JOTAKA EADDY TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY FALL 2024 COMMENCEMENT

Jotaka Eaddy, an award-winning strategist, advocate, host, and connector who Forbes Magazine describes as the "Olivia Pope of Silicon Valley," will deliver the keynote message at Claflin University's Fall 2024 Commencement Convocation on Friday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. in the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex.

Claflin will confer bachelor's and master's degrees to nearly 150 graduating scholars.  Claflin will also honor alumni from the “Silver Class” of 1999 during this year’s commencement.

The convocation is a ticketed event. However, the live broadcast of the ceremony will be available on the University's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ClaflinUniversity1869. 

With more than 20 years of experience in policy, advocacy, and movement building, Jotaka is a highly sought-after speaker and strategist whose accomplishments include her trailblazing election as the University of South Carolina's first Black Woman Student Body President and her groundbreaking work that led to the abolition of the juvenile death penalty in America though the 2005 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roper vs. Simmons. Not to mention her pivotal leadership as Senior Advisor to the NAACP, where she led Initiatives to expand and defend voting rights through state legislative wins and executive orders, all before her bold and successful transition to the C- suite of Silicon Valley and the private sector.

As the Founder and CEO of Full Circle Strategies, LLC -, Jotaka leads a team of individuals committed to advancing transformative change and global impact for clients seeking to advance policy, ideas, and change. Her clients and work have included advising Oprah Winfrey: OWN Network's award-winning OWN Your Vote Campaign; advising and managing external strategies to engage diverse communities for global telecom firms; supporting the expansion of tech policy and platform changes aimed at increasing inclusive tech for some of the world's largest tech companies and venture firms, advising the launch of Goldman Sachs' One Million Black Women Initiative which created a historic one billion dollar investment in Black women and leading the historic grassroots marketing campaign for the launch of "The Color Purple Musical Film" - which opened with the second highest Christmas Day release in history, among other projects.

In 2020, Jotaka founded the movement #WinWithBlackWomen, an intergenerational, intersectional group of Black women leaders representing business, sports, movement, politics, entertainment, and beyond who come together within their personal capacities to stand united in support of Black women. The network, which has garnered more than 1 billion organic impressions on social media, is credited with making a significant impact on pivotal moments and issues, including supporting the election of the nation's first Black woman Vice President, supporting the confirmation of the nation's first Black woman U.S. Supreme Court Justice, supporting the efforts for the safe return of Brittney Griner, and advancing the power and image of Black women in film, television, movement, and culture.

She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Copy/paste link to Jotaka Eaddy's photograph: https://www.claflin.edu/news-events/events/commencement/speaker

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