Friday Seotember 16, 2016 at the Congressional Black Caucus Convention in Washington DC

Advancing the Civil Rights Agenda
Washington Convention Center: Room [147B]
September 16, 2016

2016 TWO-PART VOTER PROTECTION SERIES

9:00AM- 11:00AM: The Federal Case for Voter Protection and the VRA

Upwards of 34 states have introduced new restrictive voting laws ranging from truncating early voting days to ID requirements despite the lack of evidence of voter fraud. Join us and hear from members of the Voting Rights Caucus and experts in the field on overcoming the challenges of voter suppression and the important work necessary to ensure the Voting Rights Act effectively combats present day voter discrimination.

Moderator: Nicole Austin-Hillary, Director and Counsel, Washington D.C. Office, Brennan Center for Justice

Introductory Remarks:
• James E. Clyburn, Assistant Democratic Leader, U.S. House of Representatives
• Rep. Marc Veasey, Voting Rights Caucus
• Rep. William Lacy Clay, Co-Chair, CBC Voter Protection and Empowerment Working Group
Panelists:
• Justin Levitt, Deputy Assistant to the Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice
• Barbara Arnwine, President and Founder, Transformative Justice Coalition
• Wade Henderson, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• Rev. Rodney Sadler, Associate Professor of Union Presbertyian Seminary
• Janai Nelson, Associate Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal and Educational Fund, Inc.
• Rep. John Lewis, Co-Chair, Voting Rights Caucus

11:00AM- 1:00PM: The State Battle for Voter Protection in 2016

According to the Brennen Center, “17 states will have new voting restrictions in place for the first time in a presidential election.” The 2016 election will be the first presidential election without the protection of the full 1965 Voting Rights Act. The result of new age voter discrimination is the systematic and disproportionate disenfranchisement of millions of black voters, minorities, disabled, and poor. Join this important panel discussion on the state and local affairs of voter suppression in key states for African Americans. Join us, get informed, and learn how to strategize and mobilize the black vote.

Introductory Remarks:
• Rep. John Conyers, Co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and Dean of the United States House of Representatives
• Rep. Hank Johnson, Member, Voting Rights Caucus
Panelists:
• Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, State Senator of Maryland and President of National Black Caucus of State Legislators
• Rev. Dr. William J Barber, Executive Director, Repairs of the Breach
• Bernard Simelton, President of the Alabama NAACP
• Dr. Tyson King-Meadows, Associate Dean, University of Maryland Baltimore County and Author of “Devolution and - Black State Legislators: Challenges and Choices in the 21st Century”
• Nicole Austin-Hillary, Director and Counsel, Washington D.C. Office, Brennan Center for Justice
• Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights Under the Law
• Melanie Campbell, President and CEO, National Coalition of Black Civic Participation

1:00PM- 3:00PM: Racial Profiling and Policing in conjunction with National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

With the advent of social media, public awareness for tragic police-involved shootings have led to a public outcry for Congressional action to address police accountability and public safety. Featuring participation by voices from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the Department of Justice and national civil rights advocates, this panel will explore opportunities for criminal justice and law enforcement policy reform.

Moderator: Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, UCLA Center on Policing Equity

Introductory Remarks:

The Honorable Loretta Lynch, United States Attorney General

Rep. John Conyers, Co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and Dean of the United States House of Representatives

Panelists:
• Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner
• Sheriff Benny Napoleon, Wayne County Michigan
• Mr. Ronald Davis, Director, COPS Office, U.S. Department of Justice
• Mr. Perry Tarrant, President, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
• Hilary Shelton, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, NAACP
• Sgt. Mark Young, National Association of Police Organizations

3:00PM- 5:00PM: H.R. 40: Sustaining a Dialogue on the Legacy of Slavery

For more than two decades, H.R. 40, the Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, has sought to further a national dialogue on the plight of Africans-Americans in the context of slavery, Jim Crow, and other legally sanctioned forms of discrimination. With a renewed dialogue on the issue of reparations, both on the domestic and international levels, this legislation presents a real opportunity to create an official government-based discussion. This Braintrust will bring together commentators from a variety of positions to explore strategies for broadening the debate on reparations.

Introductory Remarks:
• Rep. John Conyers, Co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and Dean of the United States House of Representatives

Panelists:
• Janaé E. Bonsu, National Public Policy Chair, Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100)
• Montague Simmons, Movement 4 Black Lives, M4BL
• Kamm Howard, Legislative Commission Chair, N’COBRA
• Nkechi Taifa, Esq., Advocacy Director for Criminal Justice, Open Society Foundations
• Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
• Rev. JoAnn Watson, Council Member
• Dr. Ray Winbush, Professor, Morgan State University
• Dr. Joyce King, Professor, Georgia State University
• Dr. V. P. Franklin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, UC Riverside