Urban League conference shifts focus from economy to equality

washingtonpost.com ^ | July 26, 2013 | Robert Samuels

[Tailgunner Joe]

Founded in 1910, the Urban League is the oldest community-based civil rights organization in the country. Over the years, however, the focus of its annual convention shifted from the civil rights struggle to a huge professional networking event.

This year seems different.

The registration period for the conference was already open by the time the Supreme Court last month rescinded a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. As résumés were being polished for the conference’s job fair, a Florida jury concluded that the killer of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin could go home free.

Together, the events became a call to action for many of the 6,000 in attendance.

Sybrina Fulton was handing out an unusual kind of business card. The back featured a now- familiar photo — of her dead son, Trayvon Martin, wearing a hoodie — that she distributed in the hope that people will fight to “not let this happen to anybody else’s child.”

“No college for Trayvon. No grandkids coming from Trayvon,” she told attendees. “All because of a law, a law that has prevented the person who shot and killed my son to be held accountable and to pay for this awful crime.” ....

“I know there may be anger, frustration and sadness as a result of the killing of Trayvon Martin. I know that many are upset about the effort to dismantle voting rights,” Urban League President Marc Morial said, adding, “We must not become cynical or lethargic in our quest for justice.”

When Attorney General Eric H. Holder announced Thursday at the convention that he was pushing for greater federal scrutiny for voting changes in Texas, he got a standing ovation.

[tbw2]

To quote Dennis Prager, they are more concerned about equality than prosperity.
Equally poor is more important than some rising to middle class.