In the early 1970s, Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story for The Washington Post, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and setting the standard for modern investigative reporting, for which they and The Post were awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Since then, Bernstein has continued to build on the theme he and Woodward first explored in the Nixon years – the use and abuse of power: political, media, financial, cultural and spiritual power. Renowned as a prose stylist, he has also written a classic biography of Pope John Paul II, served as the founding editor of the first major political website, and been a rock critic.

Rev. Sharpton is one of America's foremost leaders for civil rights battles against economic injustices, political inequity and corporate racism. For more than three decades he has played a major role in virtually every significant move for civil liberty, community empowerment and economic equality. Rev. Jesse Jackson said: "When an injustice has occurred, the victims don't look for the public official with the most credentials, or the preacher with the largest church. They just call Rev. Al and they know that he'll do something about it." In addition, he was often praised by President Barack Obama as "the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden.” As founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), Rev. Sharpton heads an organization that fights for progressive, people-based social policies by providing extensive voter education and registration campaigns, economic support for small community businesses and confronting corporate racism. NAN is a not-for-profit civil rights organization that was formed in 1991 and has over 100 chapters nationwide that includes a Washington, DC Bureau and regional offices across the US. Rev. Al Sharpton hosts a daily syndicated radio show and a national cable news television show on MSNBC. Rev. Sharpton has run for political office in several unsuccessful bids: as a candidate for the New York State Senate (1978), the US Senate (1992 and 1994); the mayor of New York City (1997), and the US presidency (2004). A fiery and charismatic speaker known for his incisive wit and unapologetic fire, many find Rev. Sharpton an eloquent and fearless spokesman for African Americans.