representation in media can support young adults’ mental and physical health, and what we can do to support these voices. By listening to one another and understanding the history, language, and actions necessary to change the world, we can form a community where we are all free to be our true, authentic selves.

Sexuality

Black QueernessIntersections of Race and Identity

“I enter a room as Black and queer, and those two things go hand in hand.” LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson grew up in a small town in New Jersey, where they faced the intersection of racism and homophobia in their community. Their compelling memoir-manifesto All Boys Aren’t Blue honestly explores their growing-up years, their trials and triumphs, and the process of coming to embrace their intersecting identities.

In this powerful talk, George draws on their memoir to illuminate issues that still face Black queer people today—like toxic masculinity, LGBTQIA+ policy and law, and intersections of oppression—and how these issues play out in communities on the ground. With honesty and openness, they explore the problems that Black queer people face and show us how we have the power to create a world where all young people are free to be fully themselves.

Social Justice

Healthcare Mistrust and BarriersCultural Awareness Means Healthier Communities

Black and queer people have historically been discriminated against in healthcare settings, which has led to deep mistrust and stigma. How can we break down these barriers and ensure equitable healthcare for everyone?

Drawing on their personal medical experience and HIV diagnosis, George shows how the medical landscape has changed in the recent past. They say that advocacy stems from raising awareness of healthcare issues and speaking out about personal stories. Healthcare—specifically HIV—is a social justice issue. We must ensure that Black and queer communities have the resources, funding, education, and systems to fight for better health. Increasing our cultural awareness is the key to keeping our most vulnerable healthy.