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2019 Authors/Essays

Creating an Equitable Democracy Through Leadership and Solidarity

La June Montgomery Tabron

President & CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Our founder, Will Keith Kellogg, believed in the democratic process driven by ordinary people collaborating to solve the problems that faced children and their families. He called it cooperative planning, intelligent study and group action – cooperative leadership on behalf of the whole.

Mid-stride in the March for Justice and Equity

Mandela Barnes

Lieutenant Governor, Wisconsin

It is with incredible honor that I write these words as the 45^th lieutenant governor of the state of Wisconsin.

Getting to Equal

Michael F. Neidorff

Board Chair, National Urban League; Chairman & CEO, Centene Corporation

As chairman of the National Urban League’s board of trustees, the board and I are pleased to present to you “Getting 2 Equal: United Not Divided,” the 2019 edition of the State of Black America®.

Black Joy, Black Power, Black Votes

Rashad Robinson

President, Color Of Change

Black voters have a lot to celebrate. Investments we’ve made in Black voters over the last several years have predictably paid off, and we are steadily moving toward the full realization of our electoral power. Everyone else should celebrate, too.

Setting the Captives Free: Working to Get to Equal

Reverend Alvin Herring

Executive Director, Faith in Action

Getting to equal means ensuring that all our brothers and sisters have the opportunity to participate civically in state, local, and national elections.

Where My Voters At?: Meeting Young Voters at the Intersection of Adversity and Action

Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr.

President & CEO, Hip Hop Caucus

In 2004, I escorted Missy Misdemeanor Elliott—the multi-hyphenated talent, Grammy Award-winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee—to the polls to vote for her first time.

New Voters Claim a Seat at Democracy’s Table

Sean Reed

Civic Engagement Chair, Dallas-Fort Worth Urban League Young Professionals

You can easily find a host of articles that describe Dallas as the city with the lowest voter turnout in municipal elections among the 33 largest cities in the United States.

A Public Company for the Public Good

Anthony Foxx

Chief Policy Officer & Senior Advisor to the President & CEO, Lyft

Our aspiration at Lyft is to be a public company for the public good. We are a business, but we also see ourselves as a critical part of the future of the ecosystem of city transportation—including transit, shared bicycles and e-scooters, and even land use. Our core business contributes to the

The 2016 Bounce Back: Increasing Local Election Engagement for Nationwide Change

Christine M. Slaughter

Civic Engagement & Political Awareness Chair, Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals

Historically, protest and protest movements have played an important role in translating anger into action and in forcing the powerful to pay attention and in righting wrongs. From strikes to boycotts and marches, these people-powered movements have functioned as critical change agents.

Enough Is Enough. We Must Vote!

Ebony M. Baylor

Director of Civic Engagement, National Urban League

In 2018, the National Urban League launched its get-out-the-vote campaign, “Enough Is Enough.

Pages

Voting for Those Who Can’t: A New Citizen’s First Vote

Deisy Cisneros Aranda

Poll Location: Painesville, Ohio

During the summer of my junior year of high school, I had the privilege of becoming a U.S. citizen but was unaware of the rights, responsibilities and privileges of American citizenship. I was uninformed about voting. I was uneducated about the changes that needed to be made in my community.

He Votado: The Story of a First-Time Latina Voter

Monica B. Villa

Poll Location: Annville, Pennsylvania

Voting can be a bit intimidating if one does not have the appropriate guidance, especially for first-time voters. My name is Monica B. Villa; I am a current intern at The Urban League of Philadelphia and a first-time voter.

Win or Lose: The Importance of Voting from a First Time Voter

Nina Michelle Sims

Poll Location: Cleveland Heights, Ohio

I voted for the very first time Tuesday, November 6, 2018, in the midterm elections. I turned 18 the year before but became aware of and interested in the midterms when I applied for my temporary driver’s permit in May of the same year.

By the Numbers: Black Women Become a Key Voting Bloc and a Path to Victory

Melanie L. Campbell

President & CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Convener, Black Women's Roundtable

To Be in That Number: Black America and the 2020 Census

Mayor LaToya Cantrell

City of New Orleans

On the one hand—on an almost daily basis—we are (happily) inundated with stories of the various achievements our people continue to make. Each achievement is a cause for celebration, proof of progress, and another milepost on our march to reshape history.

