NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

“STATE OF BLACK AMERICA”

WASHINGTON, DC
JULY 28, 2010

VERNON E. JORDAN, JR.

SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR, LAZARD FRERES & CO. LLC
SENIOR COUNSEL, AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP
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THIRTY-NINE YEARS AGO TO THIS DAY EXACTLY, I STOOD IN

DETROIT’S COBO HALL TO DELIVER MY FIRST ADDRESS TO THE

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE CONFERENCE, AS THE SUCCESSOR TO

MY FRIEND AND MENTOR, WHITNEY M. YOUNG, JR.

FOR THE URBAN LEAGUE MOVEMENT AND THE NATION, IT

WAS A TIME OF SHOCK, DISTRESS AND DISILLUSIONMENT. I SAID

ON THAT SAD AND UNFORGETTABLE EVENING THAT WHITNEY’S

LEGACY LIVES ON IN THE PRINICIPLES FOR WHICH HE STOOD, IN

THE STRATEGIES THAT HE FORMULATED, AND IN THE

ORGANIZATION HE LED. THAT WAS TRUE THIRTY-NINE YEARS

AGO AND IT IS STILL TRUE TODAY.

I SAID THEN THAT IT WAS A GREAT HONOR TO SUCCEED

WHITNEY YOUNG AND TO FOLLOW IN THE GREAT TRADITION OF

GEORGE EDMUND HAYES, EUGENE KINCKLE JONES AND LESTER

GRANGER. MY SUCCESSORS, JOHN JACOB, HUGH PRICE AND

MARC MORIAL HAVE BORNE THE URBAN LEAGUE TORCH WITH

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE. I AM PLEASED AND

PROUD THAT THEY ARE HERE TODAY.

ON THIS OUR 100TH ANNIVERSARY, I SAY WITHOUT FEAR OF

CONTRADICTION THAT AMERICA IS A BETTER PLACE, THANKS IN

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LARGE MEASURE TO THE LEAGUE’S ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF

SERVICE AND ADVOCACY. FURTHER, IT IS PERFECTLY CLEAR

THAT IF THERE WAS NO NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE FOR THE NEXT

100 YEARS, WE WOULD HAVE TO CREATE ONE TO DEAL WITH THE

CONTINUING ISSUES OF RACE, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA.

IN THE TWENTY-NINE YEARS SINCE MY RETIREMENT, I HAVE

MISSED MANY ASPECTS OF MY URBAN LEAGUE STEWARDSHIP,

NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THE APPLAUSE.

STANDING HERE, LOOKING OUT AT URBAN LEAGUERS FROM

ALL OVER THE MOVEMENT, I MISS THE FACES OF MARGARET

YOUNG, SHIRLEY JORDAN, ENID BAIRD, ANN TANNEYHILL, EVELYN

BROIDY, JOE ALLEN, RON BROWN, JIMMY WILLIAMS, VERNON

ODOM, JABBIE EDMUNDS, SAM JONES, PERCY STEELE, DAN

COLLINS, DON McGANNON, COY ECKLUND, LOUIS MARTIN, TO

NAME JUST A FEW OF THE URBAN LEAGUE WARRIORS WHO HAVE

RETIRED YONDER TO THE QUIET OF IMMORTALITY AND ETERNITY.

WHEN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SELECTED ME, I HAD NO

PRIOR URBAN LEAGUE EXPERIENCE. I WAS NOT A TRAINED

SOCIAL WORKER, NOR AN URBAN LEAGUE INSIDER, AND WAS A

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RELATIVELY UNKNOWN PERSONALITY FRESH FROM THE CIVIL

RIGHTS STRUGGLES OF THE DEEP SOUTH, RESIDING IN NEW

YORK JUST OVER ONE YEAR. YET YOU URBAN LEAGUERS TOOK

ME IN, PUT YOUR LONG ARMS OF PROTECTION AROUND ME, WENT

WITH ME, STOOD BY ME AND PROPPED ME UP ON EVERY WEAK

AND LEANING SIDE. THE URBAN LEAGUE TO ME WAS LIKE THE

TREE PLANTETH BY THE RIVERS OF WATER – STRONG,

UNSHAKEABLE, IMMOVABLE. YOU WERE MY ROCK. YOU GAVE

ME THE ULTIMATE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE OF MY CAREER.

