Opening Plenary: Destination Equity: Charting the Path Forward

Time:

September 28, 2021 - 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Room:

Virtual Auditorium

Empowerment Day | Tuesday, Sept. 28

The National Urban League comes together with the urgent purpose to execute the most ambitious agenda in our history. The twin pandemics of COVID and structural inequity, police brutality, and the fight to see justice for its victims, the most virulent attacks on voting rights since Reconstruction – these and other challenges have awakened a new spirit of advocacy from the grassroots to the corporate suite. We dedicate Opening Day to galvanizing our movement and our allies into a powerful force for empowerment.

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Sponsored By

African Americans continue to be tested by a raging pandemic, voter suppression, and the threat of police violence, but we are meeting these challenges head on in our march toward equity. An energized grassroots movement engaged the democratic process and delivered fresh leadership and a promising new direction for the country. Now the real work begins. Join the broad-ranging discussion on how we will capture the moment, heal the divisions that have stood in the way of progress, and cut a fresh path toward equity and social justice.

Welcome Remarks & Tribute to Vernon Jordan & Whitney M. Young, Jr.:
Marc H. Morial, President & CEO, National Urban League

Awards:
Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General

Sponsor Remarks:
Laysha Ward, Executive Vice President, Chief External Engagement Officer, Target

Moderator:
April Ryan, White House Correspondent for The Grio, Political Analyst and Author

Panelists:
Michelle Merriweather, President & CEO Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Lee Merritt, Civil Rights Lawyer and Activist
Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General