OUT on the Hill “Own Your Power” Events Passport
The events below represent the receptions, fundraisers, workshops, and other activities that NBJC recommends members of the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community attend, ask questions, and actively participate in order to demonstrate public support and urgent need for pro-Black policies that affirm and include ALL Black people. Under each event description is a queer consideration that provides connecting information on why the issue discussed impacts Black LGBTQ+/SGL people along with a question in italics that can be shared separately or alongside the context during Q&A or in conversations with speakers after the event.
If there are events you’re aware of that should be included in our passport, please email the information in the same format as below (day, date, time, place, program name, program host, description, and why you believe there is a queer consideration) to vkirbyyork@nbjc.org.
This is a living document and updates will be made frequently! We look forward to having you join us!
Stop by the Neighborhood at #ALC52
Description: Stop by The Neighborhood in Hall D on Wednesday, September 20 through Friday, September 22, 2023, for business networking, career coaching, author book signings, music, fashion, and much more. Learn more about the different hubs at this year’s conference below.
Authors Literacy Circle
Meet the nation’s premier African American literacy and scholarly talent for various discussions and celebrity author book signings.
Business Enterprise Boulevard
Explore the latest new products, services or advanced technology in home-based businesses, real estate, franchise opportunities, retirement, investment, asset protection, and credit/debt management.
Professional Career & Job Diversity Avenue
Connect with employers in an informal setting and learn more about career and internship opportunities offered by companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Health & Wellness Way
Talk about living an active and healthy lifestyle, wellness trends, and nutritional tips with experts, and see demonstrations on cooking healthy, tasty meals and sample healthy foods, with the added bonus of practicing new exercises to stay fit in our Yoga & Zumba sessions.
Marketplace Town Center
Shop handmade artistry at its best, relaxing spa wear, unique jewelry, and original artwork, as well as the latest in health and well-being services and technology.
9:30am – 11:00am
Washington Convention Center
SIECUS Sex Ed on the Hill Convening and Advocacy Day
Description: The two-day event focuses on skills building, information sharing, and Capitol Hill visits regarding Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE).
Queer Considerations: Comprehensive sex education must include various sex characteristics, gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. When it does not, we see increases in pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and murders of transgender women. NBJC is proud to collaborate with SIECUS on its annual advocacy day on Capitol Hill to ensure all of our voices and experiences are included in any publicly funded sex education curriculum.
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Sen. Cory Booker
Artificial Intelligence and Black America:
Harnessing the Promise and Mitigating the Harms
Description: AI will have profound effects on our economy, society, and daily life — in ways known and unknown. We have an extraordinary opportunity before us to capture its promise, and to lead the world in AI innovation. And we have an urgent responsibility to guard against foreseeable harms: deepfakes, disinformation, and election interference; AI systems that discriminate against marginalized communities in hiring, housing, healthcare; etc. This session will focus on ways to leverage the promise of AI, mitigate risks, elevate Black voices in this critical discourse, invest in STEM learning, and enable emerging technologies to flourish in a responsible way.
Session Type
Member Issue Forum
Track
Science & Technology
Queer Considerations: Disinformation campaigns have actively been used to decrease public support for LGBTQ+ people, causes, and policies. With Black LGBTQ+/SGL people already suffering from disproportionate discrimination in hiring, housing, healthcare, education, and the criminal justice systems, what is Congress actively doing to mitigate more harm and what more can advocates for our community do to support your work?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Don Davis
Making the Case for Black Veterans: Ensuring Access to Care and Resources
Description: The event titled “Making the Case for Black Veterans: Ensuring Access to Care and Resources” seeks to create awareness and foster discussion about the unique struggles faced by Black veterans. By bringing together a diverse panel of experts, veterans, and community leaders, we aim to highlight the importance of addressing disparities and taking action to ensure equitable access to care and resources for all veterans.
Queer Considerations: Thanks to the federal government, veterans discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell now qualify to update their discharge status and participate in benefits reserved only for people who left the military “honorably.” Due to family and military rejection, a number of Black LGBTQ+/SGL veterans are unhoused. Is Congress willing and able to fund direct outreach efforts to ensure LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell living on the streets or in shelters know the new resources available to them?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton
Next Steps Towards DC Statehood
Description: A discussion of the path forward to obtain statehood for the residents of Washington, DC.