AND WHATEVER SUCCESS I HAD HERE, I OWE TO YOUR

CONFIDENCE, LOYALTY AND SUPPORT FOR WHICH I THANK YOU

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I ALSO WANT TO THANK

PRESIDENT MARC MORIAL FOR THE INVITATION TO BE HERE.

SO IN THIS 100TH YEAR OF THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE –

WHAT IS THE STATE OF BLACK AMERICA? WHEN HISTORIANS

RECORD THIS CELEBRATORY YEAR, THEY CAN TAKE THEIR TEXT

FROM CHARLES DICKENS:

“IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST

OF TIMES, IT WAS THE AGE OF WISDOM, IT WAS THE

AGE OF FOOLISHNESS, IT WAS THE SEASON OF LIGHT,

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IT WAS THE SEASON OF DARKNESS, IT WAS THE SPRING

OF HOPE, IT WAS THE WINTER OF DESPAIR, WE HAD

EVERYTHING BEFORE US, WE HAD NOTHING BEFORE

US.”

LET’S BEGIN WITH THE BEST OF TIMES. ACCORDING TO THE

JOINT CENTER FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES:

SINCE 1970, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BLACK ELECTED

OFFICIALS IN THE UNITED STATES HAS INCREASED FROM 1,469 TO

APPROXIMATELY 10,500.

THE NUMBER OF FEMALE BLACK ELECTED OFFICIALS HAS

INCREASED GREATLY. BLACK WOMEN WERE 10.9 PERCENT OF

ALL BLACK ELECTED OFFICIALS, NOW THEY ARE 35.9 PERCENT

OF ALL BLACK ELECTED OFFICIALS.

SINCE 1970, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE BLACK UNITED

STATES SENATORS, TWO BLACK GOVERNORS, EIGHT BLACK

LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS AND ONE BLACK PRESIDENT.

FROM 1970 TO 2010, THE NUMBER OF BLACK STATE

LEGISLATORS HAS INCREASED FROM 169 TO 631.

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MISSISSIPPI IN 1970 HAD 95 BLACK ELECTED OFFICIALS.

TODAY IT HAS 950. THERE ARE SIMILAR STORIES IN MOST OF THE

OLD SOUTH: GEORGIA = 640 – ALABAMA = 757 – SOUTH

CAROLINA = 547.

DURING THIS PERIOD, BLACK MAYORS HAVE BEEN ELECTED

IN MOST OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.

SINCE 1970, THE NUMBER OF BLACK LAWYERS HAS GROWN

FROM 3000 TO 20,000. MUCH THE SAME STORY CAN BE TOLD FOR

THE NUMBER OF JUDGES, ENGINEERS, MAJOR LEAGUE COACHES

AND MANAGERS AND A WHOLE LOT MORE.

BLACK BUYING POWER IN 2008 WAS $913 BILLION DOLLARS,

AND IS PROJECTED TO REACH 1 TRILLION IN THREE SHORT

YEARS.

BLACK MEN AND WOMEN ARE CEOs OF HUGE MULTI-

NATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND PRESIDENTS OF MAJOR

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND SERVE AS CORPORATE

DIRECTORS AND IN SIGNIFICANT MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.

WE HAVE HAD TWO BLACK NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS

WHO ALSO SERVED AS SECRETARIES OF STATE. WE HAVE

SERVED IN THE CABINET AT HUD, TRANSPORTATION, COMMERCE

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AND LABOR, THREE BLACKS HAVE BEEN AMBASSADOR TO THE

UNITED NATIONS. WE HAVE HAD THREE BLACKS ON THE

FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD AND TWO ON THE SUPREME COURT.

WE HAVE A BLACK ATTORNEY GENERAL APPOINTED BY A BLACK

PRESIDENT. ALMOST EVERY DOOR THAT WAS ONCE SHUT TO

BLACK AMERICANS IS NOW OPEN.

SO THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE HAS MEANT SO MUCH

AND ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH IN COOPERATION WITH OUR

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. AS

WE GATHER TOGETHER IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL A CENTURY

AFTER WE BEGAN TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, WE HAVE SO MUCH

TO BE PROUD OF, AND YET WE ARE MORE LIKE DICKENS’ LONDON

THAN WE SOMETIMES CARE TO ADMIT.

