[inaudible conversations]

that is a man in his prime. >> once c-span's coverage of the white house correspondents' dinner live, april 27 with colin jost as a featured entertainer as well as president biden, who is expected to give her marks. coverage begins at 6 pm eastern. journalists and celebrities will walk the red carpet into the event and then at 8:00 p.m. eastern, sights and sounds from inside the ballroom before the festivities begin. watch the white house correspondents' dinner live, april 27 on the c-span network. the national urban league held a discussion on civil

rights and mobilizing the black community to vote in the upcoming elections. this conversation took place in washington, d.c. [ applause ] appreciate it. thank you. thank you very much. good morning. good morning. i am going to take a quick seat. is that okay? i am still working through, trying to compete in the nba dunk contest. yeah, next year. first of all, thank you very much for joining us this morning. let's thank rhonda spears bell. rhonda spears bell and my longtime partner and colleague

in working at the city of new orleans and u.s. conference of mayors and now at the national urban league, now ordained elder. she always called evangelists. let's give it up for rhonda spears bell. a warm welcome for johnson & johnson. i used their products this morning. most importantly, i appreciated you making the connection between those early executives and the national urban league. we have not only reaffirmed the partnership but it reaffirms the roles that nul played in opening doors to corporate america a long time ago before it was called diversity, equity, and inclusion. i will get to that a little

later. secondly, i want to welcome -- raise your hand, urban league affiliate leaders from across the country. give a wave and a hand. for those in the audience and those who are watching, this is the heart and soul of our work, men and women highly challenged, highly committed on the ground in 92 communities throughout the nation, collectively they are touching 3 million people a year with direct services. give it up for our affiliate leaders. thank you, all colleagues. also, they are supported by a number of volunteer groups, affiliate board members. each affiliate has its own board. any affiliate board members here in the room, please raise your hand. we want to acknowledge you and thank you so much for being here and for your work as

volunteers. then, there is a historic national urban league deal. all back in 1942, a woman of passion and styled by the name of molly moon had a vision. in those days, even though we had women executives in the 20s, women were not afforded a full role for the executive work of the urban league movement. molly moon said we will serve as volunteers and built to the guild as a volunteer corps of chapters across the nation. guilders, raise your hand. bobby scott, our president, thank you all very, very much. and then, guess what? it is the 25th anniversary of the national urban league young professionals. 25 years with 25 years young as

the young professionals. you've got to stand up. we are saluting all of our young professionals and we are going to have a deep dive celebration in the morning at our annual conference. we appreciate what they brought, multiples of thousands of volunteer work, advocacy, participation for young professionals and have made a huge difference in the urban league movement and i want to thank you all. we are just starting. we will continue to grow. with us this morning here in the building, maybe some in the room, we have a number of students who are part of our business executive exchange program. many of the students here are -- we have one or two students. they are otherwise engaged. let me make sure i get the

schools we have mainly from the dmv who are with us today. they are here from howard, bowie state, delaware state and morgan estate. give it up for those great universities which are making a difference in the lives of our people. i want to salute them and thank them and i will be spending some time with them a little bit later this morning. it is an honor, always an honor to be able to present the state of black america. it is always important for people to know what emanated -- where did this notion of a report, the state of black america come from? it was 1976.

we anticipate in a few days, the president will give the state of the union address. a very important time when we hear from the president of the united states on his blueprint, vision, and execution for the nation. in 1976, when the late, great legend vernon george held this position and a person on his shoulders sat down and watched president ford deliver the early 1976 state of the union address, he listened intently and carefully to the president. president ford's address, for the most part, painted a picture of america where there were no black people, a picture of america where there were no poor people, a picture of america that, for the most part, ignored the trials and

travails of locked out and left out communities. no mention of poverty. no mention of civil rights. no mention of the city. no mention of urban america, whatsoever. no mention of the raging procession that was taking place in the middle 1970s that we are battling. president ford painted a false -- when things are incomplete, they are false. a false picture of the nation. vernon jordan, in his own way, sat down and said, i am going to, in effect, prepare my own blank report. >> [ laughter ] >> you know george. there is always a choice adjective when our great leader talks. he pulled together a group of

scholars, african american scholars and others to, in effect, print what was a miniature report with both analysis, diagnosis, and recommendations on the future of the nation and that was the beginning of the state of black america. today, it is an honor to be able to now, for almost 50 years later, for me to be able to present to you our thinking on what is the state of black america. distinctly put, the state of black america is not on our watch. not on our watch would we allow the progress and the gains and the very essence of the work that has been done by many

generations of americans, many generations of civil rights leaders and black americans to be eroded by a divisive, negative, hateful effort, which is designed to erase the last 70 years in american history. stay with me. the state of black america is strong because we are strong. the state of black america is proud because we are proud. the state of black america is resilient because we can take bumps and bruises and slips and stumbles and falls and putdowns and keep on moving. the state of black america is not just a comment on the state of black america. it is a comment on the state of

the nation, on the state of the union, the challenges that we face are not always challenges that we only face. they are faced in other communities. many times, those challenges are disproportionate to our community. we can't allow anyone to hijack our voice when we speak about the state of lack america. we speak about the state of the nation. the nation. save the nation. >> this year's report has three components to it. if you will -- let's walk through these three. i think it is important to understand what we did this year. understanding that this represents the 60th anniversary

since the passage of the civil rights act of 1964. it is important for us to understand that when we talk about all of these issues, we are standing on this foundation of an american magna carta, an american magna carta which was passed in 1964, after a long fight and a long struggle that went all the way back to the civil war. after the civil war, when the nation amended its constitution and created a 14th amendment, they added a section in there that said that congress shall enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation. this was in the late 1860s. what happened along that journey is instructive to

today. the first civil rights act that was passed, the civil rights act of 1866, was twice vetoed by then president johnson. it became law because the congress overrode his veto. the second civil rights act that was passed was in 1875. that act, interestingly, looks a lot like the 1964 act. we've got to teach a little bit this morning and that is 1875 civil rights act. in 1883, it was substantially struck down by the united states supreme court. the united states supreme court's character, meaning who sat on the court, changed as a result of the 1876 elections.

here was the supreme court, less than 20 years after the civil war, declaring a piece of legislation designed to enforce the constitution as unconstitutional. from that point forward, 1883, this very same court, in another, if you will, judicial coup in 1896, declared separate but equal the law of the land and banished black people to a second class status for some 70 years. i am connecting dots because as things go, things repeat

themselves and we need to understand that while those who are battling our progress, they are following a historic roadmap as well and we must understand that historic roadmap. from 1896, all the way until 1964, the civil rights leaders, the civil rights advocates of the early 20th century began to think and imagine and work on how they could pass a new civil rights law. this decision gave rise to the creation in 1909 of the naacp,

gave rise to the creation in 1910 of the national urban league and many other organizations that evolved thereafter. i want to bring us to 1964. 1964 and the passage of the civil rights act did not happen because there was a fit of enlightenment by the members of the united states congress. it did not happen because of serendipitous hope. it happened because there was a movement, beginning with that courageous woman refusing to give up her seat in montgomery, alabama. a direct action. that movement was supported by an aggressive strategy in the

court that thurgood marshall and others architected to try to knock down all of these walls. it was litigation and activism. our predecessors in the big six stood in 1963 with 250,000 americans at that great march on washington. they had a demand. we want a civil rights act and a voting rights act and we want it now. we come forward. have been asked on a number of shows, what has happened? to the civil rights act of 1964 work? look at the correspondence? women and african americans and other people of color who now grace the anchor desk's at all

of these great media organizations and said you would not be here. not just the african americans but the women and the latinos and asians and others. you would not be here. but, for the civil rights act of 1964. so, the cynics and sometimes what i call polite barry caters would sometimes say, nothing has changed. i say, were you living in 1964? if we suggest that nothing has changed, we are disrespecting the work of man and it took a

martin luther king and a dorothy height and a whitney young and it took a malcolm x and it took a rosa parks and a thurgood marshall and a jack greenberg and it took the uaw supporting the march on washington and it took lyndon johnson, who knew how to break a 17 year filibuster. we don't know how many road projects he promised. we don't know how many deals he cut but whatever he did, it worked and the civil rights act of 1964 past. the second part of this state of black america is the quality. each and every year for the

past 20 years, we have said, let's put the back's when it comes to the number of social and economic conditions out there so we can understand clearly what the comparative is when it comes to the social and economic conditions of black americans and white americans so we are not having a discussion with our brilliant opinions only -- and we have brilliant opinions. we are also not only having a discussion with the rank misinformation and lying that goes on when it comes to progress or lack thereof in this nation. the third part of this report is a report on president biden and whether he has lived up to the promises he made in writing, on paper as candidate

biden. we wanted to look at it so that people could understand. some of you like me are elected here. what counts is that politics is sometimes like romance. i make a promise, you buy into it. did i keep it? it is not about, well, i am changing my promises every day. we decided we wanted to look at that. we had evaluated president obama. we need to get this world of great rhetoric and we need to always have a factual basis. with the national urban league needs to do is provide a factual basis, whether to the a quality index or now the biden progress report. we put it out there for people

to debate it. you can discuss it. you can challenge it if need be but we are just presenting the facts. those are the three components of the state of black america report. can we talk a little bit about the civil rights act of 1964? let's talk a little bit about what the civil rights act of 1964, which had seven provisions in it, seven sections in it, which sought to open the doors to both employment and public accommodations. there were provisions on voting and a provision that applied to anyone that took federal money. let's look at some of the changes, topline changes. i have referenced these in

american light. what has been happening since 1964? since 1964 -- there were zero black and zero women. we now have eight african american and 50+ women. i am not going to suggest to you that we can be satisfied or would be satisfied with this but it is important to point out the change. these dynamic women and african americans who lead these companies are competent and qualified and outstanding. behind them, there are legions of vice presidents and senior vice presidents. don't get me wrong. the fact that we highlight this does not suggest satisfaction. that is not what it suggests. it suggests that this act has

made a bit of a difference in this area. let's look at the political community, right? the congress of the united states. i think this was enhanced by the 1964 act in 1965 voting rights act. five blacks -- when the civil rights act passed, there were five blacks. adam clayton powell of new york, bill johnson of los angeles along with bob nix of philadelphia and charles diggs of detroit and john conyers of detroit. those were the five african americans who were members of the congress at that time. now, there are 60 african americans, 18 asian americans, 54 latinos, 150 women. applaud. >> [ applause ] >> that deserves an applause.

i want to point this out. once again, has there been progress? far more progress here than on the corporate side because this owes to the power of the vote. this is the power of political engagement. this owes to involvement. beyond these, there are a large number of members of congress who are not black, not asian- american, not latino, not native american, who, african and latino voters are centered in their coalition, meaning they could not win if they could not put a coalition that included this together. let's give that a big round of applause. i am always excited when we look at that. the civil rights act has made a

difference but the current challenges that we face, i want to put this into context. may 2020, covid was two months out. we were all watching television and then, the iphone video that the young woman in minneapolis took was flashed across our screen. we saw george floyd with -- we saw a man die before our eyes.

is this -- which one is working? neither? let me talk loud. we saw that on the street. spontaneously across the nation, there were protests across the world. i remember, we got press calls from new zealand and hungary and the united kingdom and there was a rise and an awakening and a reckoning. tell your story. i know my time is tight but i've got to tell you a personal story. it did happen. i got a letter. i think you need to look at this letter. i opened this letter, a handwritten letter from someone i went to middle school with.

you know, i attended a middle school where i was the first african american student to attend there. at the time i was they met, they wanted two in the whole school and i was the only one in my class for four straight years. it was an apology letter from someone who had been an upperclassman, probably seventh or eighth grade when i was in fifth grade who apologized for bullying, calling me names. i guess they call it macro aggression. but, he said in the letter, that he was compelled to write the letter because of what happened to george floyd and that it had forced him to,

quote, re-examine who he is and what he is about. no return address. but, i found him. i only make reference so we understand how powerful the moment was with people, corporations, foundations and government making commitments, strong commitments. fast-forward to today. not on our watch will we be silenced while we watch those who make commitments all of the sudden he gained the courage of the lien in the wizard of oz and walk away. not on our watch will we be

silenced while people run for office or wealthy hedge fund people call competent black women who are presidents of major universities -- you might as well say what you really meant. you can say what you want but don't say that. this is the moment that we find ourselves in. we find ourselves in a moment where, over 1000 proposals since 2020 to suppress the votes, to make it harder for people to vote, targeted at black people and latinos and poor people and disabled

americans and older americans and students, with a cover story, which is a blatant misrepresentation and lie that somehow the election system is riddled with fraud. we have to be clear that these arguments today are also going to involve cover stories of misrepresentation, misstatement of facts, invention of facts, distraction from the truth and diminution of history. 1000 bills across the nation to ban books. toni morrison? come on. maya angelou? come on. ralph ellison? get out of here.

to banned books as though these students are not going to go to barnes & noble and pick them up , or they're not going to go online and say, boy, they want to ban them, i want to read them that much more. the absurdity of it all is that from 2020, there is now a pushback. while half the state has engaged in proposals to suppress the vote, i am happy to tell you that another half of the state has passed legislation to expand access to vote, that have introduced mail- in voting, that have done things to make it easier. this is not simply that there is one side of this ledger and not another side of this ledger. for every company that may be retreating on diversity equity and inclusion, there may be three more or four who say, i

am going to double down and i am going to stand and i am going to remain committed. we have to understand and not get caught in the glass half- empty mentality. we cannot fight a battle if we do not have a mindset that we are strong because our case is right and that our friends and our allies and ourselves are aligned to make this occur. in this index, very quickly, we index at about 76% of where white americans are and i encourage you to look at the index. the index is an average. here is the thing. you see an improvement over the last two years. that improvement is probably the largest two year improvement we have seen in the

past. however, at this pace, parody is 180 years away. keep this in perspective. we are like a caboose on a train. over the last 50 years, has the high school graduation rate in the black community gone up? yes it has. give a hand. give a hand. but, the rate for white americans has improved too. that is not a bad thing but we remain behind. for many, many areas, we have made progress but we have not made relative progress to the overall improvements in the country and that is a paradox. i wanted to show you these five

areas so you can see that when it comes to economics, we lag. when it comes to social justice, which includes the criminal justice system, we lag. these are areas that have been stubborn and persistent and i would argue that they are connected in many respects. what we need to do is understand these numbers and use this as a tool for conversations and policymaking and thought leadership. we want students. we want scholars. we want journalists. we want labor leaders, faith leaders, politicians to know these numbers and understand these numbers. finally, joe biden. so, joe biden, when we, as a civil rights community -- melanie, you will remember .

when we got on the phone in 2022 speak to him -- it is our practice to try to speak to anybody but we are not going to chase you. we send you a letter and you don't return it, that is on you. come on, now. let's just understand. we will talk to anybody, anywhere who wants to be serious about our community and i am not talking about tennis shoes. i am talking about jobs. i am talking about health. i am talking about our children and education and the like. very importantly, when we talk to joe biden as a candidate, we challenged him. you need to put a plan together

or black america. put a plan together. we want to see a suspect -- a set of specifically enumerated issues. he said, that is a great idea. i will do it but i would like to see what you recommend. wheel sent our recommendations to his team and they looked through it and they produced a plan. did the plan have every detail specificity that we want to? no. did it substantially embrace many of our main ideas? yes. so, we looked at what the president has done as president and the truth of the matter is, is that he has fulfilled a large number of his stated commitments. two things i want everyone to know because there is a lot of misinformation floating around. right now, if you look at 2020, both the overall unemployment rate and the black unemployment

rate, you see significant decline, all the way down to 5.3% for black americans, 3.7% overall. that is important because we were in a trough in 2020 with millions and millions of people out of work, with 40% of black businesses having closed down. 70% of all businesses had been shut down. this is what we faced. but, we also thought it was important to look at the things that did not necessarily get done in the first three years. before saying that, this president said, i will. i will nominate a black person, a black woman to be vice president. let me tell you. i have heard promises from politicians for a long time and

then i hear what i call the old crawfish move. you know the crawfish move? well, you know, circumstances have changed and i've got some other pressures on me and i don't think i can follow the promise. can i make it up to you later? we did not see that when it came to the nomination of kamala harris. then he said, i will put a black woman on the united states supreme court. and, not only did he nominate a black woman, he nominated an outstanding lawyer, legal scholar, who can hold her own and is not afraid to open her mouth or use her pen. these were important commitments and we put the

general there who is now head of the joint chief. we asked for a diverse cabinet and a diverse staff and people who look like our community. the healthcare expansion is notable. if you look at the index, the healthcare disparities have narrowed a bit. that does not mean the healthcare system is perfect. i have been in it for this knee. don't get me started. i am not talking about any insurance companies but i love my dr. so, it is important to look at this and other areas of improvement. then, we said, there is an unfinished agenda, the things we know did not get done. i want to list a few of them. i already have three of them but i want to highlight four. so, voting rights, the freedom to vote -- vote did not get done. this is essential. what

happens? let me tell you what really happens. you want to know what is really happening? we were in the trenches on this. i think shavon is right -- it was right before you join the coalition. we were working with the executive branch and members of congress on the john lewis forty-eight commitments we had 48 hard commitments. all we needed was for two members of the united states senate to agree to create an exception one time for the filibuster. we worked on those two members. you know their names one is from west virginia, he is retiring. the other is from arizona she is running for reelection.

we talk to them and worked very hard to persuade them to grant this exception. let's beat candidate. let's be clear. let's be unvarnished. let's not mince words and did not happen. they block the passage of the jon louisville. the republican blockade was there but we knew it was there but we knew we couldn't move it mitch mcconnell told his caucus under no circumstances do we support voting rights appeared to that privately, publicly missing something else. this is why this did not happen. we passed the georgia floyd bill twice. in the house of representatives a good strong bill did not do everything we wanted to do. but we passed it.

same thing, got to the senate and died right there on the vine. the freedom to vote act of the jon louisville the same exact thing. the reparations which could never get the support on the house of representatives to be adopted. there is unfinished business. unfinished business on our agenda. every one of these items i discussed when explained to the american people generate 60 -- 70% support. when they understand beyond talking points it. when they understand it beyond divisive rhetoric. when you tell them specifically what they do they have almost universal support. so we cannot allow ourselves to

be mesmerized into a mindset that what we want is something only we want. there is a broad coalition of people who will support. but if we do not raise our voices and say this is a priority if we do not challenge those who come to our community. if we do not use our platforms and our leadership to tell our community why this is important and why these things are on the balance and in 2024, shame on us. this is the work that we have to do. so let me close because a call to action is clear. i call to action is also what i would recommend that president biden when he gives the state of the union address include number one defendant democracy.

defendant democracy say defend democracy. number two we want to demand, demand diversity, equity and inclusion and what does that mean? we demand a fair chance. we demand equal access to the american dream in. we demand equal economic opportunity. we demand the words of the civil rights act of 1964 be real. that what is on paper is what we live by. that is what diversity, equity and inclusion do not get confused when people want to get a logical gymnastics. we used to call it fair employment practices. then they said it was ceo. then it was affirmative action. that is diversity, equity and inclusion in some people want to call it belonging.

[laughter] part of me says call it what you want just make sure it is real. [applause] just make sure it is real in terms of creating opportunity for the communities they were that werewalked out and left ou. so we must demand diversity, equity, inclusion in factories, and boardrooms, and classrooms, everywhere in america. and finally we must defeat poverty the 21st century has given us the largest economy in the history of human beings. here in the united states of america almost 25 trillion in gdp and you can't even tell me i can't remember how many zeros that is but it is big.

25 trillion yet, here is the truth, the truth is you have what i call traditional poverty. extreme poverty. people who are on the edge of simply trying to keep their head above water. and then you have those, and this is a larger portion to get up and go to work every day. they might have two jobs. they are raising children are taking care of seniors and other family members. they cannot pay their rent. there is not enough money to make the mortgage work. to pay for food, transportation, we have a new working poverty in america. which is a pernicious this is part of the wealth gap in part of the income gap.

we need a renewed effort to bring back the child tax credit. it made a difference. passed a national living wage bill and index it to inflation. [applause] give us a comprehensive plan on homeownership to make housing more affordable to build more affordable units. give us, give us a way to make college more affordable. and don't preach to me that everybody doesn't need to go to college because if they don't they should decide, not you. we do not want tracking and steering. the dates and segregation high

schools in the black community in the south top manual arts. homemaking. not college prep. they were not design. i believe in workforce and certificates and community colleges, and job opportunities for those. but i do not want any young person who has a vision and a dream to be college educated to not take that path because money is in the way. i do not want dreams and aspirations to be suppressed. because someone else said you don't need a college education. so we have to stand up for a system of human capitol

preparation be at certificates or community colleges are quality high schools, or apprenticeship programs and workforce development program and college and graduate school that is attainable and affordable for everyone. america became the economic powerhouse in the 17th and 18th centuries because of the system of slavery. and free labor. post-world war ii it became an economic powerhouse i would contend because a combination of things. guess the g.i. bill which lifted many of us out but civil rights. civil rights open the doors you look at the economy and 63 and you look at 64 you look at the economy and 24.

you look at you soon, you look at dallas, you look at atlanta before civil rights and after civil rights, you get my point. this is t4 actually transformation of america towards a multiracial democracy is good for us, but it is good for all. [applause] i'm going to close by reminding you of two things. this year i want everyone to embrace this d3 message. to get back to your local communities. when people say what is the agenda we want to defend democracy. want to demand diversity. what to defeat poverty. will policies, we want initiatives, we will programs, recommendations, we want to focus on doing that. and then we are going out with their civic engagement campaign this fall.

we have to register people. we have to educate people and we have to mobilize people. we have to register them and educate them and mobilize them. and let me say this, not voting is not a strategy. i had people to say i'm going to withhold my vote. and what strategy is that? [laughter] in what book are you reading? or do you have a comprehensive strategic plan how not voting is not a strategy. not voting is unilateral disarmament. not voting is not going to a knife fight with a water pistol.

it's going to a knife fight with your hands tied behind your back. your hands are tied behind your back because you tied them not someone else. we have to be clear eyed and voting for canada is not like american idol. i'm not going to see who is going to entertain the immigrant feel good. i love their charisma, and love their funny jokes. it's about comparing people's agendas. their commitment, their promises, their seriousness about what they're going to do. we have to educate our community that this is about our power we cannot give it up. but we have to also understand voting alone is not a magical wand.

vote for somebody in setback, no. it's part of being specifically engaged we have to do more than vote. we have to be organized but we have to be engaged, we have to part of the policy conversation with to be involved at the local levels. you know that. our job is to stimulant, encourage and motivate our communities to do the same. i reclaim your vote campaign stay tuned for more details. about the work we will be doing and we are going to be out there. we said 2020 we had to do a lot of stuff online 2022 we did a lot of stuff online where going to continue to work online but it is time for us to roll up our sleeves and knock on some doors. roll up some sleeves and get on the college campuses. the barbershops, the beauty salon, the churches, the hangouts. and have conversations with people about the importance of participation in civic

engagement can account on you? are you ready? not on our watch. not on our watch. not on our watch. to those who may be viewing we want to thank you for tuning in. the state of black america.org and read the full and complete report is available. it is free. download it, share it, please share it. generously and abundantly through your networks and threat your community. good morning, god bless you and thank you. what does give it up again. [cheering] [applause] ladies and gentlemen you heard

the diagnosis now it is time for the prescription. the national urban league is committed to defending the integrity and intent of the civil rights act. while expanding its prosecution protection to all vulnerable americans. and that this critical moment for our democracy, our institutions need to advance a quality instead of sharing the clock backwards. to discuss this call to action, we have invited at outstanding panel of info delusional thought leaders in social justice activists and let's meet them right now. starting with the president ceo of the national coalition on black civic participation and convene or of the black women's roundtable give it up for melanie campbell.

our friend and our sister president and chief executive officer national council of women. [cheering] [applause] welcome to the stage. the president ceo of the columbia urban league jt. [applause] let's welcome back to moderate this amazing discussion president ceo mike morreale. >> thank you all very much. we are going to get to the audience in a minute. we want to make sure you're part of this discussion. thank you, let's give them another round of applause.

jt, give us a historic perspective, you have been leading in south carolina has been a crucible of the movement very important battles of mother emmanuel church. you have been there working for many, many many generations. help us. give us a perspective on how you think about this moment. >> thank you very much. first about i bring greetings from south carolina. [applause] south carolina is the home of african people who came to america we are unique as you know. we believe we have to have resiliency and we must be able to do like our ancestors. we must walk back we must be

able to see it. we must be able to claim it and we are going to claim it by putting forth efforts not through us most us you have got to work. once you claim you have got to achieve it. sometimes we stop at achievement. we added another factor you got to maintain it. that is what happened throughout this country. we had a situation in south carolina where one of the few states that flew the confederate flag. we got calls in october 1999 from someone who said to us we need the urban league. we need the urban league to bring this flag down and says that we are not welcome we are second-class citizens. i thank god he was the president

wrote in black america under jordan. he was from harvard university don't count to south carolina every corporate leader wanted him on the board but he hung with the people. he said there is no peace if there is no justice there will be no peace. that is what the president of the university said he was on our board and heat said to us we decided to immobilize, to march and january 172000. we decided to march the frederick flag. someone called me and said we need 10,000 people to march. i said wait a minute. we ought to build 60000 people to a football game. why can't we get 60000 people to

march? he had a vision. we have a collaborative effort we work very closely with the naacp. the black church and other civic and community organizations. we mobilize from december the fourth 1999 we brought people in from all over the state we have to get a consensus. a lot of time neither of us wanted to leave. we had to bring the people to the table we had to discuss it. and we all voted whether or not we were going to be able to put this in march together from december 4 to generate 17. and i was a man who was a preacher he stood up and said we can't do this. we don't have enough time. i thank god for our young people thousand a student from university heard about that meeting on the day of the meeting came to columbia, south

carolina stood up and said we can do it they said call for the vote. no more discussion. and we voted that we are going to do it. we mobilize over 50000 people. so in south carolina first of all we know what our ancestors did on a critical situation and we stand on their shoulders. we're going have the vision to know we come together and mobilize and walk back faith and not our site we will be successful for. >> thank you, let's give jc a hand. you brought new energies and counsel council of negro woman standing on the shoulders of the great dorothy height and many others. also special if you will and

other activism around health and healthcare issues. shows some narrowing of disparities. give us some observations on how you see things now. >> the first of all it is an honor to be here. my first book report resent whitney young junior as a first grader in new jersey. and i never told you this story and one of the things i recall from the reading of that cartoon book was a picture of whitney on so i went to thank you in this moment. [applause] because somehow god set things in order is they should be.

