NEW YORK, November 2024 — As a follow-up to the post- presidential election National/International Town Hall Meeting convened by the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) in Washington, DC last week, Dr. Ron Daniels, President of IBW, has issued an urgent call for an Emergency Black Leadership Summit.
Dr. Daniels said, “The goal of this critical Summit is to assess the outcome of the election and to develop strategies for a cultural, political offensive to mobilize/organize our people to resist the dangers posed by the white supremacist-tinged MAGA policies promised by President-Elect Donald J. Trump. We need to build psychological momentum for the fight-back we must wage.” Dr. Daniels suggested the Summit be convened in Selma, Alabama to coincide with the Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee that commemorates Bloody Sunday. Elaborating on the goal of the Summit, Dr. Daniels commented, “We must not only resist; Black America needs a bold, transformational agenda to advance and protect our interests and aspirations as a people.” He plans to reach out to the eight Civil Rights Legacy Organizations as the logical group to convene the Emergency Summit.
Dr. Daniels believes the most immediate pressing issue on the Agenda is to encourage President Biden to enact the HR-40 Commission by Executive Order. As mandated in the legislation, the Commission would study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans. “President Biden could have an Emancipation Proclamation moment by boldly moving to create the Commission during the lame duck session.” Dr. Daniels suggested. “It would be a fitting tribute to the late Congressman John Conyers, Jr. and the visionary Congresswoman Shiela Jackson Lee, who courageously took the torch and carried HR-40 to the brink of the finish line. President-Elect Trump has already intentionally insulted Black people by indicating he will provide reparations for White people. When he takes office, President Trump will certainly rescind Biden’s HR-40 Executive Order, but by doing so, he will once again show his real colors,” Dr. Daniels concluded.
IBW assembled some of Black America’s most influential leaders for the Town Hall Meeting which was thought-provoking, informational, inspirational and encouraging: Marc Morial, President/CEO, National Urban League; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Educator, Author, Political Economist; Melanie L. Campbell; President/CEO, National Coalition of Black Civic Participation; Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, President/CEO, National Council of Negro Women; Hilary Shelton, Senior Vice-President, Governance and Policy, NAACP; Jennifer Jones Austin, Esq., CEO, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies; Dr. George Fraser, President/CEO, FraserNet; Mel Foote, President/CEO, Constituency for Africa; Rev. Graylan Hagler, Senior Advisor, Fellowship for Reconciliation, USA; Maurice Mitchell, National Director, Working Families Party; Dr. Melina Abdullah, National Director, Black Lives Matter Grassroots; and Robin Rue Simmons, Founder/Executive Director, FirstRepair were the Panelists who led the discussion.
In addition to the Panel Discussion, there was an update on the horrific crisis in Haiti by Jocelyn McCalla, Senior Policy Advisor for the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy, and the presentation of the IBW Legacy Award to Mary Frances Berry, Esq., who served as Chairperson of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission from 1993 to 2004.
Dr. Daniels closed the Town Hall Meeting by presenting an ambitious series of initiatives as part of a proposed cultural-political offensive.
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