IN MANY IMPORTANT WAYS, THESE ARE THE WORST OF

TIMES –

AMERICA HAS ENDURED 13 RECESSIONS SINCE THE GREAT

DEPRESSION OF 1929-33. NONE OF THEM HAVE HAD THE

COMBINATION OF LENGTH, BREADTH AND DEPTH OF THE

CURRENT RECESSION.
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WHILE ALL AMERICANS HAVE FELT THE BRUNT OF THE

CURRENT RECESSION, BLACKS AND HISPANICS HAVE BORNE A

DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THE JOB LOSSES AND THE

HOUSING FORECLOSURES. THE JUNE REPORT OF THE BUREAU

OF LABOR STATISTICS SAYS NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT IS 9.5

PERCENT; FOR BLACKS IT IS 15.4 PERCENT.

TODAY, MORE BLACK MEN ARE IN JAIL THAN IN COLLEGE.

THAT’S A RELATIVELY NEW DEVELOPMENT. GO BACK TO THE

1980 CENSUS AND YOU FIND THAT THERE WERE THREE TIMES AS

MANY BLACK MEN IN COLLEGE AS THERE WERE IN PRISON. BY

THE 2000 CENSUS, IT HAD FLIPPED. THERE WERE 791,600 BLACK

MEN IN PRISON AND 603,032 ENROLLED IN COLLEGE.

A MAJORITY OF CHILDREN IN ALL RACIAL GROUPS, AND

OVER 80% OF BLACK AND HISPANIC CHILDREN CANNOT READ OR

DO MATH AT GRADE LEVEL IN 4TH, 8TH OR 12TH GRADE, ACCORDING

TO THE CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND.

THERE’S MUCH MORE BUT THAT’S ENOUGH TO MAKE THE

POINT THAT THE URBAN LEAGUE HAS BEEN ON THIS JOURNEY

FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AND CLEARLY WE STILL HAVE A LONG,

LONG ROAD AHEAD. WE CANNOT REST ON OUR SIGNIFICANT

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT IS TOO EARLY TO SING FREE AT LAST,

FREE AT LAST; IT IS TOO EARLY TO STICK OUR SWORDS IN THE

SANDS OF TIME. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TAKE OFF OUR WAR-TORN

GARMENTS. THERE CAN BE NO TIME-OUTS IN THE FIGHT FOR

FREEDOM AND EQUALITY. WE HAVE MANY UNFINISHED TASKS

ONE OF WHICH IS TO CONTINUE INSTRUCTING AND TEACHING

AMERICA.

WE MUST CONTINUE TO HELP AMERICA UNDERSTAND THAT

WE HOLD AMERICA’S VALUES DEARLY. AT TIMES, IT SEEMED AS

IF WE WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO DID. WHEN THIS NATION WAS

IN THE GRIP OF RACISM AND SEGREGATION, IT WAS BLACK

PEOPLE WHO REMINDED AMERICA OF ITS BASIC VALUES OF

FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY. IT WAS BLACK AMERICANS WHO

HELPED AMERICA CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN ITS BELIEFS AND ITS

PRACTICES.

NOW THAT AMERICA IS WARRING AGAINST TERRORISM, IT IS

BLACK PEOPLE WHO CAN REMIND AMERICA THAT WE KNOW

TERRORISM WELL. FOR WE REMEMBER THAT IT SWEPT THE

SOUTH DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE

LYNCHINGS BEFORE THAT. WE REMEMBER THE FOUR LITTLE

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GIRLS KILLED IN THE BOMBING OF A BIRMINGHAM CHURCH. WE

REMEMBER THE BOMBING OF THE BLACK CHURCHES

THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH. WE REMEMBER MEDGAR EVERS. WE

REMEMBER GOODMAN, CHANEY AND SCHWERNER. WE

REMEMBER MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WE KNOW THAT

DANGEROUS RHETORIC CAN LEAD TO ACTS OF LUNACY THAT

KILL INNOCENTS. AND WE KNOW THAT THE SUREST DEFENSE

AGAINST TERRORISM IS AFFIRMATION OF AMERICA’S BASIC

VALUES.

SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO NOW AS WE BEGIN A NEW

CENTURY?

1) WE NEED TO CONTINUE OUR ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT

OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. WE NEED HIM. HE NEEDS US.

