--- title: TIME Reveals the 2026 List of The Closers description: TIME reveals the 2026 ‘The Closers’ list, recognizing 18 extraordinary Black leaders working toward greater equality. canonical: https://time.com/7358050/time-reveals-the-2026-list-of-the-closers/ author: TIME PR article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-01-27T13:05:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T00:50:37.661Z article:section: Press Room og:title: TIME Reveals the 2026 List of The Closers og:description: TIME reveals the 2026 ‘The Closers’ list, recognizing 18 extraordinary Black leaders working toward greater equality. og:url: https://time.com/7358050/time-reveals-the-2026-list-of-the-closers/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06f16fdc9a6a8aa8/6998cd28e2d64b3782c60059/IMG_8026.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Closers_PressRoom og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: TIME Reveals the 2026 List of The Closers twitter:description: TIME reveals the 2026 ‘The Closers’ list, recognizing 18 extraordinary Black leaders working toward greater equality. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06f16fdc9a6a8aa8/6998cd28e2d64b3782c60059/IMG_8026.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # TIME Reveals the 2026 List of The Closers by [TIME PR](https://time.com/author/time-pr/) ## TIME PR Jan 27, 2026 1:05 PM UTC  by [TIME PR](https://time.com/author/time-pr/) ## TIME PR Jan 27, 2026 1:05 PM UTC _Presented in partnership with The Ancestors' Wildest Dreams, the exclusive partner of ‘The Closers,’ TIME will convene this year’s honorees at a special event in Atlanta on February 12._ Today, TIME reveals the **2026 ‘The Closers’** list, recognizing 18 extraordinary Black leaders working toward greater equality. \--Explore the 2026 TIME ‘The Closers’ list: [time.com/closers](http://time.com/closers) On the third annual list, TIME editors say:“Our annual Closers list launches just ahead of Black History Month. We are proud to tell the stories of these 18 leaders who, despite ever-evolving challenges, remain determined to make change and to better the world we share.” **Read how TIME editors made the Closers list** [**here**](https://time.com/7358028/how-we-chose-the-closers/)**.** TIME’S 2026 ‘THE CLOSERS’ LIST INCLUDES: **Abre' Conner**, director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice **Angela Doyinsola Aina**, co-founder and executive director of Black Mamas Matter Alliance **Calvin Butler**, CEO of Exelon **Danielle Deadwyler**,actor and producer **Dara Eskridge**, CEO of Invest STL **Darren Walker**, philanthropist **Emma Grede**, founder, entrepreneur, author, and host of _Aspire with Emma Grede_ podcast **Erin Jackson**, Olympic champion speed skater **Imani Perry**, author and scholar **JJ Johnson**,chef and advocate **Jamal Joseph**, filmmaker and professor **Jennifer Eberhardt**, social psychologist and Stanford professor **Karen Pittman**, actor, producer and activist **Marc Philpart**, CEO of the Black Freedom Fund **Nneka Ogwumike**, president of the WNBA players association **Paul Tazewell**, Oscar-winning costume designer **Sarah Lewis**, art historian and Harvard professor **Thelma Golden**, director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem **The Ancestors' Wildest Dreams** is the premier partner of TIME’s ‘The Closers.’ “The Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams is a first of its kind studio focused on amplifying stories of truth and excellence and anchored in radical acts of impact,” said **Chris Crawford**, Founder of The Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams. “We are calling on the muscle memory of the ancestors who overcame obstacles worse than we currently face. We need to allow their resilience to remind us who we are. This moment with TIME allows us to share our vision and call on the community to claim its inheritance.” To recognize the 2026 ‘The Closers’ honorees making an impact across industries, TIME will host an invite-only gathering in Atlanta on February 12, presented by premier partner **The Ancestors' Wildest Dreams**.The event will feature remarks by select members of the 2026 ‘The Closers,’ including actor, producer, and activist **Karen Pittman**, actor and producer **Danielle Deadwyler**, and chef and advocate **JJ Johnson**. ### **ABOUT TIME** TIME is the 102-year-old global media brand that reaches a combined audience of over 120 million around the world through its iconic magazine and digital platforms. With unparalleled access to the world's most influential people, the trust of consumers and partners globally, and an unrivaled power to convene, TIME's mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape and improve the world. Today, TIME also includes the award-winning branded content studio and Emmy Award®-winning film and television division TIME Studios; a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises and custom experiences; TIME for Kids, which provides trusted news with a focus on news literacy for kids and valuable resources for teachers and families, and more. **ABOUT THE ANCESTORS’ WILDEST DREAMS** [**The Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams**](https://www.theancestorswildestdreams.com/) is a first of its kind studio, divinely rooted in protecting, preserving, and elevating the stories of the ancestors through film and entertainment. Built by award-winning creatives and filmmakers, the studio serves as a radical act of love — honoring the elders who dreamed, labored, loved, and survived so future generations can claim their inheritance. With a mission to make the ancestors proud, the studio develops, manages, and acquires IP that authentically tells our stories, inspires the collective community, and calls audiences to remember who they are. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7358050/time-reveals-the-2026-list-of-the-closers/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7358050/time-reveals-the-2026-list-of-the-closers/"},"headline":"TIME Reveals the 2026 List of The Closers","datePublished":"2026-01-27T13:05:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-11T00:50:37.661Z","description":"TIME reveals the 2026 ‘The Closers’ list, recognizing 18 extraordinary Black leaders working toward greater equality.","url":"https://time.com/7358050/time-reveals-the-2026-list-of-the-closers/","keywords":["Press Room","sponsorshipblock"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06f16fdc9a6a8aa8/6998cd28e2d64b3782c60059/IMG_8026.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME PR","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-pr/"}],"articleSection":"Press Room","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06f16fdc9a6a8aa8/6998cd28e2d64b3782c60059/IMG_8026.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Closers_PressRoom","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/press-room/","name":"Press Room"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/press-room/","name":"Press Room"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7358050/time-reveals-the-2026-list-of-the-closers/","name":"TIME Reveals the 2026 List of The Closers"}}]}] ```