Next, a forum on race and education with members of congress. Education advocates, students, and former officials. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Hosted this event. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for joining us today. Todays Education Brain trust is called from brown to fisher, increasing racial diversity to improve Educational Equity. Im melanie newman. Im the chief strategist for the naacp Legal Defense fund, the organization that i am proud to say i work for and that is responsible for brown and fisher. And so i want to give a little bit of hello. Sorry. I want to give a little bit of background about myself. I am i have been with the Legal Defense fund since march of this year, but worked in the Obama Administration and on the hill for quite some time. But this issue and the reason im happy to be here with all of you today is personal to me. I am originally from new orleans but also went to school in selma, alabama. Which im sure all of you are familiar with