Marc Morial, Urban League president and CEO, issued a challenge in Atlanta last week and he wants answers in St. Louis next summer.
The Urban League national convention in Atlanta adjourned with Morial announcing that all presidential candidates will be invited to appear before delegates at next year’s national convention in St. Louis.
“By asking early, we will not tolerate any excuses of scheduling conflicts,” Morial said. “So let the word go forth.”
More important than the invitation, Morial said, is that the National Urban League will make a radical departure from how it interacted with political candidates in the past.
“We are going to work to change the conversation with those that are going to lead the country in this fashion,” he stated. “Our Policy Institute is now in the process of developing the opportunity compact agenda…We want to develop concrete public policy proposals that operationalize with specifics our thoughts about how to close the economic divide in America.
“And why are we doing this? Because we want to deliver these ideas to the candidates who want to be president. We want to change the conversation. For too long we sit back and people come, and we ask them: ‘What are you going to do for out community? What is your idea about urban America? Where do you stand on the important issues facing our community?’”
Morial said, “We’re going to change the conversation, and we’re gong to say here is where we stand. Here are what our ideas are, and we’d like you to come to St. Louis next year and respond.”