i want to say this about healthcare. [applause] i will say healthcare for me has been the cornerstone of how it has moved in this country. one of the things we learn about healthcare and i will give the urban league credit for this. the first organization that taught to engage in social determinants of health. because what it really means is very live, play, worship can affect the way of quality of life. in the context for that is fully connected to how healthcare can answer a lot of questions for us. i was in college where i met this young man i was a collegiate student was in the office and a one of things we learned that was all around us i

knew as an athlete i had to create a place for healthcare for my people what i did not know i was going to be called for a greater cause and healthcare has made this a greater cause. acp help directorate one of things we learn was when that came to my office because of the affordable care act. because closing the gap on transportation, on housing if you are not healthy you can't go to work if you not help that you can't learn in school. if you are not healthy you cannot get out of your bed and how can you live? disparities are nothing but differences. i want to give you context. what it really means is removing barriers out of the way to have quality of life and health. the problem is equity cannot be

achieved if the barriers are bigger than the plan. until the closing of the gaps and i appreciate the opportunity to have been a part of this report. because healthcare for me is the human rights activists plan to help set strategy for everything else. because we learn about it it was always in our community was marketed in our communities. we had food deteriorating in our communities where there's a study done at first grace asked what color our bananas they said solid ground. and so you can have good nutrition if you're brown bananas. so i am saying i want a brown banana plant my context is how do we create gaps to ask band and opportunities to expand inside of us advocating for

quality in healthcare and removing barriers which means healthcare providers have to be black i said what i said what i said they've got to be black. they've got to meet women. healthcare cannot change if we do not have partnerships with corporations. i am fine with corporations and not find i will close with this. if we can look at this opportunity of policy, practice clear strategies on how to bring industry we can push this administration make our politics a much better place for black people in america. [applause] >> thank you excellence. melanie, we experienced a lot of this journey together as a part

of her coalition of civil rights leaders over this decade or decade and a half. you have spent a good part of this year out in the state in michigan, south carolina mobilizing voters. what do you want to share from what you are hearing, what are you thinking? and then what the challenges for 2024 to get our community fully engaged? >> you said it already with got to get in the streets. first i want to step back. it is always a pleasure to be with my urban league family. thank you all again for inviting me. somebody was looking at us because the three of us were together at benedict college february's seconds. hey hey. [laughter]

not on for the south carolina primary. so here we are here today. that is no accident. we are all gathered here for such a time as this. your report is timely to give us a roadmap. we are not in an existential threat. we are in a fight for our very lives. and so the attacks that are taking place we talk about diversity, equity, inclusion. they say you're not going have the ability to make that money are not going have the ability to feed your families. you have the ability to become that billionaire, truly there, whatever you want to be. got to break down. what i am hearing is people are dealing with -- they don't see the numbers. they are not feeling the

numbers. i don't know about you but i have got to feel it. and if i don't feel it then i sometimes will make the determination that it is not really happening. and so with all the things that have happened i'm so glad you have the information about the current administration. sometimes we've got to tell people that we are winning. if we were winning they would not want to go after us. if they were winning they wouldn't be trying to shut us down. nobody waste time on anybody. so we are waiting for you know i am from florida. i always went lift up my hometown. i go back home is not getting all the way down to everybody. unemployment is high and my

hometown in florida destination case with 95 u.s. one. [laughter] they're announcing that. with their seeing in florida in october we launched, thank you urban league gave me a check that i am going. i do these things sometime and say go i went for 30 days but money came. because we have to get down to it knocking on those doors and communicating with our people. we spent that 30 days and what we kept hearing as i am still struggling. i cannot afford to get the child care. i cannot afford one more person talked about the cost of eggs have you seen the cost of eggs?

it is a real thing. if i don't feel it and not going to connected to what you have here. if we don't get into the community and knock on those doors, that old-fashioned weight we could do this all day long. and real way we cannot wait we have to do it now. urban league i remember mark and i hooked up you decide to be the urban league president. [laughter] this is my brother from another mother and my line? you are right. [laughter] i got to shut up but we were at harvard university. i was doing a fellowship and he was doing he was the mayor. where the got a position or not.

and we had that conversation we also have the conversation about how we have to work together. and how we have to organize together. how we have to unify. the reality is we have to come together now. we have to do it now when you go back home urban league? you have to respect at all to bring you the information. i also member the urban league would get in the streets. in the streets to manage them both. >> us give a big round of applause. we have got a few minutes i will call for a question. and then i'm going to call on william barnes a. where are you wilma william you are just there in my eyesight. the president of the advisory council of the executive for a

question. and then i'm going to call on you, jennifer for question. so, i these questions note sermons no, sir venezia. you to make a brief statement sit what you think that's cool, and eight -- 10 minutes, ron thank you for being here thank you for being a friend. an ally and mentor to so many of us. rana daniels a. [applause] [inaudible] [laughter] [inaudible] [inaudible] >> do we have a mic do we have an extra mic? was just handed this michael down, thank you.

i went to not have a question but a comment really it is so important that we know our history. and the way in which this is laid out a discussion post reconstruction were at a moment in terms of doing her civic engagement. doctor ramona when you culture them about to write that about that again. we need to know the history. she is brilliant because she knows what happens with the reconstruction amendments. we all need to know that. i do not have a question i have the challenges go to work and also agree it can't just be we have to connect the virtual with what we always did. that is the synthesis is not either or that we have to do. but competitions on the history. >> thank you. president of the advisory council are executives of willi, thank you for being here.

