Contact us 1.800.698.2536
Search by Speaker Name or Topic

James McBride

New York Times Best-Selling Author & Musician

James McBride
Travels From Travels From:
Boston, MA, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $30,000 - $50,000
Virtual Event: $10,000 - $20,000
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Authors, Black Heritage, Business, Celebrity, College, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Entertainers, Faith & Religion, History, Inspirational, Jewish Heritage, Journalism, Literary, Motivational, Music, Overcoming Adversity, Real Estate, Social Activism, Spirituality
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

James McBride Biography

James McBride is an award-winning author, musician, and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, "The Color of Water," published in 1996, has sold millions of copies and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Considered an American classic, it is read in schools and universities across the United States. His debut novel, "Miracle at St. Anna," was turned into a 2008 film by Oscar-winning writer and director Spike Lee, with a script written by McBride.

His 2013 novel, "The Good Lord Bird," about American abolitionist John Brown, won the National Book Award for Fiction and was adapted into a Showtime limited series starring Ethan Hawke. McBride has been a staff writer for The Boston Globe, People Magazine, and The Washington Post, and his work has appeared in Essence, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. His 2007 National Geographic story “Hip Hop Planet” is considered an important examination of African American music and culture.

A noted musician and composer, McBride has toured as a saxophonist sideman with jazz legend Jimmy Scott, among other musicians. He has written songs for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., Pura Fé, Gary Burton, and even for the PBS television character “Barney.” (He did not write the “I Love You” song for Barney, but he wishes he did.) He received the Stephen Sondheim Award and the Richard Rodgers Foundation Horizon Award for his musical Bobos, co-written with playwright Ed Shockley. His 2003 Riffin’ and Pontificatin’ musical tour was filmed for a nationally televised Comcast documentary. He has been featured on national radio and television in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He often does his public readings accompanied by a band.

A native New Yorker and a graduate of New York City public schools, McBride studied composition at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio and received his master’s degree at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. In 2015, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama “for humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America.” He holds several honorary doctorates and is currently a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on James McBride and other top speakers and celebrities.

BOOK James McBride

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/15/2024.

James McBride Speaking Topics

  • Inspire to Live: A Lecture/Performance on Learning to Fail

  • The Liberal Arts Life: From Jazz to Journalism to Novel to Script

    A "musical" lecture focusing on the importance of the liberal arts as learning tools for life.

  • The Good Lord Bird: Faith & American Slavery

    In a brand-new program, James McBride shares the powerful story of John Brown, a white American abolitionist who in 1859--along with 19 others--attacked the largest arsenal of weapons in America, ultimately prompting the Civil War by terrorizing the South and galvanizing the abolitionists in the North.

    In this presentation, which is based around his National Book Award winning novel, The Good Lord Bird, McBride shares the story of John Brown, using gospel and spiritual music of the time to frame his life and how it is presented in the book. Audiences will feel inspired and uplifted by the amazing music, the real-life story of a true American hero, and the powerful words of one of our greatest public speakers.

  • Improvisation, Teamwork & Following Your Instincts: Finding Success Through the Principles of Jazz

    In this innovative program, best-selling author and professional musician James McBride shares how the basic principles of jazz • including being willing to improvise, working as a team, being creative, following your instincts, and thinking outside of the box • can be applied to the world of business for lasting results. He peppers his talk with funny and intriguing anecdotes, while illustrating his points with toe-tapping numbers performed along with a full band of career jazz artists.

  • The Color of Water: A Meditation on Identity

    In this touching keynote speech, diversity speaker James McBride discusses the importance of learning to forgive one's past mistakes in order to press forward towards success, and the importance of failure as a successful tool for learning. McBride stresses that it is never too late to change. He uses examples from his own life and the lives of those he's come across in his wide experience to encourage young people to embrace their history, their identity, and appreciate the differences of those around them.

    Who are you? A human? A student? An American citizen? You can be all of those things and more, but what part of those things is most important? McBride uses his experience of having growing up in an ethnically mixed environment to teach audiences to be kind, be a learner, and be a self starter.

James McBride Videos

  • James McBride, Deacon King Kong
    James McBride, "Deacon King Kong"
    An accomplished musician as well as the author of the classic memoir The Color of Water and the National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird,...
  • James McBride Interview: That's the America I Live In
    James McBride Interview: That's the America I Live In
    “When you glorify violence, then it comes back to bite you.” In this short video, writer James McBride reflects on the riots in the city of...
  • James McBride: 2013 National Book Festival
    James McBride: 2013 National Book Festival
    James McBride appears at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
See All Videos »

James McBride Books

  • The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel
    The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel
  • Deacon King Kong: A Novel
    Deacon King Kong: A Novel
  • The Good Lord Bird: A Novel
    The Good Lord Bird: A Novel
  • Song Yet Sung
    Song Yet Sung
  • Miracle at St. Anna (Movie Tie-in)
    Miracle at St. Anna (Movie Tie-in)
  • The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother (10th Anniverary Edition)
    The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother (10th Anniverary Edition)

Speaker Lists Featuring James McBride

Browse All Keynote Speaker Lists »

FAQs on booking James McBride

  • How do I book James McBride to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like James McBride for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for James McBride, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for James McBride or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for James McBride

    Speaking fees for James McBride, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book James McBride are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire James McBride, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does James McBride speak about?

    James McBride is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Black Heritage, Business, Celebrity, College, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Entertainers, Faith & Religion, History, Inspirational, Jewish Heritage, Journalism, Literary, Motivational, Music, Overcoming Adversity, Real Estate, Social Activism, Spirituality.

  • Where does James McBride travel from?

    James McBride generally travels from Boston, MA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is James McBride’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like James McBride for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book James McBride for your next private or corporate function.

  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host James McBride or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

James McBride is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Inspire to Live: A Lecture/Performance on Learning to Fail, The Liberal Arts Life: From Jazz to Journalism to Novel to Script, The Good Lord Bird: Faith & American Slavery, Improvisation, Teamwork & Following Your Instincts: Finding Success Through the Principles of Jazz and The Color of Water: A Meditation on Identity. The estimated speaking fee range to book James McBride for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. James McBride generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Juan Williams, Common, Erin Gruwell, Tukufu Zuberi and Montel Williams. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling James McBride for an upcoming live or virtual event.

BOOK James McBride

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

Need Quick Answers?

We are happy to help! Call us to speak with a booking agent about your event or specific speaker request.

Sarah Miller
phone   1.800.698.2536
Our celebrity booking agents can:

  • Gauge interest and check availability for speaking engagements, appearances or corporate events

  • Provide you with the speaking fee to book James McBride or other celebrity appearance fees

  • Give you personal recommendations for the best keynote speakers or celebrities

  • Assist you with any questions you have throughout the talent booking process

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP