DPI professor and interdisciplinary artist Bayeté Ross Smith has been named one of the 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholars. PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of established leaders brought together to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Scholars were selected based on their leadership growth potential and their personal leadership projects aimed at improving civic engagement or social good by addressing a problem or need in their community, the country, or the world.
Over the course of several months, Scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics. They will study and put into practice varying approaches to leadership and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact in their communities.
Begun in 2015, the Presidential Leadership Scholars program is a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Bayeté is a member of TED Residency class three and an inaugural POV NY Times embedded media maker collaborating with both institutions. He has exhibited nationally and internationally. He has also been involved in a variety of community and public art projects with organizations such as the Jerome Foundation, BRIC Arts Media, and The Laundromat Project. His collaborative projects "Along The Way" and "Question Bridge: Black Males," alongside DPI alum Hank Willis Thomas, have shown at the 2008 and 2012 Sundance Film Festival, respectively.