The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference September 23-26: This year’s theme is ‘Reinvest … Rebuild … Renew.’

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation each year produces the Annual Legislative Conference, a four-day event held in September at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This year will feature an appearance from Yolanda Adams; Ed Gordon to moderate Town Hall meeting.

Thousands of elected officials, business and industry leaders, celebrities, media, emerging leaders and everyday Americans descended upon the Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) and its dozens of policy forums, general sessions, massive exhibit showcase, job fair, book signings and vast networking opportunities.

The Congressional Black Caucus – comprised of the African-American members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate – headline ALC every year.

The conference brings together diverse organizations and individuals to collectively discuss common issues and concerns. Its program includes more than 70 workshops, seminars and information forums on relevant topics that capture and portray the concerns of African Americans. Participants discuss the challenges facing underserved populations, including health care, economic success and failures, global and domestic security as well as highlight successes and provide critical information that will help to build strong communities, organizations and individual families. The conference also features the successful Emerging Leaders Empowerment Series, which is gaining widespread attention as it speaks to our future successors. In addition, the exhibit hall offers demonstrations and social events to complement the substantive content of the conference.

The Annual Legislative Conference is one of the most important gatherings of African American leaders. They really need and want all constituents to seize this opportunity to speak freely and often about their concerns, to network and build relationships, and to gather as much information as possible to take home and share within their communities.

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As the economy continues to grind away at jobs, homes and lifetimes’ of savings, Bishop Thomas D. Jakes looks back from his position as one of America’s most successful preachers and remembers his own hard times….. Full Story

The Story of “Amazing Grace” By Wintley Phipps

The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace.
The origin of the melody is unknown. Most hymnals attribute it to an early American folk melody. The Bill Moyers special on “Amazing Grace” speculated that it may have originated as the tune of a song the slaves sang.