>> thank you. let me say this, mark, thank you for your leadership we will continue to talk about this in the connectivity when i think about every time you stand before us the connectivity with other leaders in the community we talk about coalitions. i want to make that as a statement first and foremost. here is the question. i had a conversation had dinner so my colleagues yesterday we were talking about how we continue to mobilize and more me particularly keep folks engaged. we talk about engagement we know you got the report out as it relates to president joe biden. that does not seem to be translating into the community for the right things happening as it comes out of d.c.? the question is how do we overcome the challenges and they are real. make no mistake we think about young people they do not say organization. they don't say organization is the way to go them were talking about it. we have a fight on our hands we

cannot win it without our young people and very interested to hear what are we thinking about? what is the think tank how are we going to make sure we are connecting to be sure they can help us and support us for. >> you want to go first? >> i am on it i am on it. [laughter] the inside joke in my office as they call me number 45 because in? >> i am on it i am on it. [laughter] the inside joke in my office as they call me number 45 because in 45 years old. that is an anomaly in our space. what i have told them it shouldn't call me 45 you'd better start coming 25 speaker because 25 speakers are the ones young people have literally checked out on the way we do institutional living. so unless you grew up in a legacy space bar you understand institutions you have to change your hat. i am blessed to be in that lineage of folks that look at as a part of strategy. that is no longer the case but quite frankly were honest about it we have left our folks to create their own institutional living because we have failed

them. there are two things one, vote values. we hide behind israel and palestine for don't talk about the reality on the ground we are just as complicit as the administration we are actually criticized. we've got to tell our truth. i can tell you that young people are open when you have the conversation. but we have not created space enough to have a conversation. it's not just virtual but it is also going to where they actually go. and there's a massive assumption people are not engaged. young people are engaged or just not as tolerant as some of us are. so we work on our tolerance approach. we can learn something. the english we would say something they would never say some of the stuff our ancestors chuck. we taught them we should be grateful it says we gave them power. [applause] so that i am saying to you is there is an opportunity.

put on your jeans, put your hat on backwards go back and say something. i am fine with it but give them an opportunity to sit at the table with you. the only way or when it we were at all of our tables. >> thank you for the response. we have one last question i am sorry we go to wilmington go-ahead. >> good morning everyone. thank you so much for the opportunity to ask this question. i am a preacher as well. and a lot of times when i tell young people about voting i say one thing we should do we should do it like communion we remember we don't do it any other way. but for everyone in the room who's going back to several communities want to note you have any talking points to compel our younger voters to recognize the importance of voting? do you have any thoughts?

>> i would say yes. one, you have them right here i believe. but we have laid out is a core clear message. i think that's very clear and you break that down. but we have in our organization as well. we have power to ballot and we break that down and connect it. we were in florida all the hbcus in the florida communities and what one people got was they could connect that dog. you have to connect those dots and make it simple. our task is we will not be erased. you people walking up i am in the airport without a shirt that says power to ballot we will not be erased and has no organization name has no affiliation. somebody pay for this stuff up. [laughter] real talk.

but that simple message the power of the ballot we will not be erased. what shocked we're going to put on the urban league you can make money off the t-shirt and sweatshirt to pay for the movement. that is what we are doing. so make it simple and people run with it. they can get that but if you do the whole they're not going to listen. >> one minutes i am being told got to wrap. >> we just recognized and we did differ every year for the last 30 years achievement matters people don't want to talk to them to see you in action. and that's it with got to do have got to continue with our people they are our future. power to the people. [inaudible] >> of our students have joined us. are you all in the room? c-span let's recognize them. c-span, c-span, c-span. [cheering]

[applause] so i will close with this. with this observation. this is a think that something simple when we talk about young people. one thing we all must remember don't you get amnesia. for something simple it's cold listening. hearing and asking. those accused of being disruptive, troublemaker i was running for office as a young person they said boy go sit down. i said no, i am not going to sit down. and i forged ahead use does not necessarily equate with immaturity.

and young people are taking on the responsibility to manage their lives, build a family, build a career many young people have responsibilities to take care of others in the family. and so we listen a little bit. even if we are going to engage as opposed to treating it as though we have all the answers, it is the line in glory. we've got a great line. we need the wisdom of the elders. and young people's energy. and i dropped the mic and we