"I am not yet who I will be. It's important to understand that we are all works in progress. Where you are does not represent the total value of your existence, and has little to do with the potential of your future. You are only one decision away from your next best self. And I say next best self, because I am always evolving, and maturing, and growing. So, while my values and character is consistent, who I am today is not who you will see five years from today."
- Yao Kahlil Newkirk
1
For Academic Institutions (K–12, Colleges & Universities)
Best for educators, students, faculty development, and departments focused on equity, performance, or social justice.
*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. Yao Kahlil 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 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.
2
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, 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.
3
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:
-
Next Level Living
-
Separation Anxiety
-
The Art of Resistance
*Especially impactful when combined with interactive workshop session