Building on NUL's Momentum, Let's Get Busy!

This year’s National Urban League (NUL) Legislative Policy Conference couldn’t occur at a more pivotal time. Our country is at an inflection point. There’s a new urgency to address racial inequities. And the public’s desire to enact meaningful change is palpable. In fact, police reform legislation is moving through Congress, and cities around the country are taking bold steps to increase accountability and transparency in our criminal justice system. But this is just the beginning.

Recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, have brought to light the disparities that African-Americans experience in many areas of American life, including the justice system, healthcare and education. Now, more than ever, it’s critical to bring together leaders to discuss and advocate for the right public policy initiatives to make real and lasting change.

That’s why I’m proud that Verizon served as the lead sponsor of the National Urban League’s 2020 legislative policy conference. Over the past two days, experts, advocates, corporate representatives, and policymakers have convened virtually to discuss a range of issues that are essential to ensuring we create a more just and equitable country for us all. Thanks to Marc Morial and NUL’s leaders for their clear, consistent and thoughtful voice on policy solutions that will empower the African-American community and move our country forward.

We can’t expect to see behavioral change until we see meaningful changes in our underlying public policies and laws. That’s why this NUL conference is so important. Going forward, we must educate not only members of Congress but leaders in our communities and across the country so that they have the information and insights they need to shape public policy. We know that we are stronger when we work together. By combining our resources and collective wisdom, the public and private sectors can drive positive change.

We explored so many interesting, timely and critical policy issues over the last two days, from police reform to access to healthcare to disparities in education. For our part, Verizon contributed to the discussion by hosting sessions on how technology can empower communities of color and on criminal justice reform. Although our reform segment was taped prior to the unfortunate murder of George Floyd, the issues raised on the devastating policies of mass incarceration and the unfairness of the justice system are timely and compelling. For this session, Verizon’s EVP and Chief Administrative, Legal & Public Policy Officer, Craig Silliman and his friend, Jarrett Harper of Represent Justice, a criminal justice reform advocacy group, teamed up to discuss the wide range of inequities in our criminal justice system and the policies needed to create a more just system and to provide support and opportunities to people returning to society after incarceration.

NUL covered a lot of important ground during this year’s Legislative Policy Conference. And now it's time to act. We must work with elected officials at all levels to ensure they enact measures that close racial disparities in all aspects of American life. African-Americans and others in underserved communities deserve equal opportunities to thrive.

This is a watershed moment. With protests against racial injustice continuing across the nation and the world, there's a level of public awareness, passion and urgency that I haven't previously seen. Let’s make sure our lawmakers heed the call to action.