URBAN LEAGUE: Philly Convention Targets Jobs, Voting

BY DENISE CLAY/ Fifty years ago, one of the pivotal moments in the civil-rights movement, the March on Washington, brought people to our nation’s capital to demand that America start to take seriously the promises made through the Constitution.

Last week, the National Urban League came to Philadelphia to look at the progress that has been made since then, and to get its members to realize that while much has been done, there’s still work to do.

The session started on Wednesday with President Marc Morial’s “State of the Urban League” address at the Kimmel Center. During the address, Morial announced a $100-million, five-year effort aimed at helping people find jobs because while making sure that people have their voting rights is important, making sure that they have an address to vote from is as well.

The Urban League’s Philadelphia chapter, the host for the conference, will be using its share of the $100 million to expand local programming for African America youth and entrepreneurs, said Patricia Coulter, president of the Philadelphia Urban League.

On Thursday morning, Attorney General Eric Holder visited the Urban League and announced that the Justice Dept. was going to federal court to put Texas back on the list of states that have to have any changes to their voting laws reviewed by Justice due to systemic and historic patterns of discrimination.

Prior to Holder’s appearance, voting rights and justice was the subject of a talkback session with convention participants. Among the participants were Barbara Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Sherilyn Ifill, president and director/council of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, CEO of the Hip-Hop Caucus.

On Friday, much of the focus was on social and economic justice issues and how they impact youth. Among those participating was Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin and director of the Trayvon Martin Foundation, which is trying to stop the spread of so-called Stand Your Ground laws. Fulton watched as Florida’s Stand Your Ground law was used to acquit George Zimmerman of murdering her son.

Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) was awarded the Urban League’s Champions Award for his work with Civil Rights and A Hip-Hop summit was also held on Friday and featured MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Georgetown Professor Michael Eric Dyson and others.

The conference ended on Saturday.