Throughout the nation as an irrepressible force against injustice of any kind, be it social, political, or racial. If there is a cost to be championed, he is unafraid a cause to be championed, he is unafraid to bring it to the forefront. He is a good front. And thenization National Urban league have worked collaboratively on many, many things together. As i said yesterday, there are free sugars and jelly tree s hakers and jelly makers. Welcome back the founder of the National Action network, reverend al sharpton. [applause] all, al sharpton first of good afternoon to the National Urban league. I am honored to be here with my good friends who have let us around the nation. And even before that as mayor of new orleans. Give him a big dams. Hand. [laughter] [applause] rev. Al sharpton as we meet at the convention this year, we need to be clear that we are that we havemma not seen in decades. Crossroads of real decisions that will impact and effect where this country is going for the next halfcentury. You will hear tomorrow from some candidates for president. And they have reduced so far as president ial race to a beauty contest this president ial race to a beauty contest and a soundbite contest and not gotten deeply into the issues that affect our communities. Now, this week remembering 50 years ago when Lyndon Johnson signed the medicare bill. Since he, 50 years signed the voting right act. What no one is discussing is that if the wrong person with the wrong politics, no matter what party, gets into the white house, who they will appoint to end woulde court may we have had for the last halfcentury. There are cases of affirmative action, Voting Rights, womens rights, and other vital issues that will go in front of this Supreme Court. This is not about who was ahead in the polls. This is about who is going to stand for the things that the National Urban league and the civil rights communities forced into law a half a century ago. All of that is at stake in this election. We need more than a smile and a wave from the candidates. We need a Firm Commitments and on what they are going to do about unemployment disproportionately in our community. What about the income inequality . And then you have income inequality and then you have to double that in our community because all unequal people in this country are not equally on equal. Unequal. [applause] rev. Al sharpton many in the Progressive Community that invo have not discussed the racism involved. And then we have to deal with education and the criminal Justice System. Just this morning charging a university of Cincinnati Police officer with murder. Just a week ago, it has been a year since eric gardner was choked to death on video and still nothing has happened to the Justice System to bring that cop to justice. Where the president ial candidates on policing, economic inequality . Where are they on education . Where are they on both things that dr. King the things that dr. King and others made law . We do not need to be entertained, we need to be engaged with real politics. [applause] rev. Al sharpton we must begin as theare now, whether National Urban league or the Action Network or the naacp, that we are on the brink of a post obama era. We have had for seven years a black president and a black first lady and a black first family. Glover wins this election will be the for whoever wins this election will be the first white to secede a black president. We have never been there before. [applause] rev. Al sharpton we need to see who is the one who refill is to follow eight years of a person sensitive to us, that comes from us, that will not turn around what he has began. Intend that when the black family leaves the white house, that black concerns leave the white house with them. [applause] rev. Al sharpton so it is not thegh for them to give us speech, the best line. Not only here but everywhere. And for or five minutes at debates. The bar is higher than it ever has been raised before. After obama, he will not get away with what you got away you will not get away with what you got away with before. We want the real deal. To the become adjusted white house dealing with things from Trayvon Martin to black unemployment you cannot tell us anymore that on a president ial level you cannot deal, that model has been changed. And we are not going to let it be changed again back to where we lose and where we do not continue a foreword and progressive trend. The same issue in the private sector. Because we will have a harder road in the political arena, we are going to have to bear down even more. Tell them that you have got to invest in the communities where you make your money, you have got to deal with not only jobs and training but procurement and contracts. Civil rightsut organizations shaking you down, it is about you shaking down our communities everyday. If you sell us your products and our cousins cannot get contracts and our lawyers cannot get contracts and our accountants cannot get contracts and our Service Industries cannot get contracts, you are shooting us down. Shakedown. P the we will do business with those that do business with us or we are going to stop doing business. [applause] rev. Al sharpton naturally, we must make alliances with all of those that are willing and demonstrated the ability to work shoulder to shoulder for our empowerment and equality along with fares. Ours. Is an argument about who suffers the most, whether it is