CLEVELAND — The National Urban League is bringing its 2025 conference to Cleveland this week at the Huntington Convention Center.
Thousands of people are expected to attend, including politicians, activists, and leaders in business and philanthropy.
I spoke with Rhonda Spears Bell on Monday afternoon. She’s a senior vice president and chief marketing officer with the Urban League’s national office.
“We went through an RFP process a number of other cities, and Cleveland won out for 2025 and we couldn't be more excited about being here this week,” Spears Bell said.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, National Action Network Founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton, among others, are expected to attend and speak.
This year’s theme is “State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack.”
“We're talking about everything that's shaping and happening in this country right now, whether it's diversity, equity, inclusion, whether it's opportunities, everything,” Spears Bell said. “We're in a state of emergency. Democracy is under attack. Voting rights are under attack. But this is not just about talking about it. It's creating solutions on what are we going to do about it?”
Founded in 1910, the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization advocates for civil rights and economic empowerment for African Americans and other underserved communities. It has 90 affiliates across the country, including one in Cleveland.
Organizers said the Cleveland conference will be the first time its signature State of Black America® Report will be launched during a conference. The National Urban League’s President and CEO, Marc Morial, will be breaking down the findings, highlighting the impact of the dismantling of civil rights protections, and discussing what can be done to reclaim the promise of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
“We have 92 affiliates across the country. We're in 300 communities. We served last year alone, over 6.8 million people with direct services,” Spears Bell said. “So, when you talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, or you talk about stripping away diversity, you're talking about stripping away services that your family members may need, services and community services that our family members may need, the people that we serve on the ground, and that's what this is really all about.”
Spears Bell told me that while 70% of the people served by the organization are Black, they don’t turn anyone away.
“We are here to empower communities and to change the lives of people. And I like to say, even if it's one person at a time,” Spears Bell said. “We're here to discuss the ways that we are going to carry this conversation and these solutions back to our local communities and to help change the lives of the people. Because regardless of what's happening in the country, we still are called to serve.”
Many of the conference’s events will be open to the public and will conclude with a Community and Family Day Expo.
A complete list of daily events can be found online.
Highlights of events open to the public:
Wednesday, July 16:
Opening press conference at the Huntington Convention Center, Ballroom Common Space. Morial, Bibb, and Marsha Mockabee, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, are scheduled to speak
Career and Networking Fair at Huntington Convention Center, Hall B from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those attending will have access to resume assistance, sit down with career coaches, practice interviewing and meet with companies face-to-face.
State of the Urban League Address at Huntington Convention Center, Ballroom A from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Morial will deliver the keynote address.
Saturday, July 19: Community & Family Expo Day at the Huntington Convention Center, Expo Hall C from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will feature free backpacks and school supplies, free health screenings, a free expungement legal clinic and a free Project Ready College Fair featuring more than 60 colleges and universities.
Scholarships and financial aid information will also be available. The National Association of Real Estate Brokers will also have a one-stop shop for guidance on homeownership, generational wealth, and careers in real estate.
