"Her messages were universal and she challenged us as a community to learn, understand, and be accountable. Her presentation was organized and thoughtful. She also really listened to how I described the school and the student body, and understood my goals for the week."
—Ken Rodriguez, The Urban School of San Francisco
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Kimberly travels internationally to offer her lectures, workshops and performances—check the calendar for the next opportunity to see Kimberly in person!

Popular Lectures

Kimberly brings decades of experience (and multiple awards) as a facilitator, performer/storyteller, and teacher entertaining people with complex yet accessible messages about the human experience, about the body in culture, and about the ways we co-create our culture. 
Kimberly's lectures, workshops, and performances engage with themes that include:
  • ​​Gender
  • Sexuality
  • Body Size/Shame
  • Media Representations
  • Gender, Race and Wealth/Income
  • Understanding "the 1%"
  • Beauty and Appearance Privilege
  • Personal Sovereignty​​
By looking at the complexity in our lives, Kimberly teaches her audiences how to become the subject of their own stories, and how to co-create a better world.
Tell us about your requirements, and Kimberly can tailor the right lecture, keynote presentation, workshop or stage-performance for your venue and time-frame.
Named one of the Top 6 LGBT Speakers on College Campuses by The Advocate
Named one of the Top 25 LGBT “Best of the Best” by Campus Pride

Popular Lectures

Gender, Race and Money
One of America’s great stories is that anyone can work hard and become wealthy. We love tales of triumph over adversity. However, many people work hard to meet basic needs and feel as though they are somehow personally to blame for their lack of prosperity. The gap between rich and poor in the United States has been widening and this is particularly pronounced in communities of color and for women.
During this engaging and interactive lecture, Dark teaches participants about trends—both historical and current day—in the distribution of wealth in America and how those trends affect all Americans. Participants come to understand "the 1%" and how to make connections to work toward a more just economy.
“Kimberly, you are always brilliant, thoughtful and challenge us to be our best possible selves.
'Thank you' does not cover my appreciation of your intelligent, provocative wisdom.”
​— Audience Member, November 2020

You Don't Owe Anyone Pretty
In this powerful storytelling performance, award-winning performer Kimberly Dark shares stories from her new book, Fat, Pretty, and Soon to be Old (AK Press, 2019), in order to remind us: “You don’t owe anyone pretty,” and “We are creating the world, even as it creates us.”
In this moving and hilarious show, Kimberly Dark invites her audience to live in the experience of the body, not the appearance of the body. 
Drawing from her own experience as a fat, queer, white-privileged, recently disabled, inevitably aging, gender-conforming “girl with a pretty face,” Kimberly Dark deftly blends storytelling and social analysis to reveal the presence of everyday appearance privilege (and stigma). Join her to explore how the architecture of this social world constrains us and how we might help one another break free.
​Ask about adding a book-signing of the book that inspired the lecture: Fat, Pretty, and Soon to Be Old.
"I found myself so completely engaged in your work. I was deeply impressed by both your skills as a writer and as a performer... You pull listeners in, lead them through fascinating turns and complications, so that they may come to understand the world more fully. You take them on such a rich journey, one that has so many rewards. I can't thank you enough for what you gave to our community and for spending several days with us. I know we are all the richer for the time you gave us."
​— Dr. Ron Pelias, Department of Speech Communication, Southern Indiana University, Carbondale