Queer Considerations: The District of Columbia has the highest population of LGBTQ+ people in the United States of America at nearly 10% and has the highest percentage of Black people in the contiguous United States, yet continues to lack voting rights on the floor of the United States Congress and in its various committees. DC Statehood is critical to ensure accurate and appropriate Black and LGBTQ+/SGL representation; what should Black and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups do in states nationwide to make DC Statehood a reality?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Senator Raphael Warnock
The Moral Urgency to End Gun Violence: A Community Conversation
Description: Gun violence is an epidemic. One that has ravaged our country, particularly the black community, for decades. Join Reverend Raphael Warnock, U.S. Senator for Georgia and Senior Pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, for a timely conversation to examine the impacts and harm of gun violence on the Black community, and explore how gun violence survivors, advocates, activists, faith leaders, policy experts, elected officials and others need to push in this moment to make institutional change that will finally bring an end to the gun violence crisis.
Queer Considerations: In 2018, the American Medical Association described the fatalistic violence facing Black transgender women as an epidemic. The vast majority of their deaths are caused by guns wielded by other members of the Black community. How can Black lawmakers, clergy, and community leaders address the epidemic of violence against Black transgender women, and what are you doing personally to address it?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. James Clyburn
Our Histories Matter: New Initiatives in Reclaiming and Sharing Stories
of People and Events Vital to the American Civil Rights Movement
Description: New initiatives are reclaiming and sharing “our story” from the Charleston harbor through the Civil Rights Movement and around the globe in a deeper, wider, and more complete way. These initiatives draw on the deep roots of the persistent effort to tell a full history of the nation and are helping individuals and families reclaim and tell their history in the freedom struggle. A former history teacher, Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn (SC-6) will discuss why this history is critically important today and will explore the public-private partnerships that are fueling this vital work. In conversation with historian Dr. Bobby Donaldson, the congressman will highlight the collaborations at the Center for Civil Rights History and Research, including partnerships with the National Park Service and with the Williams Companies, which has funded the transformative expansion of the Center’s archival collections, educational resources, and a traveling exhibition entitled, “Justice for All.”
Queer Considerations: Bayard Rustin, the executive director of the famous 1963 March on Washington, has a biopic coming out later this year. Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, who created the legal theories underpinning the major civil rights wins for people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ people, will be the face of the 2024 quarter. Yet, states across the country are following Florida’s lead in removing Black, women’s, and LGBTQ+ history like their stories from the K-12 curriculum. Rep. Clyburn, you have been lauded for your brilliant strategic thinking, what are the most effective tactics you’ve seen or considered in pushing back against the attacks on the freedom to learn?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Hip Hop Caucus – 50 Years and Still Going: Hip Hop’s Struggle Against Mass Incarceration and the Criminal Legal System
Description: The Hip Hop Caucus and the Sentencing Project will co-host a panel discussion on the relevance of Hip Hop culture to advocating against mass incarceration, deaths in custody, and over criminalization. Additionally, the panelists – which includes Dr. Roger Mitchell, Jr. and Rev. Lennox Yearwood – will discuss the prescient topic of Cop City and its implications for criminal justice and environmental justice in the US. The conversation will be anchored on the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop along with the “50th Anniversary” of mass incarceration in America.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women are disproportionately represented in U.S. women’s prisons – in part due to their masculine gender presentation. Much like in Hip-Hop, their voices have been silenced or erased from conversations around the incarceration of our people. What is Hip-Hop’s role in shifting stereotypes and adding the voices of masculine of center women to these conversations and needed policy upgrades?
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Grand Hyatt Washington DC
Penn Quarter Room
1000 H Street NW
Washington DC 20001
From Erasure to Empowerment:
A Call to Action for Missing and Murdered Black Women
Description: This event will bring together civil rights leaders, social justice advocates, and academics to examine this pressing issue and discuss best policy practices and innovations that will protect the lives of Black women and girls in the U.S. We will highlight work from the State of Minnesota (MN) who is leading the country in addressing this issue. In 2021, they created a Task Force led by Research in Action charged with understanding why Black women and girls go missing resulting in a legislative report. This report laid the foundation to enact a law creating the nation’s first Office of Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls in May 2023.
Please contact Sophia Allen or Jasmine Daniel at mochalab@jhu.edu or (410) 614-3089 for more information about the event. We look forward to your attendance and to your engagement in our exciting work on behalf of Black women and girls in our community.
RSVP
6:30pm – 8:30pm
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Black LGBTQ+ Leaders Caucus Fundraiser
RSVP: Marty Rouse at marty.rouse@victoryfund.org
Description: Black LGBTQ+ Americans are severely underrepresented in public office. In 2022, a group of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund supporters formed the Black Leaders Caucus to address this disparity by identifying, and recruiting, endorsing and supporting Victory Fund’s Black LGBTQ+ candidates. The Caucus ensures Victory Fund is using its full range of resources to increase representation – like campaign trainings and support from the Victory Campaign Board – so that more Black candidates have the resources they need to win.
Queer Considerations: Black LGBTQ+/SGL people must support candidates that bring our lived experiences to government bodies regardless of their political affiliations. This event is an opportunity for our community members to meet and get to know candidates that look like us, love like us, and express themselves like us.
Thursday September 21st
9:00am – 6:00pm
Day 2 – Thursday
SIECUS Sex Ed on the Hill Convening and Advocacy Day
Description: The two-day event focuses on skills building, information sharing, and Capitol Hill visits regarding Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE).
Queer Considerations: Comprehensive sex education must include various sex characteristics, gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. When it does not, we see increases in pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and murders of transgender women. NBJC is proud to collaborate with SIECUS on its annual advocacy day on Capitol Hill to ensure all of our voices and experiences are included in any publicly funded sex education curriculu
9:00am – 11:00am
Washington Convention Center
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.
Center for Policy Analysis and Research
National Town Hall: Safeguarding the Truth to Strengthen Our Democracy
Description: Democracy is at its strongest when citizens are engaged and informed. In recent years, the United States has witnessed concerning signs of democratic backsliding, posing a serious threat to the integrity of its democratic institutions. Eighteen states have passed legislation or enacted executive orders prohibiting teaching alleged “divisive concepts” about race. In the last year, Florida made efforts to alter how Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies is taught in classes by compelling the College Board to make topics such as Black Lives Matter, incarceration, and reparations optional. The suppression of African American history and truth drives the regression of our democracy. This Town Hall will examine aspects of democratic erosion, such as censorship, the rise of disinformation, ideological polarization, voter suppression, and the weakening of democratic norms and institutions. The session highlights the importance of safeguarding history to inform our present and future. The 120- minute session will be divided into two segments, underscoring the intersectional issues woven into present-day democracy.
Queer Considerations: Bayard Rustin, the executive director of the famous 1963 March on Washington, has a biopic coming out later this year. Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, who created the legal theories underpinning the major civil rights wins for people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ people, will be the face of the 2024 quarter. Yet, states across the country are following Florida’s lead in removing Black, women’s, and LGBTQ+ history like their stories from the K-12 curriculum. Rep. Clyburn, you have been lauded for your brilliant strategic thinking, what are the most effective tactics you’ve seen or considered in pushing back against the attacks on the freedom to learn?
10:30am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rep. Yvette Clarke
Black Women Best: Economic Security
Description: The panel discussion will highlight the impact and importance of economic security for Black women and refer to key sections and policy pathways from the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girl’s landmark report, An Economy for All: Black Women Best. The conversation will also touch on the ways the ‘Black Women Best’ framework can be applied to various policy areas to address racial and gender disparities in order to advance a thriving, inclusive economy. Panelists will be experts in the respective issue area and apply the BWB lens, personal testimonial, and key knowledge for analysis during the panel.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women are more likely to raise kids than our counterparts. Black LGBTQ+/SGL women are more likely to live in poverty; to live with reproductive health disorders, chronic illnesses, and cancer; to experience or die from domestic violence; experience incarceration; and to attempt suicide than our counterparts. How are Black women’s groups actively incorporating the unique and urgent needs of Black LGBTQ+/SGL women in your advocacy, policy agendas, and membership?
