This conversation took place in washington, d. C. And runs an hour and half. [applause] thank you very much. Good morning. Good morning. Im going to take a quick seat, is that ok . Yes, i am still working through trying to compete in the nba dunk contest. Yes, next year. ■8first of all thank you for joining us this morning. Lets thank rhonda spears bell. [applause] and by longterm partner and colleae heorleans, the u. S. Conf mayors, now the National Urban league. Now an ordained elder. [applause] i always called her evangelist. Lets give it up for rhonda spears bell. And a warm thanks ty billington and johnson johnson. I use their products this morning. ■zbut most importantly, i appreciated you making the connection between executives and the National Urban league. It reaffirms the role that nul play in Opening Doors to Corporate America a long time ago, before it was inclusion. I will get to that a little later. Second, i want to welcome, raise your hdsle affiliate leaders from across the country. Give a way, give a wave and a hand. Those in the audience, those who are watching, this is the heart and soul of our work. Men andom talented, highly committed, on the ground, 92 commune is across the nation, collectively year with direct services. Give it up for our affiliate leaders, thank you all. Also, they are supported by a number of volunteer groups. Affiliate board members. Each affiliate has its own board. Any affiliate board member in the room, raise your hand. We want to acknowledge you, we want to thank you so much for being here. And doing the work as volunteers then there is the historic guild, all the way back in 1942, a woman with passion and style by the name of molly had a vision. Days, even though we had women executives in the 1920s, women were not afforded a full role in the executive molly moon said we will serve as volunteers and built the guild as a volunteer corps, with chapters across the world. I know several of you are here. [applause] thank you all very much. And then guess what . It is the 25th anniversary of the nati. 25 years with 25 years y, the Young Professionals. We want to salute you guys. Stand up. We are saluting all of our Young Professionals. We appreciate what they brought. Multiples of thousands, volunteer work, advocacy, participation in lpc. The Young Professionals have made a huge difference in the urban league movement. I want to thank you all and we are just starting. We are going to continue to grow. With us thisbuilding, maybe some room, we have a number of students who are part of our b our Business Executive exchange program. Are the students we have one or two studentlet me make sure e from the dmv who are with usnly today. They are here from howard. [applause] delaware state. Had morgan state. And morgan state. Give making a difference in the lives of our people. I want to salute them and thank them and i will be extending i will be spending some it is a. 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 on 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 w vision, and execution for the nation. 1976, the late great Vernon Jordan held this position, a person on stand, sd watched president for deliver the early 1976 state of the Union Address. He listened intently and carefully to the president. President fords 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 p where for the most part that for the most part ignored the trials and of locked out and left out communities. No mention of poverty, no mention of civil rights, no mention of cities. Ica whatsoever. No mention of the raging recession that was taking place in the middle of 1970s. President ford painted a false because it was incomplete when things are incomplete, they are false. Picture of the nation. So Vernon Jordan, in his inimitable way, sat down and said im going to in effect prepare myt. [laughter] you know. Theres always a choice adjective. When a great leader talks. He pulled together a group of scholars, africanamerican scholars and others, to print mt with analysis, diagnosis, and recommendations on the nation. 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. So simply america is not on our watch. Not on our watch will we allow the progress and against and the essence of the work that■u]w■ af americans, many generations of civil rights leaders, to be eroded i divisive negative hateful effort, which is designed to erase the last 70 years of american history. So stay with me. The state of black america is strongbecause we are strong. The state of black america is proud ca the state of black america is resilient. We can take bumps and bruises and stumbles and falls and putdowns and keep on working. 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 challenge we face are not challenges we only face. They are faced broadly in other communities. Disproportionate to our community. We cannot allow anyone to hijack our place when we speak about the state of black america. We are speaking about the state of the nation. The nation. Say the nation. The nation. So this years report has three components to it. And if you will, let me walk through these. I think it is important to understand what we did this. So understanding that this represents the 60th anniversary since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is important for us to understandabout all of these ise are standing on this fouio cart. 