National Action Network’s Annual Convention will be held in New York City this week from April 12-15 at the Times Square Hotel. 

The four-day summit will bring together the likes of Vice President Kamala Harris and nearly a dozen Biden Administration officials, Tyler Perry, Kerry Washington, Magic Johnson, and other leaders in entertainment, business, civil rights, education, and other fields, to discuss the state of Black America and galvanize the Civil Rights Movement. 

According to a press release from NAN, panels, plenary addresses, and events will all be rooted in the need to empower Black Americans during this vital time.  One of the more intriguing panels will kick off on April 12 as Ben Crump will lead a panel on police reform with the families of Tyre Nichols and other Black men and women killed by police. The panel will feature Rodney Wells and Row Vaughn, the parents of Tyre Nichols – who was fatally beaten to death by Memphis police officers earlier this year. Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner and Wanda Cooper Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery will also join the panel. NAN’s police reform panel has been a fixture of the Annual Convention since its origin and remains a critical conversation point as the nation continues to grapple with institutionalized racism and the high-profile killings of Black and Brown men and women by law enforcement.

On Friday, Vice President Harry will deliver a keynote address, as several cabinet secretaries are set to address the thousands of attendees throughout the convention. Tyler Perry is set to receive the President’s Award at Keepers of the Dream – the Convention’s premier event honoring those who keep Dr. King’s vision for America alive. Also scheduled to make appearances are media personalities Michelle Miller and Lawrence O’Donnell; business titans Robert F. Smith and Earvin “Magic” Johnson; and leaders of the Black Church, including Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of NAN and the Conference of National Black Churches (CNBC).

Highlighted below are some of the key events:

WEDNESDAY

9:45 am – 10:30 am

FIRESIDE CHAT: THE POWER OF OUR VOTE

Kerry Washington, Actor, Producer, and Activist, & Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder & President, National Action Network

10:30 am – 11:30 am

FROM GRIEF TO ACTION: THE FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE CONTINUES

Moderators: Benjamin Crump, Esq., Attorney, Ben Crump Law, PLLC

Panelists:

Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner

Wanda Cooper Jones, Mother of Ahmaud Arbery

Allisa Findley, Sister of Botham Jean, President, Botham Jean Foundation

Philonise Floyd, Brother of George Floyd

Terrence Floyd, Brother of George Floyd

Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin

Rodney Wells, Father of Tyre Nichols

Row Vaughn, Mother of Tyre Nichols

Buddy McClean, Father of Amir Locke

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm

INCREASING THE UTILIZATION OF DIVERSE ASSET MANAGERS: A CONVERSATION WITH LARGE ALLOCATORS OF CAPITAL PUBLIC PENSIONS & INVESTORS

Moderator:

Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Vista Equity Partners

Panelists:

The Honorable Tom DiNapoli, Comptroller, New York State

The Honorable Brad Lander, Comptroller, New York City, NY

Jarvis Hollingsworth, Chair of the Board, Teacher Retirement System, Texas

Jagdeep Singh Bachher – University of California Chief Investment Officer

David Brand, Chairman, Atlanta Pension Fund

 

7:00 pm

KEEPERS OF THE DREAM PROGRAM (TICKETED EVENT | INVITE ONLY)

Host:

Rev. Al Sharpton, President & Founder, National Action Network

Honorees:

Tyler Perry, Actor, Filmmaker, Playwright, and Entrepreneur

Hill Harper, Actor, Author

Jennifer Jones-Austin, CEO, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, and Vice-Chair, National Board of Directors, National Action Network

Jane Rosenthal, Emmy Nominated Producer, CEO & Co-Founder of Tribeca Enterprises

Dr. Alfred Seawright, CEO of Medical Place, Montgomery AL

The Honorable Andrew Young, Former Ambassador, United Nations, and Civil Rights Leader

THURSDAY

2:45 pm – 2:00 pm

THE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR DREAM COME TRUE: REAL CONTRACTS AND JOBS FOR MINORITIES AND WOMEN

Moderator:

Carra Wallace, Senior Advisor to Rev. Al Sharpton

Panelists:

Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Chairman and CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises

Ron Busby Sr., President & CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

Michael J. Garner, Chief Business Diversity Officer, City-Wide Mayor’s Office of MWBEs

Jim Reynolds, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Loop Capital and Managing Partner, JLC Infrastructure

Marlon R. Smith, Managing Partner, JLC Infrastructure

2:00pm – 3:00 pm

PUBLIC SAFETY IN URBAN AMERICA

Moderator:

Rev. Al Sharpton, President & Founder, National Action Network

Panelists:

The Honorable Eric Adams, Mayor, New York, NY

The Honorable Lori Lightfoot, 56th Mayor, Chicago, IL

The Honorable Michael A. Nutter, 98th Mayor, Philadelphia, PA

The Honorable Shawyn Patterson-Howard, Mount Vernon, NY

FRIDAY

9:45 am – 11:10 am

BLACK MENTAL HEALTH: A STATE OF EMERGENCY

Moderator:

Mike Muse, Host, The Mike Muse Show, SiriusXM, Co-host, “Sway in the Morning”, Contributor, ABC Network and Co-founder, Muse Recordings,

Panelists:

Ebony Baylor, Director of Policy and Advocacy, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda

Kier Gaines, Licensed Therapist

David Johns, NBJC, Executive Director

Dr. Wendy Osefo, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Education, Author, Cast Member, Housewives of Potomac

The Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congresswoman, U.S. House of Representatives, (NJ-12), Chair, Emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health, and Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls

Resource Announcement:

Rev. Dr. Que English, HHS Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm

PLENARY ADDRESS

The Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President, United States of America

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

THE STATE OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICA

Moderator:

Jazelle Barnett, NAN Youth Huddle Leader & Patrice Perry, NAN Youth Huddle Senior Advisor

Panelists:

William Craig, Founder, Lead by Example

Carolyn Cuffee, Board Chair, The DLee23 Foundation

Kevin Livingston, Founder and President, 100 Suits for 100 Men

Angelina Rosado, Founder, Returning Hope, Inc.

Iesha Sekou, Founder and CEO, Street Corner Resources and I AM PEACE Cure Violence

Monet Smith, Founder, Societal Interventions

Emerald Snipes, Daughter of Eric Garner and Founder, We Can’t Breathe, Inc. Lead by Example Foundation

The Honorable Jumaane Williams, Public Advocate, New York, NY

SATURDAY

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

PROTECTING BLACK HISTORY IN SCHOOLS AND IN AMERICA

Moderator:

Follyvi Dossa, Director, Youth & College, National Action Network

Panelists:

Rev. Malcolm Byrd, NAN Director of Operations, NYC Chapters, and Senior Pastor, Mother AME Zion Church

Denora Getachew, CEO, DoSomething.org

Gabriel Graham, Student, Activist, Florida A&M University and Youth Leader, National Action Network Tallahassee

Myles Hollingsworth, Student, Howard University, Gen-Z Activist, and Youth and College, NAACP New York State

Dr. Dennis McKesey, Founder and CEO, In Our Best Interest LLC., and The Off School Grounds Coalition, Inc.

The Honorable Delvin Moody, former Councilman, Utica, NY, Religious Scholar, Public Servant

Lauren Nickes, President, Spelman Collegiate Chapter, National Action Network

Click here for the full list of events.

SEE ALSO:

Rev. Al Sharpton Quotes Central Park 5 Member While Reacting To Donald Trump Indictment: ‘Karma’

The Legacy Of Al Sharpton: Why Do Conservatives Hate Him So Much?

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