Renbrook welcomed internationally recognized poet, actor and educator Omékongo Dibinga to West Hartford for a special program.

Omékongo Dibinga speaks with Renbrook students. Submitted photo

Submitted by Stacy Routhier, Director of Marketing and Communications, Renbrook School

Motivational speaker, trilingual poet, and TV talk show host, Omékongo Dibinga presented G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness! at Renbrook School on Tuesday, Oct. 6, to all grades including an evening presentation that was open to the public.

As the Director of UPstander International, Omékongo provides leadership, educational and diversity empowerment as a consultant and motivational speaker for organizations, associations and institutions. He has lectured nationwide in venues from TEDx and Harvard to Russell Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit and the Nuyorican Poets Café. His rap mixtape series “Bootleg” promotes positive hip-hop with remixes of songs by Tupac, Notorious BIG, Jay Z, Nas, 50 Cent, and others. His 1,000,000 Youth Campaign has directly impacted nearly 100,000 youth across the globe to date. He has also partnered with Intel on its campaign to make their computer processors free of minerals that come from the war in the Congo.

Omékongo’s music and writings have appeared alongside artists such as Sheryl Crow, Angelina Jolie, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Angelique Kidjo, Don Cheadle, and Mos Def. He has shared the stage with Wyclef Jean, OutKast, Sonia Sanchez, Dennis Brutus, Emmanuelle Chriqui, The Last Poets, and NFL great Aaron Rodgers. Internationally, he has shared his work in 20 countries on 3 continents. His writings and performances have appeared in O Magazine, as well as on TV and radio from CNN, BET, and the BBC to NPR, Music Choice, and Voice of America in millions of homes in over 150 countries. He has also written songs for movies as well as organizations such as NASA and the Enough! Project. He has spoken before the United Nations, partners with the State Department to conduct youth leadership trainings overseas, and speaks to leadership and youth student conferences across the country.

Omékongo life’s mission is to inspire all across the globe to take a stand when they witness an injustice, no matter how small or large. His visit to Renbrook is the second in the David Lentini Speaker Series, made possible by the Berkshire Bank Foundation. For more information onOmékongo’s work, visit: www.upstanderinternational.com.

About Renbrook School

Founded in 1935, Renbrook School is a pre-eminent PreK-9 co-educational independent day school located in West Hartford, CT. The school enrolls students from 30 cities and towns in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Renbrook experience is defined by a high degree of academic rigor, personalized attention as a result of small class sizes, a nurturing environment, and an emphasis on values and respect among members of a tight-knit community.  Renbrook School welcomes students of every race, religion, national and ethnic origin.

For more information visit: www.renbrook.org.