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 close duchenne amended its constitution, they added a section that said Congress Shall enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation. ]j 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 was passed in 1875. That act interestingly looks a lot like the 1964 act. We got to teach a little bitthak down by the United States supreme court. E preme courts character, meaning who sat on the court, changed as a result of the 1876 election. So here was the supremeourt, less than 20 years after the civil war, declaring a piece of ed to enforce the constitution as unconstitutional. From that point forward■f, 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 secondclass status for some 70 years. Im connecting dots because as things go, things repeat themselves. We need to understan that while those who are battling our progress are following a historical map as well, and we must understand that historic roadmap. From 1896 all the way until 1964, the civil rights leaders, the civil rights century began o think and imagine and work on how they could pass a new civil rights law. And this ferguson decision gave rise to the creation in naacp. Gave rise to the creation in 1910 of a National Urban league and many other organizations. I want to bring us to 1964. Because 1964 and the passage of the Civil Rights Acthere was a t of enlightenment by the members of the United States congress. Because of serendipitous osmosis. There was a movement beginning when that courageous woman refused to give up her seat in montgomery, alabama, of direct action. That movement was supported by an aggressive strategy in the courts that Thurgood Marshall and others architected to try to knock down these walls. It was litigation andour predecx stood 1963 with 250,000 americans at that great march on washington. They had a demand. We want a Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights act and we want it now. So we come forward. Im going to i have been asked on a number of news shows, what has happened . Has the Civil Rights Act worked . I looked at theboth women and as and other people of colorrace t all of these great media organizations and i say, you would not be here. Not just the africanamericans, but the women. And the latinos and asians and others. You would not be here. But for the civil rights of 1964. So cynics and sometimes what i call polite prevaricate orprevay nothing has changed. I say,■ well, were you living n 1964 . If we suggest nothing has and, we e disrespecting the work of many. And it took a Martin Luther king and a Whitney Young, it took a malcolm x and it took a rosa parks and Thurgood Marshall, it took the uaw supporting the march on washington, it took on Baines Johnson who knew how to break a 17 year we dont know how many projects he promised. We donknow how many deals he cut. Whenever he did, it worked. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. Were progenitors of that work. Index. Cond part of this state o each and every year for the past 20 years, we have said, lets put the facts when it social and Economic Conditions out there so we can understand clearly what the comparativeto the social anc conditions of black americans and white americans so we are not handing a discussion wit ond we have brilliant opinions, and we are not having a discussion with misinformation and lying that goes on when it comes to progress or lack thereof. In this nation. Part of this report is a rep p biden. And whether he has lived up to the promises he made in writing on biden. We wanted to look at it so people can understand because those several of here in here are elected, some of you are former elected, what counts is that■w politics are about roman. I make a promise, you buy into it, and i keep it. Not about, well, im changing my promises every day. Backing off three and coming up with two more new ones. We decided we wanted to look t that. We had evaluated obama. In a world of great rhetoric, the this world of great rhetoric, we need to have a factual basis. What the urban league seeks tod, whether it is the equality index, now the biden progress you can discuss it. You can challenge it if need be. T we are just presenting the facts. So those are the threeof the sta report. Can we talk a little bit about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . S talk about what the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which had seions in it, seven sections in it, which sought to open the doors to both employment and public accommodations, there were provisions on voting, a provision money, so that act, lets look at some of the changes, topline changes. I have referenced these in american life. What happened in Corporate America . So, 1964. Their brassie can zero women. Weow have there were zero black and zero women. Im not going to suggest to you we can be be satisfied with the number we have. But it is important to point out the change. These dynamic women and africanamericans who lead these companies are competent and qualified and outstanding, and behind them, their legions of Vice President and senior Vice President s. Do not get me wrong. The fact weig this does not suggest satisfaction. That is not what it suggests. It suggests this act has made a bit of a difference in this area. Lets look at the political community. States. This was enhanced by the 1964 act. And the 1965 Voting Rights act. When the Civil Rights Act past, there were five blacks. Powell of new york. Los angeles. Along with bobphiladelphia, ands of detroit. And john conyers of detroit. Those were the six. The africanamericans who were members of the congress at that time. Now there are 60 africanamericans, 18 asian americans, 54 latinos, five native americans, 150 women. Applause. [applause] that deserves applause. I wanted to pointhis out because once again, has there been progress . Far more progress here then on thcorporbecause this owes to thr of the vote. This owes to political engagement. This owes to involvement and beyond these, there are a large number of members of congress who are not black, not asian american, not latino, not native american, who africanamerican and latino voters are essential to their coalition. They could not win if they cannot put a coalition that included our communities together. Lets give that a big round of applause. [applause] im alwaysat that. So the Civil Rights Act has made a difference. But the currentrnenges that we face, i want to put this in this context. Of 