National Urban League in Houston: Strong messages being sent to Gov. Abbott on Day 1 of their conference
HOUSTON - The National Urban League is in Houston for its annual conference, and they kicked off that conference off by sending a strong message to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
"Stop censoring our books and trying to re-write our history," said Marc H. Morial, President of the National Urban League.
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The National Urban League opened its 2023 conference with the "Urban League Fights for You" Rally.
That rally addressed civil and women's rights, gun safety, economic justice, voter suppression, and much more.
During the rally, Morial called out Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas legislature for the anti-LGBTQ legislation passed in Texas, and the recent state takeover of the Houston Independent School District.
"I never thought I would have to come to Houston and call out the governor of the state; get your hands off the HISD school district," Morial said.
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During the Governor's State of the State address in February, he referenced the takeover saying, "We must reform curriculum, get kids back to the basics of learning, and we must empower parents."
We're still waiting for his office to respond to the comments made by the Urban League on Wednesday.
The National Urban League has been fighting to empower underserved communities for more than 50 years, and this annual conference is a time when leaders and professionals from all over the nation meet to brainstorm ways to further that agenda.
"Coming together to have conversations about how we do this more strategically," said Judson Robinson, President of the Houston area Urban League.
Prominent City leaders were also in attendance at Wednesday's kick-off, including Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee.
"In our country, many of the fights for civil rights have happened in the streets or in the courtroom. So as the County Attorney, I feel it's my job to be that leader in the courtroom," Menefee said.
Over the course of the conference, major panels, meetings and sessions will be held on topics ranging from the success of small businesses, fighting inequality, women empowerment, and career development.
"If you're not at the table, you're on the menu. So if you want to be involved in this fight for civil rights, if you want to do this work, do everything you can to get here and get in these rooms," said Menefee.
There's still time to register to attend the conference, click here for more information.
On the final day of the conference, Saturday, July 29, the Urban League is hosting a free community day. A fun-filled event, with backpack and tablet giveaways, free legal and health clinics, as well as a career fair.
This event is free to the public, but you do need to register for Community Day, you can sign up by clicking here.