08/20/2026
OUR 2027 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
POLITICAL STRATEGIST - AUTHOR - TELEVISION HOST
MS. SYMONE SANDERS TOWNSEND
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is my sincere honor to announce that the keynote speaker for The 27th Annual Virginia Black History Month Gala will be political strategist, author, and national television host Ms. Symone Sanders Townsend.
In a remarkably short period of time, Ms. Sanders Townsend has built an extraordinary career marked by leadership, achievement, and influence. She has worked on two presidential campaigns, served at the highest levels of the White House, authored a book, and become a nationally recognized television voice—accomplishments that many people spend an entire career pursuing.
What I admire most about Ms. Sanders Townsend is her willingness to speak with conviction, challenge conventional thinking, and use her voice to address issues that matter. In many ways, her career reflects this year’s theme, “From Black Print Culture to Digital Blackness: The Bicentennial of the Black Press.”
For generations, the Black press has used the power of communication to inform, challenge, advocate, and shape public understanding. Today, that influence continues across television, digital media, political communication, and new platforms—and Ms. Sanders Townsend represents that continuing evolution of the Black voice in America.
She has emerged as a powerful example of what is possible for young Black women who aspire to leadership, public service, media, and national influence.
Please join me in welcoming Ms. Symone Sanders Townsend and her husband, Shawn Townsend, to the 27th Annual Virginia Black History Month Gala this February.
Highlights from her distinguished career
• Historic Presidential Campaign Role — At only 25, she became the youngest presidential press secretary in history while serving on Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign.
• White House Leadership — She later served in the Biden-Harris administration as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, becoming the first Black woman to hold that position.
• National Media Presence — After serving as a CNN political commentator, she moved into national television hosting, launching SYMONE, later co-hosting The Weekend, and now co-hosting the primetime program The Weeknight.
• Author and Communicator — By age 29, she had published No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America.
• Developing Future Leaders — Her academic roles have included fellowships at Georgetown University, Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, and the University of Southern California, where she has helped mentor future political leaders.
For tickets, visit our new Zeffy ticket page:
https://tinyurl.com/VABHMA-2027
Bill Jones
President, Virginia Black History Month Association
www.vabhma.org
