Readout of President Biden’s Assembly With Leaders from Legacy Black Civil Rights Organizations

President Biden and Vice President Harris met with leaders from traditional black civil rights organizations today. The group discussed the wave of anti-electoral legislation recently passed or pending in state legislatures across the country and the way forward to protect the right to vote. The group also discussed steps the government recently announced to address the rise in gun violence and the status of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is currently under negotiation in the Senate. The President and Vice-Presidents reaffirmed that they will continue to press for Congress to pass critical laws protecting the right to vote and countering the undermining of the electoral process, while continuing to use all existing agencies in a nationwide effort to ensure full turnout and electoral law Elections that reflect the will of the people.

The civil rights leaders provided information on the work of their organizations, both national and national, to protect the right to vote. They also shared their ideas on public engagement on civil rights issues with the President and Vice-President.

The meeting participants included:

• Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• Dr. Johnnetta Cole, National Chair and President of the National Council of Negro Women
• Wade Henderson, Interim President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human
• Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of NAACP (virtual)
• Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League
• Reverend Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network

From the White House:

• Danielle Conley, Assistant Attorney to the President
• Tina Flournoy, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President
• Catherine Lhamon, Assistant to the President for Racial Justice and Justice
• Dana Remus, Assistant to the President and White House Advisor
• Susan Rice, assistant to the president and domestic policy advisor
• Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement

###