Emma Dabiri

International author, Emma Dabiri is challenging racism through her work as a social historian. The broadcaster and academic is using her platform to initiate conversations and tackle racist attitudes across a variety of platforms, including print and television. Driven by her own experiences of discrimination, as a young Black woman in Dublin, Emma educated audiences and shares actionable strategies for becoming more inclusive individuals and employers.

Most recognised for her debut book ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’, Emma explored the historical and geographic context surrounding discrimination against African hair. The social commentary features several essays described as ‘ground-breaking’ in the understanding of how hair relates to decolonisation. Since her highly acclaimed debut as an author, Emma has published a further two books, Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture and What White People Can Do Next – From Allyship to Coalition.

Growing up in Dublin, Emma found herself subjected to racism on a regular basis, targeted for being the only Black person in her social circle. These early experiences inspired Emma to persevere and complete a degree in African Studies, to greater understand her heritage, which led to an impressive academic career. From her role as a Visiting Fellow at SOAS to undertaking a Visual Sociology PhD exploring experiences of mixed-race, Emma is using education as a tool for change.

Most recently, Emma has expanded her reach to include broadcasting, having presented several series including: Is Love Racist?, Britain’s Lost Masterpieces and Back in Time Confectioners. Equally influential in radio, Emma has authored documentaries for Radio 4 in addition to hosting Front Row. Backed by her media work, Emma is ideally placed to give engaging talks on diversity and inclusion, guaranteed to be transformational for all in attendance.