National Urban League Mourns the Passing of Barney Frank

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE MOURNS THE PASSING OF BARNEY FRANK, CHAMPION OF EQUALITY AND OPPORTUNITY

NEW YORK (May 20, 2026) — National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank:

"With the passing of Barney Frank, the nation has lost a fierce champion of social justice and civil rights.

"Deeply moved as a teenager by the murder of Emmet Till, Frank “couldn’t justify not going” to Mississippi as a volunteered for the Freedom Summer project in 1964.  The same powerful moral compass guided him throughout his remarkable career.

"The National Urban League was proud to work alongside Frank for the passage of his signature legislative achievement, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which established protections against predatory lending in communities of color and has been a vital tool in closing the racial wealth gap.

"As Chair of the House Financial Services Committee during the mortgage crisis of 2008, he was a frequent speaker and fellow participant at community and Congressional events to address federal bailouts and foreclosure mitigation.

"His courage, wit, and unyielding sense of justice were an inspiration to a generation of Americans. The National Urban League extends our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all whose lives were transformed by his advocacy and compassion."