Leading with Clarity: What It Takes to Move People and Institutions in Uncertain Times
Tim Wise is one of the country’s most compelling voices on culture, politics, and power, bringing three decades of experience to some of the most urgent issues of our time. A gifted storyteller and sharp strategist, he helps audiences understand how we got here, what’s at stake, and how to move forward with clarity, courage, and purpose.
Wise has spoken at more than 1,700 college campuses and hundreds of conferences, nonprofits, and leadership summits, reaching audiences across education, business, law, public service, and media. His talks offer not only historical insight and sharp analysis, but also concrete strategies for shifting institutional culture and navigating today’s polarized climate.
He is the author of nine books, including Dispatches from the Race War, Under the Affluence, Dear White America, and the acclaimed memoir White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. His work has appeared in Salon, The Root, HuffPost, and numerous anthologies, and is widely used in classrooms and professional training programs.
Wise is a frequent commentator on CNN and MSNBC and has appeared in several documentaries, including White Like Me, The Great White Hoax, and Vocabulary of Change with Angela Davis. He began his career organizing against the political rise of white nationalism in Louisiana, later advising Fisk University’s Race Relations Institute and training professionals across sectors.
He currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the African American Policy Forum, contributing to public education and strategic dialogue on racial justice and intersectionality.
Whether speaking to educators, students, civic leaders, or executives, Tim Wise offers a compelling voice for truth-telling, bridge-building, and institutional transformation in a time that demands nothing less.