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By Marc Morial
President & CEO, National Urban League
The 58th Annual Equal Opportunity Dinner a Major Success
The National Urban League hosted its 58th Annual Equal Opportunity Dinner (EOD) on November 12, 2014 in New York City. At the event, held in the heart of Times Square at the New York Marriott Marquis, president and CEO of the National Urban League, Marc H. Morial thanked and bid farewell to outgoing National Urban League board chair John D. Hofmeister and welcomed new chairman, Michael F. Neidorff. Neidorff, who currently serves as chairman, president and CEO of Centene Corporation – was also the Gala Chair.
 The dinner honored Don Thompson, President and CEO of McDonald’s Corporation, who received the 2014 President’s Award for his outstanding leadership and corporate stewardship. Grammy Award winner Valerie Simpson received the EOD Arts Award for her unparalleled contribution to music and R&B legend Freddie Jackson performed a stirring tribute to her.
“The midterm elections have upended the old tropes about what you can or can’t do or say about guns during campaign season…This year gun sense champions around the country were re-elected. And campaigns around the country showed that candidates can run on the gun issue, not away from it – and win.†– Everytown for Gun Safety memo
Gun Safety and Minimum Wage Big Winners in Midterm Elections
There’s no getting around it. November 4th was not a good day for many of the ideals and policies supported by the National Urban League and the communities we serve. In the coming months, we can expect to see renewed battles over the Affordable Care Act, immigration, voting rights and a host of other issues affecting jobs and opportunity for middle and working class Americans. But all is not lost. There were a few bright spots on Election Day. For example, four states passed legislation to raise the minimum wage – Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. This follows a growing trend, considering that as of August 2014, 23 states and the District of Columbia had minimum wage rates higher than the federal rate of $7.25. More states are expected to follow as the debate over a federal minimum wage remains deadlocked in Congress. Another election-day victory that has not gotten much attention was the passage of a major gun safety measure in Washington State and the election of national and state legislators who openly supported common sense gun safety legislation in the face of vigorous opposition by the National Rifle Association (NRA). In the only state where voters had the opportunity to directly cast a ballot for or against a specific gun safety measure, the people of Washington State voted to require background checks for all firearms sales, including atmgun shows and on the Internet. This was an historic victory that may pave the way for other states. As with the minimum wage, states are not waiting for federal gun safety legislation. They are leading the way. According to a recent report on MSNBC.com, on November 4, Washington State became “the seventh state to require background checks on all gun sales and the fifth (after Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware and New York) to do so since the shooting inside Sandy Hook Elementary School.â€
Upcoming Events:
 Get Discounted Tickets for the Big Apple Classic on Dec. 7 – Basketball, HBCUs, and More!
Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 3 p.m.
Barclays Center
Brooklyn, NY
If you live in the New York City area, brace yourself for another sports classic! This time the 8th Annual Big Apple Classic featuring basketball, college fair, step show, HBCUs, battle of the bands, and so much more. Take advantage of our DISCOUNTED TICKETS – just use promo code BACNUL. Come watch one of the longest-running rivalries in the history of CIAA as the Virginia State Trojans take on the Virginia Union Panthers; and MEAC rivals Howard University Bison and North Carolina Central University Eagles. |
