"...furthermore, I have determined that the ripping of my ancestors from their homeland has caused such a state of separation anxiety that we have all become the beneficiaries of intergenerational trauma. It is when we go home that we reconnect with that which has always been a constant source of belonging, of joy, of freedom."
-Dr. Yao Kahlil Newkirk
1
For Corporate & Nonprofit Organizations
These talks are ideal for leadership teams, DEI initiatives, employee wellness programs, and staff development retreats.
The EMBODY™ Method: Healing at the Intersection of Art, Identity, and Justice
In this transformative keynote, Dr. Newkirk introduces the EMBODY™ Method—an original, trauma-informed framework that integrates equity, healing, and accountability. Designed for corporations, schools, and cultural institutions, this talk equips audiences with tools to engage wellness, creativity, and justice from the inside out.
When the Body Speaks: Trauma, Voice, and the Power of Expression
This keynote helps organizations understand how trauma shows up in the body—and how art can offer a path toward release and repair. Ideal for educators, HR leaders, and DEI professionals, it offers practical, compassionate strategies for using embodiment, storytelling, and creativity to foster psychological safety and resilience.
Grief as a Portal: Reclaiming Joy and Imagination After Loss
In this timely and tender keynote, Dr. Newkirk offers a roadmap for navigating personal and collective grief through artistic expression. With care and compassion, he shows how creativity can help individuals and communities honor what’s been lost while reclaiming joy, imagination, and connection on the other side.
2
For Academic Institutions (K–12, Colleges & Universities)
Best for educators, students, faculty development, and departments focused on equity, performance, or social justice.
Teaching in the Flesh: Embodied Pedagogy for Liberatory Classrooms
This keynote is designed for educators and academic leaders committed to justice, inclusion, and innovation. Dr. Newkirk explores how embodied teaching—rooted in presence, ritual, and relationship—can transform classrooms into spaces of liberation, where students are seen, supported, and empowered to bring their whole selves to learning.
The Art of Resistance: Black Creativity as Protest, Prayer, and Possibility
Tracing the legacy of Black artistic expression, this keynote highlights how music, movement, ritual, and performance have served as tools of protest and pathways to freedom. Dr. Newkirk guides audiences through the history of art as resistance, revealing how creative practice sustains movements and opens space for reimagining futures.
Separation Anxiety: Performing Pain, Protesting Injustice
Based on Dr. Newkirk’s one-year performance honoring Trayvon Martin and victims of racial violence, this keynote unpacks the emotional and political power of performance as protest. Through personal narrative and visual storytelling, it challenges audiences to witness trauma, engage with art as activism, and imagine healing as a collective practice.
3
For Youth & Community Organizations
These talks speak directly to young people, students, and grassroots communities looking to be inspired, affirmed, and empowered.
Next-Level Living: How to See Your Life Differently and Step Into Your Next
Perfect for student groups, youth programs, and community organizations, this high-impact talk empowers individuals to shift their mindset, embrace purpose, and unlock their next level of growth. Drawing from his YouTube series Your Next Level, Dr. Newkirk combines motivational insight with actionable tools for clarity, confidence, and change.
Wearing the Wound: The Hidden Weight of the Hoodie
This powerful talk explores the racialized perceptions embedded in everyday clothing—specifically the hoodie—and how it has become a symbol of both fear and resistance. Drawing from Dr. Newkirk’s durational performance Separation Anxiety, this keynote invites audiences to confront the embodied legacy of racial profiling and reimagine how identity can be reclaimed through art, awareness, and activism.
4
Cross-Audience Favorites
These talks work well across all categories, particularly for mixed audiences at conferences, multi-day events, and institutions bridging academic, nonprofit, and community sectors:
-
The EMBODY™ Method
-
Separation Anxiety
-
The Art of Resistance