July ended on a high note in the city with the National Urban League Conference hosted in Nashville for the first time. I had a chance to chat with Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. As the youngest mayor of New Orleans to leading the largest civil rights organization in the country, he shared his why, how we can all become more civically engaged, and why Nashville was the best place to host this year’s annual conference.
The groundwork laid to host the largest civil rights organization’s annual conference was 10+ years in the making through the efforts of our local Urban League of Middle TN and President, Clifton Harris. “I remember we visited Nashville for the first time when the Music City Center just opened, and final planning for the National Museum of African American Music was underway. At that time, we thought, wow, this would be a great place to do the conference”, shared Mr. Morial.
Now full circle, the organization brought over 5000 people to the city from across the country to discuss community, civic engagement, and collaboration on a national level, which was truly monumental. In speaking with Mr. Morial, it is evident that collaboration is a prominent pillar in their conference DNA. “We want communities to know we are not just coming to town and leaving, we want to leave an impact”, shares Mr. Morial.
Your career has been expansive, including taking on the role of the youngest mayor of New Orleans. What sparked you to take a step out of government and into leading one of the largest civil rights organizations in the country?
I was term-limited as mayor and could not continue. I think the National Urban League allowed me to continue to work on the issues I cared about, for the people I cared about. Albeit in a different way, but in a way that was closely aligned with the work of being mayor. It was a continuation in many respects of what I had been doing.
The National Urban League hosts their annual conference in cities across the country. Why Nashville this year?
I remember we visited Nashville for the first time when the Music City Center just opened, and final planning for the National Museum of African American Music was underway. At that time, we thought, wow, this would be a great place to do the conference. Then, Clifton Harris became the CEO of the Urban League of Middle TN, and he was very aggressive in wanting the conference in Nashville. And I have to say he (his team) and our team did an excellent job. It was, all in all, a great conference.
The organization was intentional about engaging with the local community during the conference. Why was this so important?
That’s who we’ve become, and that’s who we are. We want communities to know when we come to town, we’re not just coming and leaving. We want to leave some impact behind. The Community + Family Day Expo is an example of the work that the Urban League does all across the country. Workforce development, career fairs, backpack giveaways, legal clinic, and the expungement clinic. The lines were out the door.
The National Urban League Conference is truly a staple, with so many people represented from across the country. Why has it become the must-attend event?
I think we’re the best. I don’t think there’s another civil rights conference or African American conference that quite matches up to what we’ve created. One of the things about our conference, it’s multi-generational. We’ve got high school students, college students, young professionals, seasoned and mature people. No other civil rights conference brings together that breadth of people.
When you think of civic engagement, what is the easiest way for people of all ages to become more civically engaged?
Voting is survival. People in the community have to realize that right now, with the assault against us, the power we have to push back is by electing people who are aligned with us. It’s not complicated. I encourage people not to check out and not to stand on the side, but to participate in the vote.
Lastly, I have to know, what was your favorite Nashville spot to experience?
I didn’t get an opportunity to really go out, but I like theNational Museum of African American Music (NMAAM). I think it is something very special. I’m a history buff, I’m a music buff, and I like what it represents. It’s probably my favorite part of Nashville. One thing impressive to me was seeing all the people out at night on Broadway. It reminded me of New Orleans.
Mr. Morial also shared a big what’s next for the organization, the Urban Civil Rights Museum. Opening later this year, this will be New York’s first civil rights museum. Learn more about the opening date and how you can get involved with the National Urban League.
Photography provided by: National Urban League
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