Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“For it is not enough just to give men rights. They must be able to use those rights in their personal pursuit of happiness. The wounds and the weaknesses, the outward walls and the inward scars which diminish achievement are the work of American society. We must all now help to end them--help to end them through expanding programs already devised and through new ones to search out and forever end the special handicaps of those who are black in a Nation that happens to be mostly white.” – President Lyndon B. Johnson, on signing the Voting Rights Act

This week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais should be called exactly what it is: a power grab that silences Black voters and weakens American democracy.

National Urban League and Urban League of Louisiana

On the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Louisiana v. Callais

NEW YORK AND NEW ORLEANS (April 29, 2026) — The National Urban League and the Urban League of Louisiana are jointly calling yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais exactly what it is: a power grab that silences Black voters.

NEW YORK (April 29, 2026) – National Urban League President and CEO and former New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Louisiana v Callais:

On Thursday, leaders from prominent civil rights organizations and labor unions gathered with L.A. community members to discuss the economic and political issues being faced by Black and Latino communities in the U.S.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. [April 23, 2026] — The National Urban League today applauded the introduction of the Improving Access to Financial Coaching Act of 2026, a timely and crucial bill that would provide resources to expand access to free, high-quality financial coaching for working families and underserved communities across the nation to assist them in climbing the economic ladder.

The bill would establish a federal grant program within the U.S. Department of the Treasury to support nonprofit, financial institutions, and community-based organizations in delivering trusted, one-on-one financial guidance, similar to the Housing Counseling program offered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

LOS ANGELES (April 22, 2026) – The 2027 National Urban League Conference, returning to Los Angeles after 25 years, will attract thousands of the nation’s most forward-thinking community, business and political leaders for four days of world-class speakers, informative workshops, dynamic entertainment, and networking events.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

Dr. Cerina Fairfax and Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen.

Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; Braylon Snow, 5; and Jayla Elkins, who was just 3 years old.

Each of these women and all eight of these children died at the hands of men who were supposed to protect and provide for them in the last month. Unfortunately, these murders aren’t happening in a vacuum. Stories of angry, despondent men violently killing their wives, girlfriends, and children are occurring in our community at an alarming rate. 

NEW YORK (April 22, 2026) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to the federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center:

“The National Urban League condemns in the strongest possible terms the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a deeply troubling escalation in efforts to weaken and delegitimize the civil rights movement.

“Let us be clear: this action is not about accountability. It is about intimidation. It is about silencing organizations that have spent decades confronting hate, protecting vulnerable communities, and advancing justice under the law.

April 22, 2026

Statement from Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League:

The National Urban League condemns in the strongest possible terms the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a dangerous escalation in the Trump Administration’s campaign to target and undermine the civil rights movement.

Let’s be clear: this is not about accountability. It is about intimidation. It is about silencing organizations that have spent decades confronting hate, protecting communities, and advancing justice.

SPLC is a valued member of the Demand Diversity Roundtable, which the National Urban League convenes. Its work, documenting extremism, exposing violence, and defending civil rights, has made this country safer and more just. Targeting that work is a direct attack on the core values we stand for: equal opportunity, racial justice, and the right of all people to live free from violence and fear.