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Don Lemon

  • Peabody Award-Winning Journalist
  • Host of the wildly popular Don Lemon Show
  • Veteran CNN Correspondent and Anchor (2006–2023); Former NBC Correspondent
  • Author of #1 NYT Bestseller 'This Is the Fire' and Bestsellers 'I Was Once Lost' & 'Transparent'

Don Lemon is a decorated journalist whose voice has shaped national conversation for more than three decades. A longtime CNN anchor and now the host of The Don Lemon Show, Lemon has covered war abroad, presidential transitions, mass shootings, and moments of racial reckoning where words carried consequence and silence was not neutral. With multiple Emmy Awards, bestselling books, a Peabody Award, and a historic role as the first openly gay Black man to anchor a national news program, Lemon’s career stands apart in American media. His magnetic on-air style has drawn audiences in without softening the stakes of the conversation.

As a speaker, Lemon brings the perspective of someone who understands how power, media, and public pressure actually operate. Drawing on experience from the center of breaking news and cultural conflict, he speaks about communicating clearly when narratives harden and scrutiny intensifies, and when silence is itself a decision. Audiences leave with a clearer understanding of how authority is held, how credibility is protected, and what it takes to speak plainly when the spotlight is unforgiving.

 
Don Lemon headshot
Past Hosts Include:
  • Congressional Black Caucus
  • Spotify - Politics Event
  • Black Week
  • Tulane Book Festival
  • Commencement for Clark Atlanta
  • Essence Fest
  • MGM Studios - Nickel Boys panel
  • The Root 100
  • Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation
  • Reuters - Future of News

Blackweek Forum: Telling the Truth in an Age of Misinformation | Don Lemon - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Don Lemon
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Power, Media, and Who Controls the Moment

Veteran news anchor DON LEMON breaks down how power actually moves through media and public conversation. He explains how stories take hold, why some voices define the moment, and what leaders misunderstand about influence when attention moves faster than facts.

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Saying the Hard Thing in Public

From national tragedy to cultural reckoning, DON LEMON has operated where speaking plainly carries risk. He explores how leaders communicate honestly without inflaming the moment, how credibility is built when trust is thin, and why avoiding the truth often creates more damage than confronting it.

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News in Perspective: Inside the Decisions Behind the Headlines

Seasoned news anchor DON LEMON takes audiences inside how journalists decide what leads, what waits, and what never makes air. Drawing from years in the anchor chair and in the field, he explains how judgment, timing, and responsibility shape coverage long before a story reaches the public.

 

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Moderation Under Pressure

As a moderator, DON LEMON brings steadiness and authority to conversations where tension is already present. He knows how to frame difficult questions, manage competing perspectives, and keep dialogue productive without losing rigor. His moderation style creates space for honesty while holding the room to account.

Books by Don Lemon
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Biography
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