CLEVELAND — Thousands visited downtown Cleveland for the National Urban League Conference.
Its mission since 1910 has been to empower African Americans and other underserved communities by bringing together a new generation of leaders.
“I hope that people recognize that the National Urban League and the Urban League movement is here for them,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Rhonda Spears Bell.
For the last day of the conference, organizers dedicated it to family and community. Starting with the Community Family Day Expo.
“This is where community and culture collide. We want to make sure that families can come have a good time, and this is how we show our support and show real impact,” said Bell.
With over 150 vendors at the Huntington Bank Convention Center, attendees enjoyed games, entertainment, received free legal advice, school supplies and had access to multiple public health resources.
The business Motivated Mom Media hosted a Mom Village, offering breast cancer screenings, group therapy sessions, and breathing treatments.
“We are providing free services to moms to help them to understand that they're not alone. And create a space where we were helping moms to understand that we see them, we hear them, and we support them,” said CEO of Motivated Mom Media, Latoyia Dennis.
The day also included a Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship Summit, featuring two workshops, networking opportunities, and valuable resources designed to support small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. People were also able to pitch for cash prizes that could help move their business forward.
“This conference [is] where you can get engaged, better understand the needs of your community, better understand the action items that we need to take to move our community forward,” said Dennis.
Organizers reported the conference brought in over 12,000 people to downtown Cleveland, making it one of the largest conferences in Cleveland in recent years.