DESPITE THE FACT THAT BLACK AMERICANS ARE

DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC BAD TIMES,

BLACK AMERICANS ARE ALSO DISPROPORTIONATELY

ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY. WE MUST TURN

THAT ENTHUSIASM INTO ACTION AND TURN OUT IN MASSIVE

NUMBERS FOR THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS AND BE PREPARED TO

DO IT AGAIN IN 2012. AND FOR THOSE WHO THINK WE ARE

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RESTING ON OUR LAURELS, REMIND THEM OF JAMES

CLEVELAND’S WORDS:

WE DON’T FEEL NO WAYS TIRED

WE’VE COME TOO FAR FROM WHERE WE STARTED FROM

NOBODY TOLD US THE ROAD WOULD BE EASY

WE DON’T BELIEVE HE BROUGHT US THIS FAR TO LEAVE US

2) WE MUST REVIVE THE THRUST TOWARD INTEGRATED

SCHOOLS. WE MUST RE-BROWN BROWN TO COUNTER THE LONG

SLIDE BACK INTO DEFACTO SEGREGATION THAT SPELLS FAILURE

FOR A GENERATION OF BLACK CHILDREN. AT THE SAME TIME WE

WORK TO INTEGRATE THE SCHOOLS, WE MUST WORK AS

DILIGENTLY TO ASSURE THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE WORTH

ATTENDING, THAT DROP-OUT RATES ARE DRAMATICALLY

REVERSED AND THAT STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH THE

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO HAVE A SHOT AT THE

AMERICAN DREAM.
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3) WE MUST WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO HELP THEM

BECOME CRIME-FREE AND DRUG-FREE, WITH HAVENS OF GOOD

PARENTING AND GOOD SCHOOLS.

4) WE MUST LEAD THE STRUGGLE TO FINALLY ERADICATE

POVERTY IN AMERICA.

5) WE MUST CREATE A NEW SENSE OF COMMUNITY

AMONG OUR OWN. WE MUST NOT FORGET FROM WHENCE WE

CAME AND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE.

6) WE MUST TEACH LITTLE BLACK CHILDREN WHO WILL

NEVER SEE AN INTEGRATED SCHOOL, THAT DESPITE THAT, THEY

CAN SUCCEED.

7) WITH ALL THE ADVANCES OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THE

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, THEY MUST BE REMINDED THAT

BLACK PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO GO TO WORK EARLIER, STAY

LATER, AND WORK TWICE AS HARD TO STAY EVEN – DON’T

COMPLAIN – JUST DO IT – IT’S THE BLACK TAX – OUR BURDENS

HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HEAVIER AND DISPROPORTIONATE.

8) AND WE MUST REMIND THE YOUNG, NEW, THRIVING

BLACK MIDDLE CLASS NOW IN JOBS AND ELECTED POSITIONS

THEIR PARENTS WERE DENIED, THAT THEY DID NOT GET THERE
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BY THEMSELVES. THAT PIONEERS IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS

MOVEMENT MADE THE CROOKED PLACES STRAIGHT AND THE

ROUGH PLACES PLAIN. AND THESE YOUNG PEOPLE STAND ON

THEIR SHOULDERS.

9) WE MUST BRIDGE THE GROWING ECONOMIC DIVIDE IN

THE BLACK COMMUNITY;

10) WE MUST DEFINE THE BLACK FAMILY ANEW;

11) WE MUST DEAL WITH THE CONTINUING ISSUE OF

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY;

12) WE MUST FIGHT AMERICAN RACISM IN ITS NEWER,

MORE SOPHISTICATED FORMS;

13) WE MUST KEEP OUR HISTORY OF SACRIFICE, SERVICE

AND PROGRESS UPPERMOST IN THE AMERICAN PSYCHE;

14) WE MUST TEACH YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE EVERYWHERE

THAT WE ARE A GREAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE SO MUCH WITH

SO LITTLE, AND RAISE THE QUESTION OF HOW MUCH MORE WE

CAN DO NOW THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE;

15) WE MUST WRITE THE BOOKS, POEMS, PLAYS, MUSIC,

OPERAS AND SYMPHONIES THAT EXPRESS OUR HOPES, DREAMS,

ASPIRATIONS, FEARS AND CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESSES.

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16) WE MUST SHARE OUR GOOD FORTUNE, OUR MONEY,

OUR EDUCATION AND OUR LEADERSHIP WITH TRADITIONAL BLACK

COLLEGES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP

PEOPLE TO HELP THEMSELVES.