2020. Covid was two months old. We were all watching television. And then the iphone video that the young in minneapolis took was flashed across our screens. We■h saw george floyd we sawa man■ die. Before our eyes. Ourhj eye. [inaudible] which one is working . This neither. Let me talk loud. So, we saw that on the streets spontaneously spontaneously there were protests around the world. I remember we new zealand, hungary, the united kingdom. There was anwaning and a reckoning. I know my time is tight, but ive got to tell you ao;story b. I got a letter. She said theres a i think you need to look at this. So i open this letter, handwritten letter from someone i went to middle school and i attended a middle school where i was the first africanamerican students to attend 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 in seventh or eighth grade when i was in fifth grade, for bullying, calling me i guess they called micro aggression, it is a macro aggres. 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 reexamine who he is and what he is about. No return address, but i found him. [laughter] i only make that reference so we understand how powerful the moment was with people, corporations, foundations and government making commitments. Strong commitment. Fastforward to today, not on our watch. Not on our watch■g we watch thoo make commitments all of a sudden gain the lion of the wizard of oz and walk away. Not on our watch will we be si■lent while people run for office, the wealthy hedge fund people, women who are president s of major universities. Say what you really meant. You can say what you want, but dont say that. This is the moment that we find ourselves in. We find ourselves in a where over 1,000 proposals since 2022 suppress the vote to make iteople to vote, targeted at a black people into latinos and poor people and disabled americans and Older Americans and students with a cover story, and fly that somehow the system is riddled wi fraud. We have to be clear that these arguments today are also going to involve cover misrepresentation, misstatement of facts, invention of■1 facts, distraction from the truth and definition of■8 the nation to ban books. Toni morrison . Come on maya angelou . Come on. Ralph ellison . To ban books as though these students are not going to go to barnes and noble to pick them up. Where they are not going t online and say they want to ban them i want to read them about thatmuch more. The absurdity of it all is that theres now a pushback. But while half the■m■ states he engaged in proposals to suppress the vote, im happy to tell you have passed legislation to expand access to vote that introduced the voting and did things to make■ it easi s is not simply that there is one side of the ledger and not on other side of the ledger. Every you retreating on the diversity equity and inclusion, there may be three or four more who say im into double down, im going to stand and remain 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 stronger because our case is right andog that our friends and allies and ourselves are lying to make this quickly, we index at approximately 76 of where white americansk at the index. Heres the thing you see an improvement in the last few years. That improvement is probably the largest twoyear improvement that weve seen in past. However, at this■v pace, paritys 180 years away. Now, keep this in perspective. We are like a caboose on a train so over the last 50 years as the high school gat up, yes it has. Give a hand. [applause] but the rate for white americans has imprednd bad thing but we remain behind. Ditto for the college rate and for many areas we made progress, but weve not made relative to the overall improvements in the country, and that is the paradox of this index. I wanted to show you these five areas so tha youe c that when it comes to economics, we are lacking. When it comes to social justice which includes the criminal justice system, we are lacking. These are areas that have been stubborn, persistent, and i would argue they are connected in many respects. So, what we need to do is understand these numbers and use is a tool for conversations and policymaking and leadersp. T, journalists, businesspeople, labor leaders, politicians to know these numbers and unders joe biden. So, joe biden when as a Civil Rights Community you will remember when we got onak to him and its our practice to return to speak to anybody running, but we are not going to chase you. And i am not talking about tennis shoes. [laughter] [applause] i am talking about jobs. I a talking about health. I am talking about our children and education. So very importantly, when we talk to joe biden and the candidate we challenged him. You need to put a plan together for black put a plan together we want to see a set of specifically enumerated issues he said thats a great idea i will i would like to see what you recommend. We all sent our recommendations to his team that works through it. They produced a plan. It has every detail specific spy that we wanted . Did embrace our main ideas yes. The truth of the matter is he has fulfilled a large number of his stated commitments. Two things i want everyone to know bvgnau there is a a lot of misinformation floating around. Right now if you look at 2020 both the overall Unemployment Rate in the black Unemployment Rate you see significant decline. Also identify. 3 for blackn americans. 