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Bestselling author Dr. Omékongo Dibinga, CSP, is the UPstander. His life’s mission is to inspire all across the globe to take a stand when they witness an injustice, no matter how small or large. A John Maxwell Team “Top 30 speaker”, he is an international speaker, trilingual poet, podcast host, rapper, and professor of Intercultural Communication at American University. His podcast, “The UPstander’s Podcast” was rated a top 5 “must follow” social justice podcast for 2025. His Urban Music Award winning work has best been described by Dr. Nikki Giovanni as “outstanding, exciting, and new while being very old.” His book, From the Limbs of My Poetree was described by Essence Magazine as “a remarkable and insightful collection of exquisite poetry that touches sacred places within your spirit.”
Omékongo was one of 5 international recipients out of 750,000 to win the first ever “CNN iReport Spirit Award.” He has received over 1,000,000 views on CNN.com. He is a weekly contributor to the “Roland Martin Unfiltered” show as well as “The Clay Cane Show” on SiriusXM. Omékongo’s writings and performances have appeared in O Magazine, as well as on TV and radio from CNN, BET, and the BBC to NPR, FOX, and NBC in millions of homes in over 150 countries. He has also written songs for major motion pictures as well as organizations such as NASA and the Enough! Project. He has spoken before the United Nations, partnered with the State Department to conduct leadership trainings overseas, and speaks to corporate, government, and educational organizations across the country on issues centered on inclusive leadership.
Omékongo’s music and writings have appeared alongside artists such as Sheryl Crow, Angelina Jolie, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Angelique Kidjo, Don Cheadle, and Yassine Bey (formerly MOS DEF). He has shared the stage with Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Sheen, OutKast, Sonia Sanchez, The Last Poets, and NFL great Aaron Rodgers. Internationally, he has shared his work in over 20 countries on 3 continents.
Omékongo has studied at Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, Morehouse, and The Fletcher School, where he earned his M.A. in Law & Diplomacy. He earned his Ph.D. in International Education Policy at The University of Maryland (UMD) where his dissertation centered on the global hip-hop phenomenon and JAY-Z. At UMD, he also worked with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Teaching Diverse Students Initiative.” Across the country he has worked with school districts on culturally relevant instruction including Washington DC, Texas, New York, Ohio, Florida, Massachusetts, and California. He worked for four years as the lead Teaching Assistant to Dr. Michael Eric Dyson at Georgetown University. He provides leadership, educational and diversity empowerment as a consultant and motivational speaker for organizations, associations and institutions.
Omékongo has featured/lectured nationwide in venues from TEDx and Harvard to Russell Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit and the Nuyorican Poets Café. His rap mixtape series “Bootleg” promotes positive hip-hop with remixes of songs by Tupac, Notorious BIG, JAY-Z, Nas, 50 Cent, and others. His 1,000,000 Youth Campaign has directly impacted over 750,000 youth across the globe to date. He has also partnered with Intel on its campaign to make their computer processors free of minerals that come from the war in the Congo.
Omékongo has published and produced 7 books, 8-fusion music and motivational CDs, and one independent film. His motivational book G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness! 10 Steps to Living Your Best Life has received praise from great motivational speakers such as Les Brown and Willie Jolley. His book “The UPstander’s Guide to an Outstanding Life” is a life balance book for students. His book Lies About Black People: How to Combat Racist Stereotypes and Why it Matters (Simon & Schuster) was published in 2023 and reached the #1 bestseller status on Amazon. His next book Trigger Words will be published in the fall of 2027.
