In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery (among others), this timely discussion brings together leaders in policy, media and anti-racism advocacy to tackle the media’s role in shaping the narrative of current events and providing a voice to underrepresented communities.
The second event in MMCA’s “Beyond Coronavirus” series will be moderated by Ramcess Jean-Louis, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Verizon Media and feature actionable insights from Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Former Mayor of Baltimore, MD, Bo Thao-Urabe, Executive and Network Director Coalition
of Asian American Leaders, Star Parker,
Syndicated Columnist and Founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, and Mj Rodriguez, singer, actress, and activist. The event will also honor Levi Rickert, publisher of Native News Online.
James E. Clyburn is the Majority Whip, the third-ranking Democrat in the United States House of Representatives, and currently serves as the Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis. He is also the Chairman of the Rural Broadband Task Force and Democratic Faith Working Group.
When he came to Congress in 1993 to represent South Carolina’s sixth congressional district, Congressman Clyburn was elected co-president of his freshman class and quickly rose through leadership ranks. He was subsequently elected Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Vice Chairman, and later Chairman, of the House Democratic Caucus. He previously served as Majority Whip from 2007 to 2011 and served as Assistant Democratic Leader from 2011 to 2019.
Veteran Democratic political strategist Stephanie Rawlings-Blake served as the 49th Mayor of Baltlimore, MD. She was elected by her peers as the 73rd President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) – the first African American woman to hold the post. A long-time active participant in national politics, Rawlings-Blake held the position of Secretary of the Democratic National Committee from 2013- February 2017. She currently runs her own consulting firm, SRB & Associates has worked with national clients including Hudson News, MasterCard, Airbnb, and Global Energy Solutions. Stephanie also served as a Political Contributor for ABC News, and commentator on several networks.
Bo Thao-Urabe is co-founder and Executive and Network Director of CAAL, a social justice network of over 3,500 leaders harnessing collective power to improve the lives of community by learning, connecting, and acting together. She's spent her career creating community-centered, asset-based solutions that result in meaningful progress for those who are most impacted by systemic inequities. Her extensive leadership experience includes building and leading local, national and global efforts. Most recently she received the Facing Race Award, was named as Minnesota Business Magazine’s Real Power 50, Twin Cities Business Magazine’s 100 People to Know 2019, and named a Bush Fellow in 2019.
Star Parker is the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, a Washington D.C. based Public Policy Institute that fights poverty and restores dignity through messages of faith, freedom and personal responsibility. Star consulted on federal Welfare Reform in the mid-90s and then founded UrbanCure to bring new ideas to policy discussions on how to transition America's poor from government dependency. In 1996, she was a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention. Today, Star regularly consults with both federal and state legislators on market-based strategies to fight poverty.
Mj Rodriguez can currently be seen starring as housemother “Blanca” in Ryan Murphy’s groundbreaking series Pose on FX. The series was nominated for a 2019 Emmy Award and a 2018 Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Television Series Drama, two consecutive American Film Institute Awards a Writers Guild Award and won both a Peabody Award and GLAAD Media Award in the category of Outstanding Drama Series. Rodriguez was most recently nominated for a 2019 Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, she was also nominated for 2 Gold Derby Awards for Drama Actress and Breakthrough Performance and an MTV Movie + TV Award in the category of Breakthrough Performance for her work in Pose. The series will make a highly anticipated return to FX for it’s third season in Summer, 2020.
Mr. Morgan is President and co-founder of MMCA, as well as founder and managing partner of D. Morgan & Partners. Prior to launching the firm, Mr. Morgan served for almost ten years as Vice President Government Affairs for the American Express Company. In that role, he managed the government and public affairs portfolios for the American Express OPEN business and the Tax and Human Resources functions and also served as Treasurer for the American Express Company’s political action committee.
Licy is Executive Vice President and Managing Director of BCW, the third-largest public relations agency in the world, where he drives healthcare policy and helps shape strategic direction on diversity, inclusion and belonging. Prior, Licy founded and served as President of The Do Canto Group, a majority-minority public affairs and communications firm, providing strategic counsel and support across consumer, advocacy, research, corporate and crisis to Fortune 500 clients and leading national nonprofit organizations. Licy is the recipient of multiple industry awards and citations for his leadership, policy and public affairs acumen, and is recognized by The Hill Newspaper as one of the most influential leaders in Washington, D.C.
Ramcess Jean-Louis is an attorney and human resources/labor relations professional. He is the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and belonging at Verizon Media where he is responsible for strategic outreach, external relations, stakeholder engagement and philanthropic efforts related to Verizon Media’s global diversity-inclusion efforts. He works collaboratively across the enterprise, as well as with all senior leadership, to educate, engage and create momentum in relation to Verizon’s company-wide diversity & inclusion brand, reputation, and community engagement strategy. Previously, he was the Director of Workforce Diversity and Inclusion at Comcast NBCUniversal. Ramcess has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York City District Attorney’s Office; Director, AG Worldwide/Phenom; Vice President of Global Human Resources at NYFIX/Javelin, Inc.; Vice President of Human Resources at TK Services, Inc. Ramcess spends his time outside work and family on a non-profit called Turning Points for Children which provides adoption and foster care services to children at risk. He is a member of the Board of Directors and he sits on the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee.
Levi Rickert is an American Indian journalist. He serves as publisher and editor of Native News Online, one of America's most read daily news American Indian publications. A tribal citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Rickert has covered Indian Country from over 50 American Indian reservations, Alcatraz Island, Standing Rock to Washington, D.C. Rickert is also the author of several published essays. His most recent, “Indian Pride” appears in "Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now," (Northern Michigan University Press). He co-produced and is featured in “Our Fires Still Burn: The Native American Experience,” a 57-minute documentary film that was shown on various PBS stations across the United States. Native News Online is owned by Indian Country Media. In September 2020, the company will launch a new publication called Tribal Business News.
The Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association (MMCA) is leading a growing call to action to increase diverse ownership and control of the reporting, creation, production and distribution of news and stories on all platforms. The five key pillars of our effort are (1) building a community that fosters connection and collaboration, 2) advocating for greater public and political awareness and support, (3) facilitating constructive engagement with and between policymakers and industry leaders around consensus-based solutions, (4) helping to secure financial, technical and other resources for media stakeholders of color, and (5) showcasing and honoring multicultural excellence. Learn more on our work here.