also more women or gays or s, or women,t is u or gays, or latinos. When you are in the hospital, you all try to get well together and demand the best health care and the best medical attention. We are not trying to compare who hurts the most, we are trying to find out how we all get well together and fight together and get the proper attention. [applause] rev. Al sharpton so the task is clear. Those that have led the century, we for a were the generation that fumbled the ball and dropped it and we of 50 years ago because we were too busy being entertained, being human, ego backbiting, deciding who will be out front, whether then what we are in front of. Baton when thehe parade is not going anywhere . Cares who has the baton when the parade is marching backwards . It is time to keep the parade going straight. This is our time. This is the beginning of an era when the first white will replace the first black president. We need to make sure they understand that president obama is going home. We are not going anywhere. Thank you and god bless you. [applause] another frontline soldier recognized as one of the hardest working leaders in the social justice and civil rights movements is none other than Melanie Campbell, president and and the convener of the black womens roundtable. Sister, she has the unique ability to build powerful coalitions that bring Diverse People together for the common good. And she has more than 20 years of fighting for civil, youth, and womens rights. She is a true friend, a partner, a friend of the National Urban league. Ladies and gentlemen, Melanie Campbell. [applause] Melanie Campbell good afternoon, urban leaguers. Good afternoon, urban leaguers. Good afternoon. Melanie campbell i am always honored to join you and your president and ceo, my friend and brother from another mother mark. Our Freedom Fighter for justice reverend al. This year i am so honored to have my mom here with me. Mrs. Janet campbell. And my big brother, Isaac Campbell jr. And my colleague tyson. If they would stop and stand . [applause] Melanie Campbell lady in red. Floridian and those who know me know i always talk about my home in florida. All ofwant to welcome you here to my home state of florida. Urban leaguers, we are one week away from the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights act. You heard reverend sharpton talk about. It was precipitated by bloody sunday in selma, alabama. It was signed into law by president johnson. Congress later amended the act five times to expand its protections and has always done it in a bipartisan manner. Two years ago the u. S. Supreme court gutted the law in the name of socalled states rights by striking down section four, making it nearly impossible for the u. S. Justice department to do its job to protect our rights. Month, a Bipartisan Group of lawmakers led by democrats introduced legislation to remedy the Supreme Court actions and introduced the Voting Rights investment act. In the meantime advancement act. In the meantime, states have created barriers like id laws and restrictive hours and access to polling places. This is outrageous. Leaders, now league rs, now is the time for you and i to act by contacting congressional representatives and demanding they hold a hearing in order to path the Voting Rights investment act. We need this to protect our Voting Rights in time for the 2016 president ial election. I know your theme for the conference is save our cities. Education, jobs, and justice. If we want to save our cities, we need to protect our vote. We know, we have living proof, our votes to count. Do count. Forget, black voter turnout was the key for president obama being elected in 2008 in 2012 to be the first African American president. Lest we forget, in 2012 black turnout increase surpassed white americans for the first time in history. And we are the secret sauce, leading the way for the voters. [applause] Melanie Campbell young black women led the way in 2012. The black womens roundtable are organizing in partnership with the National Urban league and others because we all know that if sisters vote and black youth vote, great, great things happen. Lest we forget that if we want quality education for our children, we need a strong Voting Rights act to protect our vote. Lest we forget, if we need want quality jobs and an end to hide black unemployment, we need a strong Voting Rights act. Lest we forget, if we believe that black lives matter and we want to end the senseless killings of our young black men, our women and children by Law Enforcement in vigilantes, we need a strong and vigilantes, we need a strong Voting Rights act. You know how i am, i am from a baptist church. So please stand up. I know you all have had a long day. Me. Repeat after that was the time for action. Now is the time for action. Now is the time for action. Melanie campbell we cannot allow anyone to block us from voting. We cannot allow anyone to block us from voting. Melanie campbell not on our watch. Not on our watch. Melanie campbell we will not go back. We will not go back. Melanie campbell that was the time to move forward. Now is the time to move forward. Melanie campbell speeches will not do it. Speeches will not do it. Melanie campbell but voting will do it. Voting will do it. Melanie campbell thank you, peace and power. [applause] mark thank you, melanie, and we are glad to have you on our side. And now, our moderator for the Plenary Session needs