WASHINGTON—Howard University’s “Showtime” Marching Band kicked off the opening press conference for the Congressional Black Caucus’ 54th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) with a high-energy performance Sept. 24 in a Ward 8 neighborhood.
But the “urgency of the moment” tempered the celebration as concerns from speakers called for unity and action from political and grassroots leadership in the face of what they argue are attacks from the Trump administration.
“Our presence here is making a statement,” said Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Yvette D. Clark (D-N.Y.), noting the historic first time the caucus has held an opening event for the conference in a community neighborhood.
The event was convened by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), the 501(c)(3) arm of the organization.
“Our work is far from finished. In a way, it’s a new beginning because we have crossed the Rubicon in this nation. Across the country, efforts to roll back fundamental rights and silence Black voices persist. However, we will not be deterred,” Rep. Clark said.
Organizers said it was the largest crowd for a conference opening that is usually held at a downtown convention center. Being in the community, where several hundred attended, produced a different spirit and feel, organizers said.
Convened under the theme, “Made for the Moment: Power, Policy, & Progress,” CBCF President Nicole Austin Hillery said this year’s conference wasn’t going to be “business as usual.”
She said the late Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to serve in Congress, and the founders of the CBCF envisioned a foundation that would foster leadership opportunities for future Black leaders, conduct research necessary for legislation, and provide public education nationwide.
“That’s how we were started and that’s the work we continue to do,” she said.
The September 24-28 gathering was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, where more than 10,000 people were expected to attend.
The conference included workshops focusing on seven areas: Criminal Justice; Education & Labor; Health & Wellness; Business, Economic Development and Wealth Creation; Women, Lifestyle & Culture; Science & Technology; and Sports, Media & Entertainment.
Black America, particularly Washington, D.C., has come under increased attacks from the current presidential administration, organizers said, citing attacks on DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) initiatives, mass firings of federal employees, attempts to erase Black history from schools and public institutions, and threatening to send National Guard troops to cities mostly led by Black mayors under the pretense of “curbing crime.”
President Trump set off a political firestorm when he sent troops into Los Angeles and, most recently, Washington, D.C., led by Mayor Muriel Bowser, who attended the press conference.
Pushing back on President Trump’s reasons for sending troops, Mayor Bowser noted crime is down 35% from previous years, the city had a triple A bond rating, one of the best park systems in the country, and student enrollment and achievement are outpacing the rest of the country. She also said more than $1 billion has been invested in the Ward 8 Congress Heights neighborhood.
But, her biggest concern is the lack of voting representation in Congress—“taxation without representation”—as she called for statehood for the District of Columbia.
Being mayor of a big city is like being surrounded by alligators, crocodiles and serpents all the time, National Urban League CEO Mark Morial said to Mayor Bowser.
“It is noteworthy that we are here in Ward 8. Some people want to cast communities we serve as places of nothing but negativity and pathology, but they have never been to (those communities). When you hear that, don’t get angry, get indignant.
“We have assiduously sought to work together to separate ourselves from the crabs in a barrel mentality. Our community must see us unified,” he said.
Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD.), ALC co-chair, is the first Black U.S. senator elected in the state of Maryland. She was also a CBC intern in 1992. She defined the Black community as the bedrock of American democracy.
As freedom of the press and freedom of speech are attacked, the Black community is “the truest patriots this country has ever known; a country we have worked tirelessly on behalf of even though we often loved the country more than the country loved us.”
“We are not here today because we have anything to prove because we have already proved it again and again and again,” she said.
Community responds
The main staging area was bustling with activity following the press conference, as a community marketplace and product giveaway concluded the day. Vendors were throughout the venue selling a variety of items and offering health and wellness information.
The day would conclude with a “pitch contest” where entrepreneurs would present on stage their business venture pitch. The winner would receive a cash prize, Monica Ray, operator of the cultural center, told The Final Call.
She said the center offered to host the CBCF because of the need to bring legislators to the community. The press conference, resource fair and pitch competition grew out of discussions with the CBCF and other stakeholders.
“The city has been under some extreme circumstances. We wanted the CBC to come see the real Washington, D.C.,” she said.
Entrepreneur Tiffany Randall, who describes herself as an advocate, mom and Washingtonian, said southeast D.C. has lots of grassroots organizations that can be activated. Her company, Empower Creations, was inspired by her mom’s battle with cancer.
More people need to protest the injustices in the country, she said, adding, “if you don’t know how to get involved, just start anywhere. Each one, teach one and be a part of the change you want to see.”