3. On an overall. On an overall basis. But it is important we were in a trough in 2020 with millions and millions of people out of work with 40 of black businesses have been 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 donethe first three years. This president said i will nominate a black person, a black woman be Vice President. [applause] and let me tell you, i have heard promises of her politicians you know the crawfish move . Start backing up. No circumstances have changed or get other pressures on i dont think i can follow the promising can i make it up to you later . We do not see that when it comes to harris. He said i will put a black woman on the night state supreme court. Not only did he nominate a black womanoutstanding lawyer, legal scholar who can hold her own and is not afraid to open her mouth or user pin. These were importanthe general w head of the joint chief. We asked for a diverse cabinet and a diverse staff and people who look like our community. The heah care expansion is notable. Health care disparities and that does not mean Healthcare System is perfect. I have been in it this knee. Dont get me started. I am not talking about in the Insurance Companies by love my doctor. Nt to look at this and others areas of improvement. Then we said there is an unfinished agenda. Things we know did not get done. I want to list a few of them. There are three there but it was a hhl for. Voting rights, the freedom to vote the john lewis voting this is essential. Act d what have fun . Limited what really happened. So we were in the trenches on this siobhain it was right before you join the coalition. We were working with the executive branch and members of congress on the john lewis Voting Rights advancement we had gotten it to the house. And sudden they are in the senate. We had 48 commitments. Fortyeight commitments we had 48 hard commitments. an 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 names onm 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. Lets beat candidate. Lets be clear. Lets be words and did not happen. They block the passa o jon louisville. The republican blockade was there but we knew it was there knew we couldnt move it Mitch Mcconnell told his caucus under no circumstances do we support Voting Rights appeared to that privately, publicly missing something 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 same thing, got to the senate and died right there on the the freedom to vote act of the jon louisville the same exact th the reparations which could never get the support on the adopted. Representatives to be there is unfinished business. Unfinished business on our agenda. Ev discussed when explained to the American People generate 60 70 . When they understand beyond talking points it. When they understand it beyond divisive rhetoric. When you tell thempewhat they dt universal support. So we cannot allow ourselves to be mesmerized into a mindset that what we■ d 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 c 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. Action is ai would recommend that President Biden when he gives the state of the Union Address include e def. Defendant democracy say want to, demand diversity, equity and inclusion and what does that mean . Fair chance. We demand equal access to the American Dream in. We dand 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. Employment practices. Then they said it was ceo. Then it was affirmative action. D 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 in terms of creating opportunity for the communities they were diversity,lked out and left ou. Equity, inclusion in factories, and boardrooms, and classrooms, everywhere in america. And finally we must defeat poverty the 21st century 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 cant even tel cant remember how many zeros that is but it is big. 25 trillion 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 dayey m. They are raising children and or 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. A pernicious this is part of the wealth gap in part of the income gap. We need a renewed effort to bring back it made a difference. Passed a National Living wage index it to inflation. [applause] homeownership to make housingon more affordable to build more affordable units. Us a way to make college more affordable. And dont preach to me that everybody doesnt need to go to college because if they dont 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 werp design. I believe in workforce and certificates and Community Colleges, for those. But i do not want any young person who has a vision a educao 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 dont 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 graate school that is attainable and affordable for everyone. Powerhouse in the 17th andc 18th centuries because of the ■d slavery. And free labor. Postworld war ii it became an powerhouse i would contend because a combination of things. Guess the g. I. Bill which lifted manyf rights. Civil rights open the doors you look at the economy and 63 and you look at 64 youkeconomy and. You look at you soon, you look at dallas, you look at 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] im going to close by■n remindig you of two things. This year i want everyone to embrace this d3 message. To get back to communities. When people say what is the agenda we want to defend democracy. Want to demand diversity. Policies, we wanterty. 3u initiatives, we will programs, recommendations, we want to focus on doing and then we are going out with their Civic Engagement campaign this fall. We have to register people. We have to educatehave to mobil. We have to register them and mo. And let me say this, not voting is not a strateg. I had people to say im going to th. And what strategy is that . [laughter] in what book are you reading . Or do you have a comprehensive Strategic Plan how not votg is. Not voting is unilateral disarmament. Not voting is not going to a knife fight with a water pistolh your hands tied behind your back. Your hands are tied behind your back because you tied them not someone we have to be clear eyed and voting for canada is not like american idol. Im not going to see who is going to entertain the immigrant feel good. I love their charia, jokes. Its about comparing peoples agendas. ■■ promises, their seriousness about what theyre going to do. We have to educate our communite cannot give it up. But we have to also understandnl wand. Vote