no introduction. He is the host and managing editor of tv ones news one now and anchors the first daily Morning News Program in history to focus on news and analysis of politics, entertainment, sports, and culture from an explicitly africanamerican perspective. Ladies and gentlemen, Roland Martin. [applause] Roland Martin so how are we doing . That is it . You all just had lunch or something . So how are we doing . Here. O be i literally just got off of the plane and i am here to ours and s have to fly to two hour and i have to fly to l. A. Before we get started, where are the houston people . If you are not from houston, you do not get the shot out. [laughter] shout out. [laughter] weand martin our panel will set the ground rules. I did not fly here to regurgitate the problem. The panel is to talk about solutions, how we are going to achieve that on some of the issues. And when we gather next year, we should be able to look back and say this is what we are accomplishing as opposed to the same conversation year after year. That is of no interest to me whatsoever. Lets get right to it. First off, he is an attorney in florida. You should congratulate him, he ctedhe newly ele president of the National Bar Association. [applause] Roland Martin next up, Michael Mcmillan. [applause] Roland MartinKaren Freeman wilson, the mayor of gary, indiana. [applause] wrote notnieces least is reverend jamaal from maryland. [applause] they also reminded me if you are saveourcities. He i want to deal with voting last and get right to Police Accountability and criminal Justice Reform. We saw yesterday for the first time in cincinnati history, a Police Officer was indicted for killing somebody. We have 15 black men killed in cincinnati over a period of five years. You heard the prosecutor say that without body cameras we would not be having that conversation and he would not be being indicted. What are you seeing . I want to start with you, in your city, do they have body cameras . Sure that every agency has body cameras to protect them and the public . Karen Freeman Wilson the first thing is that we are starting a trial with body cameras but i of the disabuse us notion that body cameras are the beall and endall. They are a piece of technology that can be used but you have to draw back to recruitment, make sure the right people are on the bus. Deal with the disciplinary issue, with how we trained Police Officers to deescalate situations. The reason i want to start with the cameras is because there is so much attention placed on it and that is something for the folks they go home,when there has to be something they getpushing and driving to on. We have seen it in los angeles and houston. What is that for oil . Describe the trial in your city. Roland martin what we Karen Freeman wilson we are looking to do is to put body cameras on every Police Officer on duty. Body cameras is you canada 20 or 30, you have to have the full equipment. You have to store the tapes and that is a costly proposition. The good news is that the Justice Department has put some money out that will allow a number of departments to do that and gary is one of those that is doing that but there have to be more. There are 600,000 Law Enforcement officers in america. South carolina is pushing for a more comprehensive deal. It where there was a veto for the body camera and freddie gray gets killed and now it is back on. Again, that is one of those issues that is a part of Police Accountability that people can latch onto and when they go back is to makethe start this happen. For the mayortely of baltimore to explore whether we needed it. Attorney in the earlier sessions that if you do not recorded, it did not happen. It is the first time in the 20th century that a white officer was arrested for killing a black person, the incident with walter scott in north charleston. 37 of those killed by the police. Think about what would have happened, because they had a false report in charleston, s. C. Roland martin the cincinnati officer lied as well. It goes back to why the body cameras are so needed. Where would we be or would we even know the name of sandra if we did not have the cameras . They are so critical and so important so we have to lift up the veil and let Police Officers know that they are accountable. As a civil rights attorney, the reality is that we have had four cops indicted. The most consistent thing, all caught on video. There is the situation where it cops word versus the victim, the cop wins out. What is so critical with having the body cameras is that for so many years the Standard Police narrative was in line with what the law and american said in america said. All the officer had to say was that i was in fear for my life. And if he says that, the court has to accept that as correct. They cannot challenge that unless you have overriding evidence to contradict the Standard Police narrative. All he has is subjective belief that he was in fear. They say that black men are the most fearful people in america if you believe the media. Even 12yearold tamir rice, they treat us like men. Trayvon, they say that he looked like a grownup. Our children are dangerous and we are in fear of our lives so we are justified in using deadly force. But with these body cameras, with cell phone videos, with dash cam videos, it continues to contradict the Standard Police narrative over and over. Indid it with Alisha Thomas the Los Angeles Police departmen