17) AND FINALLY, BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT, WE MUST

CONTINUE OUR SUPPORT OF THE BLACK CHURCH – THE HISTORIC

ANCHOR IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. THE BLACK CHURCH IS

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN – WORSHIP, EDUCATION AND PROTEST. THE

BLACK CHURCH HAS BEEN OUR ROCK IN A WEARY LAND, OUR

SHELTER IN A TIME OF STORM. AND BECAUSE OF THE BLACK

CHURCH WE HAVE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH, LEANING ON THE

LORD, LEST WE FORGET THE BLACK CHURCH.

AS WE PROUDLY CELEBRATE THE URBAN LEAGUE’S 100TH

ANNIVERSARY – YONDER IN AMERICA THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN

OPTIMISM IS WANING – WE SEEM IN A DOOM AND GLOOM MOOD.

THAT SENSE OF BELIEF AND ACCOMPLISHMENT, SO LONG A KEY

CHARACTERISTIC OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT, IS EBBING FAST; THE

SUSTAINING SPIRIT THAT LIFTED AMERICA HIGH SEEMS TO BE

LOSING ITS POWER.

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IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS

AMONG THE CITIZENRY HOPE AND FAITH IN THE AMERICAN

IDEALS, THEY ARE HELD BY THOSE WHO SUFFERED MOST AND

BENEFITTED LEAST. BLACK PEOPLE TODAY, FOR ALL OUR

RIGHTEOUS ANGER AND FORCEFUL DISSENT, STILL BELIEVE IN

THE AMERICAN DREAM. WE BELIEVE TODAY AS WE ONCE

BELIEVED IN THE DUNGEONS OF SLAVERY; WE BELIEVE TODAY AS

WE ONCE BELIEVED IN THE STRUGGLES OF RECONSTRUCTION,

AND WE HELD OUR FAITH THROUGH THE DISMAL DAYS OF

SEPARATION AND SEGREGATION.

AND WE MUST, IN THIS YEAR OF DOUBT AND CONFUSION,

REMIND A FORGETTING NATION THAT THIS LAND IS OURS, TOO,

THAT WE HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE BEFORE THE PILGRIMS LANDED,

AND WE ARE HERE TO STAY. THIS NATION TOO OFTEN FORGETS

THAT THIS LAND IS SPRINKLED WITH OUR SWEAT, WATERED WITH

OUR TEARS, AND FERTILIZED WITH OUR BLOOD. IT TOO OFTEN

FORGETS THAT WE HELPED BUILD AMERICA’S POWER AND GLORY,

THAT WE DUG TATERS, TOTED COTTON, LIFTED BALES, SANK THE

CANALS, AND LAID THE RAILROAD TRACKS THAT LINKED OCEAN

TO OCEAN. WE, TOO, SING “GOD BLESS AMERICA”; WE, TOO, SING:
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“OH BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES, FOR AMBER WAVES OF

GRAIN.” WE, TOO, AS BLACK PEOPLE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO

THE AMERICAN FLAG. WE’VE DIED IN AMERICA’S EVERY WAR,

EVEN IN SEGREGATED ARMIES, AND BLACK MEN AND WOMEN ARE

DYING THIS MORNING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND VILLAGES OF

AFGHANISTAN.

AND SO IT IS BLACK PEOPLE, WHO, BY OUR BELIEF IN THE

IDEALS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, CAN HELP THIS NATION TO

OVERCOME ITS CRISIS OF SPIRIT AND ENTER A NEW ERA OF HOPE

AND FULFILLMENT.

FOR 100 YEARS, BLACK PEOPLE HAVE LOOKED TO THE

URBAN LEAGUE FOR LEADERSHIP AND TODAY FROM THE

GHETTOES AND BARRIOS OF AMERICA, THEY CRY OUT ASKING,

PLEADING: IS THERE NO BALM IN GILEAD? IS THERE NO PHYSICIAN

THERE? AND THE URBAN LEAGUE FOR THE NEXT CENTURY MUST

TURN THE QUESTION MARK INTO AN EXCLAMATION POINT

ANSWERING – YES, THERE IS BALM IN GILEAD – THERE IS A

PHYSICIAN THERE!

THAT IS OUR CHARGE TO KEEP, OUR CALLING TO FULFILL,

OUR RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY FOR:

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WE ARE SOLDIERS IN THE ARMY

WE HAVE TO FIGHT ALTHOUGH WE HAVE TO CRY

WE HAVE TO HOLD UP THE BLOOD-STAINED BANNER

WE HAVE TO HOLD IT UP UNTIL WE DIE.

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