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Wilson Global Communications, LLC
Why Black Americans Deserve Reparative Justice
Description: Black American descendants of enslaved Africans deserve reparative justice. Why? Slavery resulted in historical injustices that disrupted family ties, cultural heritage loss and economic inequality. Black Americans continue facing lower incomes, poorer education and healthcare, higher student loan debt, and poverty rates. Inter-generational trauma causing poor mental health, low self-esteem and social cohesion have emerged and institutional discrimination has Black Americans facing racism in jobs, housing, education and the criminal justice system. Precedents set in the U.S. include the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 granting reparations to Japanese Americans, and reparative justice in Germany and South Africa have been granted.
Queer Considerations: The PACT Act recently signed into law health care reparations for veterans whose health suffered due to the military’s negligence and lack of safety in burn pits during the war. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has become a disease with a Black face as a result of historic government neglect and avoidance during the early decades of the crisis. Will each of you add reparations for the government’s neglect of early HIV/AIDS patients to your list of demands and research on reparations for Black Americans?
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Gilead Sciences
Advancing Breast Cancer Equity Through Patient Navigation
Description: Featuring a panel of expert patient advocates and providers, this panel discussion will examine the barriers Black women face when accessing breast cancer care, and highlight the positive impact patient navigation services can have on reducing inequities experienced by Black women with breast cancer. Panelists will also highlight how federal investment and policies can support the early diagnosis, timely treatment initiation, and quality care for Black women impacted by breast cancer, and examine how health policy reform and program investment can address health disparities and inequities.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women and transgender men are less likely to receive a timely diagnosis of cancer and more likely to die from cancer due to biases and ignorance from healthcare providers regarding our need for pap smears and increased risk of uterine cancers. What is or can Congress do to increase cultural education and inclusion for the additional risk factors of Black same-gender loving women and transgender men?
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Apple
Equity:The Revolution Is Now Being Televised
Description: For generations, the ability to see Black / Brown characters that look like you as well as watch stories that were written and told through a culturally relevant accurate perspective have been minimal. Diversity in media has long been a focus for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF). This session will explore Apple’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and representation. Additionally, the session will showcase how Apple is uniquely positioned to champion, promote, and invest in representative content in media.
Queer Considerations: While more LGBTQ+ and Black stories are being told, the LGBTQ+ stories are typically about white people and the Black stories are normally about heterosexual and non-transgender people. Is Apple looking at any new stories or biopics featuring and leading Black LGBTQ+/SGL characters (hopefully played by LGBTQ+/SGL actors)?
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Emily’s List
Frontline Defenders: Black Women Expanding Reproductive Rights
at the State and National Level
Description: Immediately following the SCOTUS’ decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which repealed Roe v. Wade, Republicans across the country began to dismantle abortion access for women. These anti-reproductive rights laws have disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities. Legislators have become frontline defenders in the fight to secure and in some cases expand reproductive rights. This fight is not just about taking a righteous stand to bring light to policies that have life or death implications for Black women but it is also about ensuring that extremist Republicans are held accountable for their actions.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are disproportionately impacted by reproductive health disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, fibroids, and uterine cancers. Our community also faces erasure when it comes to abortion, contraception, and fertility resources. What do lawmakers and community leaders need in order to ensure Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are included in policies and critical conversations related to reproductive health and its economic impacts?
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
AbbVie
Can Clinical Research Partnerships Move the Needle on Health Equity?
Description: There is a long-standing tradition of public-private partnerships to improve research efficacy, but what more can be done to elevate these partnerships to help increase representation in clinical trials? This session looks at how we can forge a more inclusive future and move the needle on health equity. We discuss where the common ground between Government, Industry, and Academia is that will lead us to do things better. And what we need to do differently to realize previously untapped opportunities. Join us for a three-way action-oriented conversation designed to spark ideas and provoke thought.
Queer Considerations: How are you addressing the inclusion of identities at intersections of multiple historically excluded populations in your research? For instance Black LGBTQ+, disabled, and immigrant communities.
