MATTHEW W. HORACE

Law Enforcement Expert • media contributor • SPEAKER • AUTHOR • life COACH

Matthew Horace was a high performing D-1 student athlete at Delaware State University, one of the nation’s historically black universities. On the field he learned about winning, losing, adversity, hurdles, challenges and setbacks. He also learned about Courage.

While on summer break in Philadelphia in 1982 he was viciously attacked by a Philadelphia Police Officer and his German shepherd, “MACHO” left on a hot street corner bleeding, his athletic career and life in jeopardy. What he learned after the attack would change his perspective on himself and the way he viewed police forever.

Despite the racial trauma, fear and the validation of his vulnerability as a young black man, he chose to enter the law enforcement profession an effort to create the world that he wanted to see.

As he rose through the ranks of local, state and federal law enforcement, he saw daily examples of racism, implicit bias and discrimination that disparately impacted the communities where he most identified and had the courage to call it out.

In 2018 he released The Black And The Blue, A COP Reveals The Crimes, Racism and Injustice In America’s Law Enforcement shedding light on his own experiences and the experiences of others behind the “blue line” and why we all must choose, “Courage Over Avoidance”.

Two Years later George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis Police Officer some 80 miles north of Horace’s home creating a spark for some of the nation’s most significant social justice reckoning in decades.

Dynamic and emotional speeches he takes audiences on a journey of emotional discovery as he challenges us all to choose courage, challenge our perceptions, experiences and will to change the world through understanding, empathy and compassion.

He also challenges us all to take the hard path of courage instead of the easy path of avoidance.

"He also challenges us all to take the hard path of courage instead of the easy path of avoidance."