for somebody in setback, no. Its 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 d i■f the i reclaim your Vote Campaign stay tuned for more details. Wig 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 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 . Ar ready . Not on our watch. Not on our watch. Not on our 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 yourommunity. Good morning, god bless you and thank you. What does give it up again. [cheering] [applause] ladies and gentlemen you heard the prescription. The nationmmitted to defending e 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, delusional thought leaders in social justice activists and lets meet them right now. Starting with the president ceo of the National Coalition on black civic participation or ofs roundtable give it up for melanie campbell. Nd and our sisr president and chief executive women. R National Council of [cheering] pplause] welcome to the stage. The president ceo of the Columbia Urban League jt. [applause] lets welcome back to moderate this amazing discussion president ceo mike morreale. Thank you all very much. Audience in a minute. We want to make sure youre part of this discussion. Other round. Jt, give us a historic e, you have been leading in South Carolina has been a crucible of the movement very important battles of mother emnuel churc working for many, many many generations. Help us. U perspective on how you think about this moment. Thank you very much. First about i bring greetgs [applause] South Carolina is the home of African People who came to america we are unique as you know. Nd we must be able to have■■ to do like our ancestors. We must walk must be able to see it. We must be able to claim it and we a going to claim it by putting forth efforts not through us most us you have got to work. Once you claimd you achieve it. Sometimes we stop at achievement. We added another factor you got to maintain it. What happened throughout this country. We had a situation in South Carolina where one of the few stes flag. We got calls in october 1999 from someone who said to us we need the urban league. Eague to bring this flag down and says that we are not we are secondclass citizens. I thank god he was the president wrote in black america under jordan. He was from Harvard University dont count to South Carolina every corporate leader wanted him on the board but he hung with the people. He said the i peace if there is no justice there will be no peace. That is what the president of the Un University said he was on our board and heat said to us we decided to immobilize, to march and2000. We decided to march the frederick flag. Someonal said we need 10,000 people to march. I said wait a minute. To a football game. 0000 peo why cant we get 60000 people to march . Vision. We have a collaborative effort we work very closely with the naacp. Thelack church and other civic and community organizations. We mobilize from december the fourth 1999 we brought people in from all over the s w consensus. A lot of time neither of us wanted to leave. We had to bring the people to the tabl w 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 1 and i was a man who was a preacher he stood up and said we cant do this. We dont 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 up and said we can do it they said call for the vote. No moree are going to do it. We mobilize over 50000 people. So in South Carolina first of did on a critical situation and we stand on their shoulders. Were going have the know we come together and mobilize and walk back faith and not our site we will be successful for. Thank you, lets 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 the first of all it is an honor to be here. My first book report resent Whitney Young junior as a first grader i 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 on so i went to thank you in this [applause] because somehow god set things in order is they should be. Want 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 aboue urban League Credit for this. The First Organization that ught to engage in social determinants of health. Because what it really means is very live, play, worship can life. T the way of quality of 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 collegte student was in the office and a one of things we learned that was all around us 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 to my office because of the Affordable Care act. Because closing the gap housingf you are not healthy you cant go to work if you not help that you cant learn inchool. Healthy you cannot get out of your bed and how can you live . Sparities 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 cannotf te bigger than the plan. Until the cngand i appreciate ty to have been a part of this report. Because healthcare for me isq4 o help set strategy for everything else. Because we about it it was always in our community was marketed in our communities. We had theres a study done at first grace asked what color our bananas they said solid ground. And so you can have Good Nutrition if youre brown bananas. So i am saying i want a 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 theve got t theyve got to meet women. Healthcare cannot change if weth corporations. I am fine with corporations and not find i will close with this. E can look at this opportunity of policy, practice Clear Strategies on howng industry we can push this administration make our polit pk people in america. [applause] thank you 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 goodart of this year out in the state in michigan, South Carolina what do you want to share from what you are hearing, what are you thinking . 