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
National Education Association (NEA) &
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
The State of Education: Sounding the Alarm on the Black Educator Shortage
Description: Join the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for an important panel discussion on the crucial topic of educator diversity. Research has demonstrated a significant disparity between the academic expectations and perceptions of Black students by Black educators versus their white counterparts. Studies also indicate that Black students receive enhanced educational experiences and outcomes when taught by Black educators, including improved scores in reading and math, increased enrollment in advanced courses and an overall higher likelihood of graduating and attending college. However, the unsettling reality remains that only 20% of America’s educators are people of color, illuminating an urgent need to address systemic barriers in recruiting and retaining a diverse teaching workforce. Our esteemed panel will explore strategies for increasing educator diversity from both a recruitment and retention lens, including highlighting the benefits for all students who have access to diverse educators. This conversation will delve into barriers to educator diversity, but, more importantly, community-focused, state, and federal initiatives/policies needed to promote compassionate, rigorous, and truthful education. Furthermore, this session will also foreground the necessary resources and support systems to ensure long-term success in educator recruitment and retention. This panel is an important opportunity for educators, administrators, policymakers, and community members alike to come together and discuss how we can work towards a future where every student is taught by educators who reflect the diversity of their community. Join us and be a part of the solution.
Queer Considerations: What are the most effective messages to provide to Black LGBTQ+/SGL potential teachers fearful of joining a profession where they must self-censor conversations about themselves and their families in ways their colleagues do not have to in order to preserve their jobs, healthcare, retirement, and other means of financial security? What protections exist for teachers and potential teachers who sit at the intersection of race, sexual orientation, and gender identity/expression?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Cori Bush
Black Women & Queer Folx Leading in the Fight for the Equal Rights Amendment
Description: During the Centennial year of the ERA, the event will highlight the efforts of Black women and queer people who have championed the fight for constitutional equality–as well as make the case for the fact that Black women and people have the most to gain from finalizing the ERA. This panel aims to elucidate the rich history of Black leadership on the ERA, make a case for why this community has the most to gain, and build momentum and enthusiasm for the ERA fight going forward.
Queer Considerations: A Black lesbian state senator named Pat Spearman and a transgender legislator named Danica Roem brought the fight for the ERA back to life, yet the legacy civil rights and LGBTQ+ rights movements have not moved with the urgency required to support the petition effort Rep. Bush launched. What are the most effective tactics for our movements to take to support your discharge petition gaining the 218 votes needed to make the ERA the next amendment added to the constitution?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Room 206
CBCF Hosted Session
From Awareness to Action: Unmasking Bias in Academic Medicine Generations
Description: While race has no biological basis, racism has biological consequences, borne out in systemic health disparities among Black communities in the United States. Medical curricula and pedagogy often reinforce racial stereotypes and race as a proxy for diagnosis, resulting in inaccurate and biased understandings of disease and limiting culturally competent care. As industry leaders work to address these disparities, medical academia must reform curricula and pedagogical practices to train physicians to dismantle the systems perpetuating racism in health care and causing harm to Black communities.
Queer Considerations: Are you also looking at the intersections of gender bias and race in academic medicine – particularly as it relates to Black women and all Black LGBTQ+/SGL people and communities?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Steven Horsford
A Business Imperative: Defending Against Attacks on
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Corporate America
Description: With these rising attacks on workplace diversity efforts, this panel will explore these consequential impacts, review the commitments that were made after the death of George Floyd, and map out a path forward in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
Queer Considerations: What rights and protections do businesses have to continue DEI programs in hostile states such as Florida where Black and LGBTQ+ related cultural competency programs are under attack?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Digital Mind State
A Black Man’s Vision On the Future of Cars In An AI Driven World
Description: Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to permeate our daily lives by 2025. This could have huge implications on several business sectors, most notably healthcare, policing, customer service, self-driving cars and logistics. However, growing concerns around the issue of algorithmic bias—bias that may consciously or unconsciously be programmed into AI models, and causing AI applications to make decisions that are biased or discriminatory against individuals. What policies and laws are in place that ensure AI solutions are free from bias and discrimination?
