Women’s History Month. See how Black women remain the driving force for social change amid attempts to strip them of political power and influence. His legacy lives on. This week, Marc H. Morial delivered the eulogy for the late transformational leader Dr. Norman C. Francis. See how he paid his respects. 61 years later. The Bloody Sunday anniversary honors courageous leaders like John Lewis, who risked their lives for voting rights. Dive deeper on Substack. We're heading to Nashville! Get a sneak peek of what to expect this summer on a special episode of Urban League Live featuring Marc Morial & Clifton Harris. Understanding social dynamics. Sign up for our free webinar for tips on how to make intentional choices about where to invest your energy in the workplace

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
— Shirley Chisholm

It’s no secret that women, specifically Black women, have been a driving force for freedom in this country since its inception. 

From the words of Phillis Wheatley condemning the evils of slavery on the eve of the American Revolution, and Sojourner Truth’s indelible Ain't I a Woman?” speech at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, Black women have been the heartbeat of this movement. 

What troubles me in a modern context is how little Black women are recognized for their contributions to this country and the sordid attempts to strip them of political power and influence today. 

Use code FFXNUL while shopping at Fashion Fair, and they’ll donate 15% of purchases to the National Urban League.

Meet us in Nashville. Here’s why we’re taking #NULConf26 to the epicenter of resistance against authoritarianism this summer| Music City. See snippets from a powerful week at the Urban League of Middle Tennessee's Equal Opportunity Day Luncheon, TV interviews, and more. | Season 2 is a wrap! Watch how Black communities across the country are reckoning with harmful data centers, reparations, the Black Church, and more. | State of the Union. See how the President's address only emphasizes the urgency of our Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, Defeat Poverty platform. | Black history isn’t seasonal. As we close out Black History Month, our commitment to protect our history remains strong amid attacks on diversity.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

"Nashville prepared me. If it hadn't been for Nashville, I would not be the person I am now." – Congressman John Lewis

Nashville’s streets have long carried the echoes of America’s most disciplined and courageous civil‑rights activism. It was here, in 1960, that students from local colleges launched a sit‑in campaign so strategic and unwavering that it became a national blueprint for nonviolent resistance. Their actions not only made Nashville the first major Southern city to desegregate its lunch counters—they shaped the moral and tactical core of the civil‑rights movement and helped forge the leadership of icons like John Lewis and Diane Nash. Nashville’s history is not just remembered; it is lived, embedded in the city’s identity, and carried forward by every new generation confronting injustice.

Nation’s Largest and Most Influential Civil Rights Gathering Will Attract Thousands of Attendees, Millions in Economic Impact

Conference Includes Release of Highly-Anticipated State of Black America® Report

NASHVILLE, TENN (February 26, 2026) – The 2026 National Urban League Conference will convene in Nashville July 29-August 1 at the Music City Center, bringing thousands of thought leaders, experts, advocates, and activists to confront an unprecedented assault on racial justice and equal opportunity and to shape an empowerment agenda to defend democracy, demand diversity, and defeat poverty.

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial, Urban League of Middle Tennessee President and CEO Clifton E. Harris announced the Conference today during a media briefing at Music City Center.

February 25, 2026 – Last night, President Trump used his State of the Union address to paint a picture of a country experiencing previously unheard-of levels of success and prestige. In a speech riddled with disinformation and half-truths, the President declared that his leadership has brought newfound safety, security, and prosperity to the American people. For Black people in America, the story the President told could not be further from the truth.

NEW YORK (February 25, 2026) — National Urban League President and CEO issued the following response to the State of the Union Address:

"The longest Presidential address in recent history was also historically dishonest, as the administration scrambles to obscure the failure of its unpopular policies.

"Far from ushering in an “unprecedented” economy, the Trump administration oversaw a slowdown of GDP growth. The rising costs of housing, childcare and healthcare have outpaced wage gains, and inflation remains well above the Federal Reserve’s targeted rate of 2%.