[applause]

thank you very much. good morning. good morning. i'm going to take a quick seat. is that okay? i'm still working through trying to compete in the contest. [laughter] next year. first of all, thank you very much for joining us. let's think the bill. [applause] and a longtime partner and colleague working at the u.s. conference of mayors and now at the league as an ordained elder. always cold and evangelist. let's give it up. [applause] and a warm thanks for courtney

and johnson & johnson. i use the product this morning. but most importantly, i appreciated you taking the connection between the national urban league that reaffirms the partnership and reaffirms the role played in opening doors to corporate america a long time ago. before it was called diversity, equity and inclusion. and i will get to that a little later. a second, i want to welcome, raise your hand urban league affiliate leaders from across the country. give a wave and a hand. [applause] those in the audience and those who are watching, this is the heart and soul of our work. men and women, highly talented, highly committed on the ground in the areas across the nation

collectively. they are touching 3 million people year with direct services. give it up for the affiliate leaders. [applause] and also, they are supported by a number of volunteer groups, affiliate board members. each affiliate had its own board, any 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 the historic national urban league all the way back in 1942. a woman of passion and style had a vision and in those days, even though we had women executives in the 20s, women were not afford a full role in the

movement. molly said we will serve and built as a volunteer corps across the nation. raise your hand. i know several of you are here. [applause] thank you all very, very much. and then guess what. it's the 25th anniversary of the national urban league young professionals. [applause] 25 years young. you've got to stand up. all of our young professionals and we are going to have a celebration in new orleans. we appreciate what they brought. volunteer work, the young

professionals that made a difference in the urban league movement, and i want to thank you all. we are just starting and we will continue to grow and then with us here in the building and maybe some in the room, we had a number of students that are a part of our business executive stage program. any students here are they otherwise engaged we have one or two students here. [applause] let me make sure i get the schools we have mainly from the dmv who are with us tonight and they are here from howard state, delaware state and morgan state. give it up. great universities making a difference in the lives of our people, and i want to salute to them and thank them and i will be spending some time with them

a little bit later. it's an honor, always an honor to be able to present the state of black america. and it is always important for people to know what emanated. where did this notion of the report, the state of black america come from and it was 1976 we anticipate in a few days the president will give a state of the union address. very important time when you hear from the president of the united states on his position and execution for the nation. 1976 in the late great legend held this position and a person on the shoulders i stand sat

down and watched prison forward deliver the early state of the union address, he listened intently and carefully to president ford. president ford's address for the most part painted the picture of america where there were no black people. a picture 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 cities, no mention of the raging recession that was taking place in the middle 1970s. president ford painted a false,

because when things are incomplete, they are false, picture of the nation. so vernon jordan sat down and said i'm going to prepare my own report. [laughter] a choice adjective when our great leaders talk. he pulled together a group of scholars, african-american scholars and others to print what was a report with both analysis, diagnosis and recommendations on the future of the nation and that was the beginning of the state of black america. and so 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. it is not on our watch. not on our watch when we allow the progress and the games 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 pernicious divisive, negative, hateful effort which is designed to erase the last 70 years in american history. so stay with me.

the state of black america is strong because we are strong. the state is proud because we are proud. the state of black america is resilient because we can take the bumps and bruises and slips and stumbles and falls and putdowns and keep on working. 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, 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 the challenges are disproportionate to our community. so we can't allow anyone to

hijack our voice when we speak about the state of black america we are speaking about the state of the nation. so this year's report has three components to it and if you will, let me walk through these three because it's important to understand what we did this year. so understanding that this represents the 60th anniversary since the passage of the civil rights act of 1964. it's 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 that 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 that said congress shall enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation. this was in the late 1860s. now what happened along that journey is instructive to today the first civil rights act that was passed of the civil rights act was twice vetoed by then president johnson. it became law because the congress overrode his veto. then within 1875 that act,

interestingly, looks a lot like the 1964 act. we've got to teach a little bit this morning. and of that civil rights act in 1883 was substantially struck down by the united states supreme court, and the united states supreme court meaning who sat on the court changed as a result of the election so here was the supreme court less than 20 years after the civil war declaring a piece of legislation 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 vanished black people to a second class status. i am connecting the dots because as things go, things repeat themselves. and we need to understand that while those who are battling progress, they are following a historical map as well and we must understand that historical roadmap. so, 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. and this decision gave rise to the creation in 1909 at 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 because 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 didn't happen because of serendipitous osmosis. [laughter] it happened because there was a movement beginning when the courageous woman refused to give up her seat in montgomery alabama of direct action and that movement was supported by an aggressive strategy in the courts that thurgood marshall and others, charles hamilton architected to try to knock down the polls, so it was litigation and activism. our predecessors in the big six stood in 1963 with 250,000 with

of that great march on washington. they had a demand we want a civilized act, and we want it now. so we come forward and we have been asked on a number of shows what's happened with the civil rights act of 1964, and i look at the correspondence for women and african-americans and other people of color who now grace all of these great media organizations that say you would not be here. [applause] not just the african-americans, but the women and latinos and asians and others, you would not be here but for the civil rights

act of 1964. so, while cynics young sometimes what i call polite provocateurs will 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 many. and it took martin luther king and dorothy hyde, and it took malcolm x and rosa parks thurgood marshall and jack greenberg and 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 projects he promised. [laughter] we don't know how many deals he cut, but whatever he did, it worked, and the civil rights act of 60 forecast. we are progenitors of that work. the second part of this state of black america is the equality index and each and every year for the past 20 years, we have said let's put the facts when it comes to the numbers 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 that we are not having a discussion with a billion opinions only.

