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Dorothy Roberts

Dorothy Roberts

Keynote Speaker: Scholar & Social Justice Advocate

Dorothy Roberts Biography

Dorothy Roberts is an acclaimed scholar of race, gender and the law. She is the 14th Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor and George A. Weiss University Professor of Law & Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, with joint appointments in the Departments of Africana Studies and Sociology and the Law School, where she is also the inaugural Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professor of Civil Rights. Additionally, she is the founding director of the Penn Program on Race, Science, and Society.

An internationally recognized scholar, public intellectual, and social justice advocate, Roberts has written and lectured extensively on race, gender, and class inequities in U.S. institutions and has been a leader in transforming public thinking and policy on reproductive freedom, child welfare, and bioethics.

She is the author of “Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty," “Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare,” “Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century," and “Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World,” as well as more than 100 articles and book chapters, including “Race” in the 1619 Project book.

Roberts has served on the boards of directors of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Black Women’s Health Imperative, and National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, and her work has been supported by fellowships from American Council of Learned Societies, National Science Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Fulbright Program, Harvard Program in Ethics and the Professions, Stanford Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, and Northwestern Institute for Policy Research.

Recognitions of her work include her 2022 election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the 2022 Juvenile Law Center Leadership Prize; a 2019 Honorary Doctor of Law Degree, Rutgers University-Newark; the 2019 New Voices for Reproductive Justice Voice of Vision Award; the 2017 election to the National Academy of Medicine; a 2016 Society of Family Planning Lifetime Achievement Award; and a 2015 American Psychiatric Association Solomon Carter Fuller Award. Her TEDTalk, “The Problem with Race-Based Medicine,” has over 1.5 million views.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dorothy Roberts and other top speakers and celebrities.

Dorothy Roberts Speaking Topics

The Urgency of Reproductive Justice After Dobbs

Since the 1980s, the longstanding devaluation of Black women’s childbearing has supported an expanded criminalization of pregnancy that encompasses fetal protection laws, abortion restrictions, and family policing. The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health spotlights the entanglement of these forms of reproductive violence, which Roe v. Wade and the mainstream reproductive rights movement largely ignored. Especially telling is how the Dobbs Court’s recommendation of adoption as a remedy for abortion paints a false picture of both reproductive servitude’s history and the child welfare system’s current operation. Black feminists have developed a reproductive justice framework that includes the human right not to have a child, to have a child, and to raise children in safe, supportive, and sustainable communities—a framework made more urgent than ever by Dobbs.

Mistreating Health Inequities in the Genomic Age

Doctors and biomedical researchers in the United States have long defined disease and treated patients according to race. Although the map of the human genome confirmed that race is not written in our genes, we are witnessing the re-creation of race in biological terms using cutting-edge genomic science and biotechnologies, such as race-specific medicines and ancestry tests, that incorporate false assumptions about racial difference. Although genetics can help find cures for common diseases, such as cancer, the genetic concept of race misunderstands the nature of human difference and masks the devastating impact of racism on our bodies and society. Instead, good medicine and health justice require affirming our common humanity by working to end social inequities supported by the political system of race.

Dorothy Roberts Videos

Dorothy Roberts | Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System
Master Class in Activism: Dorothy Roberts, "Torn Apart"
upEND Movement: Derecka Purnell and Dorothy Roberts

How do I book Dorothy Roberts to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dorothy Roberts for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dorothy Roberts, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dorothy Roberts or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Dorothy Roberts for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Dorothy Roberts, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dorothy Roberts are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dorothy Roberts, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Dorothy Roberts speak about?

Dorothy Roberts is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Social Sciences, Diversity, Social Activism, Government, Women's Health, Authors, Black Heritage, TED, Motivational, Influential Women, Culture, Science, Relationships, Women, Civil Rights and Social Justice.

Where does Dorothy Roberts travel from?

Dorothy Roberts generally travels from Philadelphia, PA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Dorothy Roberts?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dorothy Roberts for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dorothy Roberts for your next private or corporate function.

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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dorothy Roberts or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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Dorothy Roberts is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Social Sciences, Diversity and Social Activism. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dorothy Roberts for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Dorothy Roberts generally travels from Philadelphia, PA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nikki Giovanni, Ellen McGirt and Clayborne Carson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dorothy Roberts for an upcoming event.

Dorothy Roberts Speaking Topics

  • The Urgency of Reproductive Justice After Dobbs

    Since the 1980s, the longstanding devaluation of Black women’s childbearing has supported an expanded criminalization of pregnancy that encompasses fetal protection laws, abortion restrictions, and family policing. The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health spotlights the entanglement of these forms of reproductive violence, which Roe v. Wade and the mainstream reproductive rights movement largely ignored. Especially telling is how the Dobbs Court’s recommendation of adoption as a remedy for abortion paints a false picture of both reproductive servitude’s history and the child welfare system’s current operation. Black feminists have developed a reproductive justice framework that includes the human right not to have a child, to have a child, and to raise children in safe, supportive, and sustainable communities—a framework made more urgent than ever by Dobbs.

  • Mistreating Health Inequities in the Genomic Age

    Doctors and biomedical researchers in the United States have long defined disease and treated patients according to race. Although the map of the human genome confirmed that race is not written in our genes, we are witnessing the re-creation of race in biological terms using cutting-edge genomic science and biotechnologies, such as race-specific medicines and ancestry tests, that incorporate false assumptions about racial difference. Although genetics can help find cures for common diseases, such as cancer, the genetic concept of race misunderstands the nature of human difference and masks the devastating impact of racism on our bodies and society. Instead, good medicine and health justice require affirming our common humanity by working to end social inequities supported by the political system of race.

Dorothy Roberts Videos

Dorothy Roberts | Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System
Master Class in Activism: Dorothy Roberts, "Torn Apart"
upEND Movement: Derecka Purnell and Dorothy Roberts
Session 4: Dorothy Roberts: The past and future of race, health, and ...
2019-2020 Owen J. Roberts Lecture: Dorothy Roberts - YouTube

Dorothy Roberts Reviews

  • Dorothy Roberts was one of the best speakers we have ever worked with - warm, engaging, and provocative. We are thrilled to offer her presentation to our audience.
    BUILD Initiative - Sep 30 2023

  • Michigan State University - Apr 12 2023

  • BPN - Nov 22 2022

  • Kentucky Health Justice Network - Oct 28 2022

  • Dorothy was wonderful! We keep hearing from attendees how much her keynote moved them. Many of our guests are not new to this conversation, yet Dorothy’s solid research and deductions were still stunning. It’s one thing to know there’s a problem and another to see the irrefutable facts laid out.
    YWCA of Greater Cincinnati - Oct 13 2022

Dorothy Roberts News

  • Is It Time To Stop Using Race In Medical Research?

    Genetics researchers often discover certain snips and pieces of the human genome that are important for health and development, such as the genetic mutations that cause cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia. And scientists noticed that genetic variants are more common in some races, which makes it seem like race is important in genetics research.

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