Acclaimed author delivers closing keynote at ILDI 2014

When Barack Obama was first running for president, acclaimed Washington Post reporter Wil Haygood wanted to write about a black person who worked in the White House when segregation was so widespread, so embedded in the culture, that the thought of a black president was inconceivable. The result was The Butler: A Witness to History, which tells the story of Eugene Allen, a butler who had served no less than eight presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. And as you’ll see in the following video clip, Haygood’s story of Eugene Allen went on to be the inspiration for a moving and highly acclaimed movie.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaYRFeRlQaI&feature=youtu.be

But as those lucky enough to be in Atlanta to see Haygood give the closing keynote at the Institute for Leading Diversity & Inclusion^™ will learn, his award-winning writing career has spanned decades and focused on everything from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to a wide range of national and global issues.

And if you couldn’t make it to Atlanta this year, check out our Twitter feed and our Facebook page for regular updates from the final day of the Institute.