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 thank you all again for inviting me. Somebody was looking at us because the three of us were together at Benedict College februarys seconds. Hey hey. [laughter] not on for the s primary. So here we are here today. Accident. We are all gathered here for such a time as this. Your report is timely t 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 they say youre 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 dont see the numbers. They are not feeng numbers. I dont know about you but i have got to feel it. And if i dont feel it sometimes will make the determination that it is not really happening. And so with all the things that have happened im so glad you have the information about the current administration. Sometimes weve got to tell people that■d we are winning. If we were winning they would not want to go after us. If they were winning they wouldnt 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 backnom 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] theyre announcing that. With their seeing in florida in october we launched, thank you k that i am going. I do these thi go i went for 30t money came. Because we have to get down to it knocking on those doors and communicating with our people. Wt we kept hearing as i 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 cos eggs . It is a real thing. If i dont feel it and not going to connected to what you he here. If we dont get into the community and knock on those doors, that oldfashioned weight we could do this all day long. And real way we cannot wait we. Urban league i remember mark and i hooked up you decide to be the urban league president. 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. Pa rganize together. How we have to unify. Have to ce 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 mage them both. Us give a big round of applause. We have got a few minutes i will call for a question. And then im going to call on William Barnes a. Where are you Wilma William you are just there in my eyesight. Ory council of the executive for a question. And then ioing 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 thats 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 [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 i dist reconstruction were at a moment in terms of doing her civic engageme■jnt■,mp. Doctor ramona when you culture them about to write that about that again. We need to know the history. E ie 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 cant just be we have to connect the virtual with what we always did. That is the synthesis is not either or 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, t for your leadership we will continue to talk about this in the connectivity when i think about every time you stand before us the connectivy with cy we talk about coalitions. I want to make that as a statement first and foremost. Here is the 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 n 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 saywayg 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 . Atre we going to make sure we are connecting to be sure they can help us and support us for. You 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 onter] 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 shouldnt call me 45 youd 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 upn legacy space bar you understand institutions you have to change your hat. I am blessed to be in th that ls a part of strategy. That is no longer the case but quite frankly were honest about it we have left our folks to institutional living because we have failed them. There are two things one, vote values. Palestine for dont talk about the reality on the ground we are just as complicit as the administration we are actually criticized. Weve got to our truth. I can tell you that young people are open when you have the conversation. But we have not created space enough toave conversation. Its not just virtual but it is also going to where they actually go. And theres a massive assumption people are people are engaged ot not as tolerant as some of us are. So we workrn 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 somethin give them an opportunity to sit at the table with you. The only way or when it we were at all of our ts. Thank you for the response. We have one last question i am sorry we go good morning everyone. Thank you so much for the opportunity to ask this preache. And a lot of times when i tell young people about voting i say one thing we should do we should we dont do it any other way. But for everyone in the room whos going back to several communities want to note you have any talking points to compel our Younger Voters to recognize the importance of voting . Y thoughts . I would say yes. One, you have them right here ie clear message. I think thats very clear and you break thatave in our organin as well. We have power to ballot and we it. We were in florida all the hbcus in the Florida Communities 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 be erased and has no Organization Name has no affiliation. Somebody payor [laughter] real talk. But that simple message the power of the ballot we will not be what shocked were going to put on the urban league you can make money off the thirtnd movement. That is what we are doing. So make it simple and people run with it. They can get that but if you do listen. Le theyre not going to 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 dont want to talk to them to see you i and thats it with got to do have got to continue with our people they are our future. [inaudible] of our students have joined us. Are you all in the room . Cspan lets recognize] them. Cspan, cspan, cspan. [cheering] [applause]■x so i will close with this. With this observation. Ths a tbout young people. One thing we all must remember for something simple its 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 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 weisten 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. Weve got a great line. We need the wisdom of the elders. And young peoples energy. ■c an i dropped the mic and we ii