Speaking Engagements
About Rita Coburn
Rita Coburn is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning Director, Writer, and Producer of radio, television, and film. Beginning her career as a producer and writer for various news outlets across the U.S., Coburn went on to produce for the likes of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah Radio, Apollo Live!, and Walt Disney Productions. In 2016, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, which was co-directed and co-produced by Coburn, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Festival and went on to win a Peabody Award in 2017. Coburn directed Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands, which premiered nationwide on February 8, 2022 on PBS American Masters. On May 19, 2026, her third documentary for American Masters, W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause, will air. Check local listings for the premiere and additional airings.
Coburn’s value is such that she bridges the gap between generations and preserves African-American history. Through her work, she uniquely addresses topics from a multi-generational lens with a passion for impacting others through the untold stories of prominent figures and key ideals relevant to African-American culture.
Speaking Topics
Press Videos
Upcoming Events
Gordon Parks Documentary Film Festival
Host: African American Heritage House at the Chautauqua Institution
Festival Dates: August 3-4, 2026
Screening Date: Monday, August 3, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM EDT
Venue: African American Heritage House
Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua, New York
Post-Screening Talkback: Executive Producer BK Fulton
This invitation is especially meaningful to me. Gordon Parks was one of my heroes, and I had the privilege of meeting him in New York after producing Curators of Culture: Chicago's Southside Community Art Center, my documentary featuring his work and the historic South Side Community Art Center, where some of his earliest photographs were exhibited. It is an honor for W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause to be included in the inaugural Gordon Parks Documentary Film Festival.
Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF)
Festival Dates: August 7-15, 2026
Screening Date: Monday, August 10, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Venue: Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
Feature Presentation: W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause (112 minutes)
Post-Screening Talkback: Director Rita Coburn and special guests
I'll be attending the festival and look forward to joining the audience for a conversation following the screening. If you'll be on Martha's Vineyard during the festival, I hope you'll join us.
University of Massachusetts Amherst - University Libraries Fall Reception
Event Date: Friday, September 18, 2026
Program: W. E. B. Du Bois on Film: An Evening with Director Rita Coburn
Venue: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
Admission: Free and open to the public
I'll be joining scholars who participated in the documentary for an evening featuring selected excerpts from the film and a conversation about bringing Du Bois's story to life through the remarkable collections housed at the Robert S. Cox Special Collections & University Archives Research Center.
Presented by the University Libraries in partnership with the Robert S. Cox Special Collections & University Archives Research Center and the W. E. B. Du Bois Center.
Sponsored by the UMass Amherst Foundation and the Fine Arts Center.
Past Events
The New Olivet Worship Center
5/18/2026 - Memphis, TN
Gene Siskel Film Center
5/2/2026 - Chicago, IL
Clark Atlanta University
4/1/2026 - Atlanta, GA
Manhattan Neighborhood Network & Black Public Media
2/19/2026 - New York, NY
Emmy Chicago
5/15/2026 - Chicago, IL
The New School
4/27/2026 - New York, NY
The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center
3/20/2026 - Los Angeles, CA