New Edition, Pusha T and Nick Cannon to Attend 2017 BET Genius Talks

The 2017 BET Experience at L.A. Live is only a few weeks away. In one weekend (June 22-25) fans will see a host of celebrities participate in different events leading up to the BET Awards. One of its popular events is the Genius Talks series that will take place on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25. The lineup for the series this year includes New Edition, Pusha T, Nick Cannon, actress Tracee Ellis Ross, director Ava DuVernay, choreographer Brooke Payne, and writer, director, and producer Issa Rae.

The AT&T-sponsored talks will be hosted by Charlamagne Tha God. Topics covered in the series will include, building careers and personal branding, self-empowerment and the long-term effects of incarceration in the black and brown community. Pusha T, Ava DuVernay and Nick Cannon are both longtime advocates of black and brown communities, participating in several initiatives to draw awareness to the need for criminal justice reform and the ills of systemic racism in the justice system. DuVernay directed the Oscar-nominated documentary, 13th, which focused on the link between U.S. slavery and the mass incarceration of black people. The chats should be especially interesting this year, given Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recent move to lengthen prison terms and rollback Obama's policies and restore mandatory minimums, which have long been deemed racist.

For a full list of events visit BET Experience 2017.