Urban League brings national conference to New Orleans
28th May 2024 · 0 Comments
By C. C. Campbell-Rock
Contributing Writer
National Urban League (NUL) President and CEO Marc H. Morial, a proud native of New Orleans, has returned with a momentous announcement: he is bringing the National Urban League Conference to New Orleans from July 24 to 27, a time to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, and the 30th anniversary of Morial’s inauguration as mayor – all pivotal moments in our nation’s history.
Morial and Urban League of Louisiana President and CEO Judy Reese Morse announced the Conference at the Urban League of Louisiana headquarters last week.
“As hateful backlash to the racial and economic progress of the last 60 years continues to grow, so does our obligation to resist and overcome it,” Morial said. “The conference is an opportunity to examine the challenges we face and our role in responding as we continue working toward a thriving, multicultural democracy.”
In a symbolic twist inspired by the Essence Festival, Morial refers to the NUL gathering as a “purpose with a party.” The Essence Fest, known for its blend of entertainment and entrepreneurship, calls itself a “party with a purpose.”
“The conference’s theme of ‘Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty’ holds particular significance in Louisiana. Here, DEI, affirmative action and equitable funding are under threat, and we’re still fighting for fair representation in Congress, the state Supreme Court and Louisiana Legislature,” Morse emphasized. “This event is a unique opportunity to showcase the crucial work the Louisiana Urban League and its partners are doing to combat these challenges and shed light on our efforts for the marginalized in our state,” Morse elaborated.
The Hyatt Regency Hotel, Xavier University and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host a diverse array of conference events. These include engaging plenaries and forums, the Reclaim Your Vote Rally, the Career and Networking Job Fair, the Small Business Matters Entrepreneurial Summit and Trade Show, the Project Ready College and Scholarship Fair, and the Community and Family Day Expo and Backpack Giveaway. This rich mix of events ensures that there’s something for everyone, making the conference inclusive and attractive to a broad audience.
The National Urban League Conference 2024 is not just an event, it’s a call to action. It unites the NUL’s 92 affiliates, 2,000 employees and 25,000 volunteers with conference registrants and New Orleans citizens in a powerful collective mission to overcome obstacles and setbacks, such as voter suppression, discrimination, racism and economic inequality.
“We must demand diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Morial. “We all must have access. We must defeat poverty. Some people are working two jobs. People with college degrees can’t pay [a] mortgage in a country with a $25 trillion GDP,” he explained.
“When we stand up for diversity, we stand up for what our parents stood up for,” Morial told civil rights leaders, elected officials, nonprofit organizations and corporate sponsors during last week’s announcement.
Morial’s parents, the late Ernest N. Morial, former mayor, judge and civil rights leader, and his wife, Sybil Haydel Morial, were at the forefront of the modern Civil Rights Movement in New Orleans and across Louisiana and worked closely with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Morse assured those gathered that she would “make sure our citizens and residents will not be forgotten” before introducing supporters of the local affiliate. Morse introduced Dr. Leonardo Seoane, executive vice president and chief academic officer of Ochsner Health, the founding dean of the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine.
“By addressing the critical shortage of physicians in standing up this HBCU medical school in the Gulf South, XOCOM will pursue diversity in medicine and ensure equitable representation in healthcare to serve our communities better for generations to come,” Seoane explains.
U.S. Rep. Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02) said, “I’m proud New Orleans is hosting the 2024 National Urban League Conference. As the nation’s largest event of its kind, this conference serves as a vital platform for networking, exchanging ideas, and forging partnerships to drive meaningful change and empower communities nationwide.”
While the NUL Conference will be live-streamed to millions of followers, the conference’s co-chair, Kim Boyle, urges all to attend. “They had 15,000 attendees in Ohio. Surely, we can beat that number,” Boyle, a New Orleans attorney, added.
There will also be giveaways, live entertainment, a business pitch contest and free legal and expungement clinics.
The NUL Conference is presented in partnership with J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Nationwide, Shell, Toyota and Hancock-Whitney.
Those planning to attend are urged to register for the event at www.nulconference.org.
This article originally published in the May 27, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
