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Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton announced today that National Action Network’s Annual Convention will feature the nation’s key civil rights leaders, elected officials, clergy, grassroots organizers, and social justice activists from April 14-17.
The majority of the convention will be virtual with targeted events taking place on site with strict COVID-19 procedures.
NAN’s Annual Convention is historically one of the largest civil rights conferences in the country and focuses on current pressing political issues facing Black and Brown communities. In the wake of one of the most challenging years in recent time because of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the racial climate, this year’s convention participants will address urgent issues, including the pandemic’s effect in communities of color, the rise of domestic terrorism across the nation, income inequality, voting rights, criminal justice reform, the education achievement gap, the impacts of climate change, and much more.”
Among those that will attend the NAN Convention include:
Members of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Cabinet
§ Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Health and Human Services
§ Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Department of Transportation
§ Secretary Miguel Cardona, Department of Education
§ Secretary Marcia Fudge, Department of Housing and Urban Development
§ U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland
§ Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Department of Energy
§ Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security
§ Secretary Denis McDonough, Department of Veterans Affairs
§ Secretary Gina Raimondo, Department of Commerce
§ Administrator Michael S. Regan, Environmental Protection Agency
§ Chair Cecilia Rouse, Council of Economic Advisers
§ Ambassador Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative
§ Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield
§ Secretary Marty Walsh, Department of Labor
§ Secretary Janet L. Yellen, Department of Treasury
Members of the 117th Congress
§ Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi
§ Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer
§ U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, South Carolina
§ U.S. Senator Cory Booker, New Jersey
§ U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, Georgia
Democratic National Committee
§ Chairman Jaime Harrison, Democratic National Committee
“We are in a pivotal time in our country, especially for Black and Brown communities. We’ve seen racial inequality and hate crimes are on the rise throughout the country. This past election displayed an unprecedented threat to the voting rights of all Americans. Throughout our history, people of color have experienced socioeconomic inequality and voter suppression in elections, to say the least. National Action Network’s Annual convention creates a space for civil rights and political leaders to organize and focus on the issues and policies that truly affect Black America and create a path forward,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of NAN.
Previous NAN conventions heard from Presidential contenders Vice President Kamala Harris, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN), former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (D-TX), Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. Appearances from Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Eric Holder, Stacey Abrams, Valerie Jarrett, and Tom Perez rounded out the impressive list of national political figures that appeared at the convention.
The convention will feature panels, plenaries, and workshops dedicated to dissecting our time’s most pressing political issues, including social justice and economic equality, immigrant rights, diversity in the media, women’s empowerment and leadership, and consumer privacy and its impacts on communities of color. Each panel will feature a diverse array of political leaders, commentators, academics, clergy, and corporate leaders.
As in previous years, this year’s convention will feature NAN’s Keepers of the Dream Awards, honoring the leaders and luminaries who have shown their commitment to upholding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy and vision. Honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
Founded in the spirit and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., NAN is one of the foremost civil rights organizations in the country. National Action Network has been dedicated to the fight for justice and equality for decades by taking Dr. King’s teachings and applying them to the modern civil rights agenda.
The NAN Annual Convention will occur over April 14-17, both virtually and at the Sheraton Times Square. It is free and open to the public, but attendees must register at www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