Queer Considerations: Civil rights protections are needed in social and digital media, across the internet, and particularly in generative artificial intelligence where algorithms are created based on biases of its creators and stereotypical traits or behaviors, yet since the creation of section 203 of the Communications Act Congress has failed to take action. What efforts is Congress prepared to lead to ensure Black people, LGBTQ+ people, women, and people with disabilities, among others, have their civil rights protected in all forms of the Internet and are educated on how their data, privacy settings, and internet behavior/actions are used to further the technology or provide various products to the consumer?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Yvette Clark and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Policies, Politics, and Reproductive Justice
Description: Panelists discuss the political, historical, economic, and rhetorical attitudes towards women’s reproduction, particularly abortion.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are disproportionately impacted by reproductive health disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, fibroids, and uterine cancers. Our community also faces erasure when it comes to abortion, contraception, and fertility resources. What do lawmakers and community leaders need in order to ensure Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are included in policies and critical conversations related to reproductive health and its economic impacts?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Jonathan Jackson
Strengthening the African Diaspora: Culturally, Economically, and Technologically
Description: Panelists discuss the political, historical, economic, and rhetorical attitudes towards women’s reproduction, particularly abortion.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are disproportionately impacted by reproductive health disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, fibroids, and uterine cancers. Our community also faces erasure when it comes to abortion, contraception, and fertility resources. What do lawmakers and community leaders need in order to ensure Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are included in policies and critical conversations related to reproductive health and its economic impacts?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Member Issue Forum
Health & Wellness
Rep. Jennifer McClellan
The Power of Unity: Black Sisters and Brothers Standing Together
Description: Join Congresswoman McClellan, Delta Sigma Theta Inc., and 100 Black Men of America for a panel discussion that delves into the unique health challenges faced by Black men and women, emphasizing the importance of mutual support and solidarity. From reproductive health and freedom to public health and safety, and mental and behavioral well-being, this panel aims to shed light on the intersecting struggles that disproportionately affect our community. By bringing together experts, activists, and community leaders, we will explore how Black men and women can come together to uplift one another. Together, we will embrace the power of unity.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are disproportionately impacted by reproductive health disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, fibroids, and uterine cancers. Our community also faces erasure when it comes to abortion, contraception, and fertility resources. What do lawmakers and community leaders need in order to ensure Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are included in policies and critical conversations related to reproductive health and its economic impacts?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Lucy McBath
Gun Sense Takes the Nation: How Black Leaders are Working to End Gun Violence
Description: Members of Congress, and other leaders talk about the recent victories in gun safety, from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to critical investments in community violence interruption programs.
Queer Considerations: In 2018, the American Medical Association described the fatalistic violence facing Black transgender women as an epidemic. The vast majority of their deaths are caused by guns wielded by other members of the Black community. How can Black lawmakers, clergy, and community leaders address the epidemic of violence against Black transgender women, and what are you doing personally to address it?
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Alma S. Adams
HBCU Braintrust: Igniting Our Path For Sustainability:
Philanthropic, Business, & Government Leadership in HBCU Engagement
Description: This session will examine some of the problems facing HBCUs and provide philanthropy, business, and government leaders the opportunity to detail the tangible ways they are working with these institutions, both individually and collaboratively, to address the problems facing our nation’s HBCUs.
Queer Considerations: LGBTQ+ students have always existed on HBCU campuses, but our campuses have not always been ready for us to create campuses of exclusion and harassment instead of inclusion and affirmation. HBCUs have a responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone on campus, with the heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation nationwide, what can HBCUs do to foster a campus climate where all are valued, respected, and included?
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Human Rights Campaign National HQ
NBJC’s Out on the Hill Reception
The OUTlook for Black LGBTQ+/SGL America
Description & Queer Considerations: To focus our collective energy on the unique and nuanced needs of Black LGBTQ+/SGL people in this political, social, and spiritual moment. To provide people an opportunity to collectively grapple with our problems, their potential solutions, and strategies to leverage during the CBC ALC, this congressional term, and throughout the presidential cycle, to enact policies that address them.
Friday September 22nd
9:00am – 10:15am
Renaissance/Westin Hotel
999 9th Street, N.W., Washington, DC. 20001
War on Woke: Florida, Mickey Mouse, Book Banning, DEI & Voting
Queer Considerations: Bayard Rustin, the executive director of the famous 1963 March on Washington, has a biopic coming out later this year. Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, who created the legal theories underpinning the major civil rights wins for people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ people, will be the face of the 2024 quarter. Yet, states across the country are following Florida’s lead in removing Black, women’s, and LGBTQ+ history like their stories from the K-12 curriculum. Rep. Clyburn, you have been lauded for your brilliant strategic thinking, what are the most effective tactics you’ve seen or considered in pushing back against the attacks on the freedom to learn?