yet we are also not having a discussion with the misinformation and of the the lyingthat goes on when it co progress or the lack thereof in this nation. and of the third part of the 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 because those several of you and hear our elected and some of you are formerly elected. what counts is that politics is like romance. i make a promise, you buy into it, then i keep it. it's not about well i am

changing my promises every day or backing off three and coming up with two new ones. so we had evaluated of president obama. we needed to grow a great rhetoric, this world of great rhetoric we need to always have a factual basis and with the urban league what they seek to do is provide a factual basis, whether it is the quality index for the progress report we put it out there for people to debate. you can discuss it, you can challenge it if need be, but we are just presenting the facts. so those are the three components of the state of the black america report. can we talk a little bit about the civil rights act of 64? , so let's talk about what the

civil rights act of 64, which had seven provisions, seven sections 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. so that act, let's look at some of the changes, topline changes and a reference to these in american life. what has happened in corporate america? since 1964. so, since 64 with black and a zero women, we now have eight african-american at 50 plus women, and i'm not going to suggest to you that we can be satisfied or should be satisfied with this number.

but it's important to point out the change. these dynamic women and african-americans who lead these companies are competent and qualified and outstanding command behind them legions of vice presidency and senior vice presidents. don't get me wrong. the fact that we highlight this does not suggest satisfaction. it's not what it suggests. it's that this act has made a bit of a difference in this area. let's look at the political community, of the congress and the united states. and i think this was enhanced by the 64 act and the 65 voting rights act. but look, when the civil rights actast, there were five blocks. adam clayton powell of new york,

bill dawson of los angeles, along with philadelphia, and charles diggs of detroit and john conyers of detroit. those were the six, five or six african-americans who were members of the congress at the time. now there's a 60 african-americans, 18 asian americans, 50 or latinos, five native americans, 150 women, applause. [applause] that deserves an applause. and i want to point this out because once again, has there been progress, far more progress here than the corporate side because this owes to the political engagement, this is to the involvement and then beyond

these there are a large number of members of congress who are not black, asian american, latino, not native american, who african-american and latino voters are essential to their coalition meaning they could not win if they couldn't put a coalition that included these entities together. so let's give that a big round of applause. i'm always excited when we look at that. so the civil rights act has made a difference, but the current challenges that we face, i want to put this in this context may of 2020, covid was two months old. we were all watching and then

the iphone video that the young woman in minneapolis was flashed across our screen and we saw george floyd, we saw a man died before our eyes [inaudible] >> which one is working? this one, neither. let me talk loud. so, we saw that on the streets spontaneously spontaneously

there were protests around the world. i remember we got calls from new zealand, hungary, the united kingdom. there was an awakening and a reckoning. i know my time is tight, but i've got to tell you a personal story because it did happen. i got a letter. she said there's a i think you need to look at this. so i open this letter, handwritten letter from someone i went to middle school with and i attended a middle school where i was the first african-american 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 names. i guess they called micro- aggression, it is a 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 re-examine 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. fast forward to today, fast-forward to today, not on our watch. not on our watch will we be silent while we watch those who make commitments all of a sudden gain the courage of the lion of the wizard of oz and walk away. not on our watch will we be silent while people run for office, the wealthy hedge fund people, 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 1,000 proposals since 2022 suppress the vote to make it harder for people to vote, targeted at a black people into latinos and poor people and disabled americans and older americans and students with a cover story, which is a blatant misrepresentation and fly that somehow the 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 definition of history. 1,000 bills across the nation to ban books. toni morrison? come on maya angelou? come on. ralph ellison? get out of here. 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 to go online and say they want to ban them i want to read them about thatmuch more. the absurdity of it all is that there's now a pushback.

but while half the states have engaged in proposals to suppress the vote, i'm happy to tell you another have passed legislation to expand access to vote that introduced the voting and did things to make it easier so this is not simply that there is one side of the ledger and not on other side of the ledger. every company that may be you retreating on the diversity equity and inclusion, there may be three or four more who say i'm going to double down, i'm going to stand and 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 stronger because our case is right and that our friends and allies and ourselves are lying to make this occur. so in this index very quickly, we index at approximately 76% of where white americans are and i encourage you to look at the index. here's the thing you see an improvement in the last few years. that improvement is probably the largest two-year improvement that we've seen in the past. however, at this pace, parity is 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 graduation rate gone up, yes it has. give a hand. [applause] but the rate for white americans has improved and that is not a bad thing but we remain behind. ditto for the college rate and for many areas we made progress, but we've not made relative progress to the overall improvements in the country, and that is the paradox of this index. i wanted to show you these five areas so that you can see 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 this as a tool for conversations and policymaking and leadership. we want students, scholars, journalists, businesspeople, labor leaders, politicians to know these numbers and understand these numbers and then finally, joe biden. so, joe biden when as a civil rights community you will remember when we got on the phone in 2020 to speak to him and it's 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 am 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 america put a plan together we want to see a set of specifically enumerated issues he said that's a great idea i will do. 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 because 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 black americans. 3.7% 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 me. i don't 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 woman heat nominated an outstanding lawyer, legal scholar who can hold her own and is not afraid to open her mouth or user pin. these were important commitments. we put the general there has now 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. and if you look at the index health care disparities and that does not mean healthcare system is perfect. i have been in it with this

knee. don't get me started. i am not talking about in the insurance companies by love my doctor. so it is important 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 w a highlight for. voting rights, the freedom to vo the john lewis voting rights advancement act did not get done. this is essential. what have fun? limited what really happened. so melanie 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 act. we had gotten it to the house. and all of the sudden they are in the senate. we had 48 commitments. 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 quens 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