Protecting the Most Fundamental Right We Have: The Right to Vote

Reverend Dr. Al Sharpton

Founder & President, National Action Network

What is the state of Black America? To answer this often-repeated question, it is vital to assess the state of progress in areas like economic parity, jobs and justice, fair housing, criminal justice reform as well as advances in politics, business and elsewhere. Ironically, one area that often

Invest in Our Students and Our Schools: Vote for Public Education

Becky Pringle

Vice President, National Education Association

The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest professional association in the country, representing public school educators—teachers and education support professionals, higher education faculty, educators teaching in Department of Defense schools, students in colleges of t

Transforming America: A Roadmap for the Future

Elizabeth Warren

U.S. Senator, Massachusetts

In our country, if you work hard, you ought to be able to take care of yourself and the people you love. That should be the fundamental promise of America.

Race, Lies and Social Media: How Russia Manipulated Race in America and Interfered in the 2016 Elections

Bret Schafer

Social Media Analyst & Communications Officer, Alliance for Securing Democracy

Have you met Luisa Haynes? She was a prolific force in the #BlackLivesMatter community on Twitter.

The High Cost of Not Voting: Voter Suppression and the Racial Income Gap

Dr. Kristen E. Broady

Dr. Kristen E. Broady, Dean, College of Business & Barron Hilton Endowed Professor of Economics at Dillard University

Like so much else in the United States, voting is strongly correlated with income ^[1].

Displaced and Replaced: Gentrification is the 21st Century “Negro Removal” Program

Dr. Ron Daniels

President, Institute of the Black World 21st Century

Gentrification has emerged as a major threat to Black communities that have been centers of Black political, civic, business, economic and cultural development for generations. Gentrification has become a watchword signaling the displacement of Black people and Black culture.

Voting Rights and Voter Suppression: The Latino Experience

Janet Murguía

President & CEO, UnidosUS

Today, perhaps no single issue is more important to African-Americans, Latinos, and other communities of color than protecting the right to vote for all Americans.

A Roadmap to the 2019 Racial Justice and Democracy Agenda

Kristen Clarke

President & Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

If we, the people, face a national emergency, it is widespread voter suppression and systematic disenfranchisement.

Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies

Dr. Silas Lee

Professor of Sociology, Xavier University of Louisiana; President, Dr. Silas Lee & Associates

In January 2017, the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) released “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S.

Protecting Civil Rights on Facebook During Elections

Sheryl Sandberg

Chief Operating Officer, Facebook

I joined Facebook because I believe deeply in the good that happens when people connect. We can stay in touch with friends, create communities, and talk about important issues.

Home Is Where the Vote Is: Prison Gerrymandering Denies Urban Communities Fair Representation

Congressman Wm Lacy Clay

Chairman, House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development & Insurance; Missouri - 1stCongressional District

An accurate population count is critical to upholding individual rights and the efficient function of the United States government. It is an essential tool that determines the equitable distribution of services and ensures true democratic representation.

United Not Divided: Combating Attempts to Suppress the African-American and Disabled Vote

Michelle Bishop

MSW Voting Rights Specialist, National Disability Rights Network

The Black Count Matters: Why We Must Be Counted in the 2020 Census

Jeri Green

2020 Census Senior Advisor, National Urban League

Losing the Millennial Vote in Three Inconvenient Truths

Antonesia “Toni” Wiley

Director of Advocacy, National Urban League

Counted as Cast: Securing and Protecting the Vote for All Americans

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

Speaker, House of Representatives; California—12th Congressional District

Today, the mainstay of our American democracy – the sacred right to be heard at the ballot box – is under continued threat: a threat which the National Urban League has always recognized has an impact on the state of Black America.

Election Protection: Safeguarding the Vote to Defend All Rights

Congresswoman Karen Bass

Chairwoman, Congressional Black Caucus; California – 37th Congressional District

On January 3, 2019, the Congressional Black Caucus swore in its largest ever class of 55 members.