Six-hundred-plus leaders from around the country were projected to join the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) for the National Black Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (Feb. 4).
Participants were summoned to focus on two critical issues dubbed critical: the 2020 Census and voting rights. A CBC media released framed the “emergency convening” as coming as the “strength of our democracy is being tested.”
The theme for this year’s National Black Leadership Summit is “Fighting for Justice. The Power of Movement.” The event will focus on Black America’s ability to “overcome widespread voter suppression efforts and to be accurately counted in the 2020 Census. “
The Summit was set to open with remarks from the Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and Vice Chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13). The keynote will be delivered by Bishop William J. Barber III (keynote address), chief architect of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
The first session, “The Fight for Justice,” facilitated by the First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03) will drill down on the disparities in equity and access faced by Black Americans in key issues like healthcare, criminal justice, education, the environment, and the social safety net.
Panelists include: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-8); Marc Morial, president & CEO, Urban League; Kristen Clarke, president, Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Andrea James, executive director, National Council for Incarcerated & Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls; and Mayor Lovely Warren, African American Mayors Association.
The second session, “The Power of Movement,” will be facilitated by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), takes a look at the collective power of the Black community and the work being done to protect the right to vote and to ensure our community is counted.
Panelists include: Marcus Bass, executive director, Advance Carolina; Annetta Wells; coordinator, SEIU Local 2015; Dr. Jeanine Abrams Mclean; vice-president, Fair Count; and Dr. Everett Kelley, national secretary & treasurer, American Federation of Government Employees.
Angela Rye, CEO of IMPACT Strategies and former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus (112th Congress), will moderate the day’s discussions.
“The Congressional Black Caucus convened this National Black Leadership Summit because it is time to sound the alarm,” said Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “There is a lot at stake in 2020 and we cannot afford to take it for granted.
“If we do not fix what is going wrong in this country now, the next two and a half generations will be impacted. We look forward to today’s discussions and to build a unified consensus on next steps to engage our community and promote the development of underserved communities in America.”
To watch the Summit live stream visit the Congressional Black Caucus Facebook Page.
