Monique Michael (Speaker - Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method). Monique Michael was born in Haiti. She has an MS in Education from Hunter College (NYC), where she studied with historian John Henrik Clarke and majored in Black and Puerto Rican Studies. An elementary school educator since 1992, she has given papers and conducted workshops on the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method for the National Council of Teachers of English and National Science Teachers Association. She taught for seven years in East Harlem public schools, and is a Reading Recovery/ Academic Intervention teacher at P.S. 184 on New York's Lower East Side. Mrs. Michael is the author of the groundbreaking article "Children Learn to Read through the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method." She is a contributor to the books: Aesthetic Realism and the Answer to Racism, and to "The People of Clarendon County"—A Play by Ossie Davis, and the Answer to Racism.

Mugga (Performer - Mary Ragin). Mugga's career in Acting, Stand-up Comedy and Voice Overs began in the 1990's. She can currently be seen in Lee Daniels' Academy Award-winning film, "Precious." Mugga has traveled the world performing Stand-up Comedy for American troops in Germany, Italy, and South Korea. She has also performed at colleges, universities and civic organizations nationwide. She's had the great fortune to work with many great actors and comedians including Chris Rock and Paul Mooney, and has been a featured comedian on BET's Comic View, Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, and HBO's Chris Rock Show. She has appeared in stage productions that include Neil Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and August Wilsons' "Fences." 2010 was the second year that Mugga had been working with the Alliance of Ethics & Art's productions of Ossie Davis' "The People Of Clarendon County," directed by Anne Fielding of the Aesthetic Realism Theatre Company. She can currently be seen in a Macys'.com commercial and heard on several Burger King commercials. She hopes for a long, healthy career in film and television and making a positive difference in the world.

John Kim (Videographer).  John Kim is an award-winning New York-based filmmaker trained at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with commercial and documentary work that has appeared on television, movie screens, fine-art galleries, and film festivals, including Cannes. As an activist, he has done work with civil rights and progressive causes raising awareness about urban and suburban homelessness, anti-gentrification and anti-fracking efforts in New York and New Jersey. During the 2016 election, he was a supporter of Bernie Sanders and created videos for the national campaign.

Arnold Perey, Ph.D. (Speaker - Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method). Arnold Perey, anthropologist and teacher educator, earned his BA in anthropology from the University of Chicago and his doctorate from Columbia University. His field research was with the Paiute-Shoshone nation in Nevada and the Mountain Oksapmin people of Papua New Guinea, the latter sponsored by the National Science Foundation. His doctoral dissertation, based on Aesthetic Realism, was sponsored by Margaret Mead. He taught at Brooklyn College and Queensborough Community College (CUNY), Seton Hall University, and Drew University. He is on the Aesthetic Realism Foundation faculty where he teaches "Anthropology Is about You and Everyone." His articles include "A New Perspective for American Anthropology: The Philosophy of Aesthetic Realism" (presented at the American Anthropological Association) and "The Real Opposition to Racism." Dr. Perey is in Who's Who in American Education, is a contributor to Aesthetic Realism and the Answer to Racism, and author of Gwe, Young Man of New Guinea: A Novel against Racism, and Were They Equal? an African story for children which he also illustrated.

Zvia Ratz (Speaker - Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method, & Production Associate). Zvia Ratz, educator and Aesthetic Realism Associate, was born in Israel.  In 1981, after graduating from Zinman College of Physical Education, she came to the United States. She began her study of Aesthetic Realism in 1982 in individual consultations and in the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method workshop.  What she learned renewed her love of teaching and after working for many years in the private sector, she returned to college.  In 2008 she graduated from the City University of New York with a BS in mathematics.  In September of that year she began teaching in New York City public schools.  She earned an MA in mathematics education from Brooklyn College in 2010. Ms. Ratz has presented seminar papers on what she has learned from Aesthetic Realism on the subjects of music and education. Articles she wrote and co-authored about the solution to the turmoil in the Middle East have been published in the USA and abroad, and in the book Aesthetic Realism and the Answer to Racism.  She is an Aesthetic Realism Associate and is very grateful to study in professional classes taught by the Chairman of Education Ellen Reiss.

Zishun Ning (Video Editor & Metadata Archivist). Zishun Ning, born in China, earned his BA degree in Cinema Studies at NYU and his MA degree in Labor Studies at Murphy Institute (CUNY).He is an organizer at Chinese Staff and Workers' Association and produces videos about labor and community organizing. He has also produced videos about homeless people organizing for civil and housing rights. Zishun Ning was a video editor and videographer for the Alliance of Ethics & Art from late 2014 to 2017.