9:00am – 10:00am
Washington Convention Center
ABFE
The Scales of Economic Justice: Examining the Balance of Philanthropy,
Black Business, and Racial Equity
Description: ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities, in partnership with JPMorgan Chase, is excited to present the fifth iteration of its discussion series at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference. This year’s contribution to the convening is a coordinated call to action for greater collaboration in the philanthropic sector and serves as a comprehensive examination of philanthropy’s capacity, will, and commitment to implementing big-picture, economic solutions to better serve marginalized communities. The conversation, featuring leaders representing philanthropic serving organizations, foundations, private institutions, and government agencies, aims to apply an equity lens to the examination of the economic disparities that exist at the center of the racial wealth gap. Thus, the intention of this session is to explore collaborative passageways for creating monumental shifts in philanthropic, and to offer space for an informative discussion on our shared role in advancing socio-economic prosperity in Black communities. Leveraging ABFE’s “Responsive Philanthropy in Black Communities” framework, in alignment with progress generated through JP Morgan Chase’s $30 Billion-dollar racial equity commitment and the success of its “Advancing Black Pathways” program designed to help the Black community chart stronger paths toward economic success and empowerment, this session will have two parts: (1) A discussion centering on JPMC’s role in impacting the socio-economic conditions of Black communities, from the grantmaking process to the equitable dissemination of funding and resources to black-led organizations; and (2) A conversation examining the role of funders’ whose racial equity commitments aim to advance entrepreneurial opportunity, make access to business and organizational development resources more equitable, and spur job creation in sectors that lack racial diversity and representation. This conversation aims to serve as a conduit for our shared interest in creating real, impactful, measurable change. Thus, the goal of this session is to inform the broader public and private philanthropic network about intersectional systems of impact and collaboration in an effort to build shared agency in our work to combat systemic barriers of economic, financial, and social advancement in Black Communities. Join us as we come together to amplify a shared call to action and work to bolster the philanthropic sector’s commitment to engaging, supporting, and investing in economic prosperity in Black communities.
Queer Considerations: A tiny percentage of philanthropic dollars fund Black LGBTQ+/SGL nonprofits and grassroots organizations leading to the most harmed and marginalized communities having the fewest resources. How do we shift the thinking in philanthropy to support organizations that have been doing the most with the least amount of resources to help these organizations thrive and not constantly live in survival mode?
9:00am – 10:00am
Washington Convention Center
Representative Frederica S. Wilson
Policing in America: Redesigning Public Safety
Description: The Center for Policing Equity’s (CPE’s) North Star is protecting, empowering, and supporting vulnerable communities—particularly Black and Brown communities—to redesign their public safety systems. We do science to promote justice. This session will provide an overview of ways to make policing in America less deadly, less racists and less omnipresent. It will cover strategies to drive change by ensuring law enforcement and communities have evidence-based resources to reimagine public safety, build community trust and achieve racial equality. Specifically we will touch on topics including measuring police behaviors, alternative response and mental health.
Queer Considerations: Black masculinity is overpoliced whether it is expressed in a male, intersex, or female body. What programs have shown to be most effective in decreasing bias, stigma, and profiling at the intersection of race and gender expression in public safety departments and what is the best path forward to replicate these programs?
9:00am – 10:00am
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Maxwell Frost
How do we stop the bleeding: A discussion on how to combat
gun violence in a fractured political environment
Description: Congressman Frost’s top priority in Congress is the reduction of gun violence in communities across the nation. This session will feature subject matter experts who work daily on this matter to educate on different ways to combat gun violence in neighborhoods and communities.
Queer Question: In 2018, the American Medical Association described the fatalistic violence facing Black transgender women as an epidemic. The vast majority of their deaths are caused by guns wielded by other members of the Black community. How can Black lawmakers, clergy, and community leaders address the epidemic of violence against Black transgender women, and what are you doing personally to address it?
9:00am – 10:30am
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Gwen Moore and Casey Family Programs
Child Welfare Braintrust: Why Unnecessary Investigations and Removal
of Children from their Families Harms Black Communities
Description: The Voting Rights Braintrust will bring together legal, policy, and advocacy experts to discuss the current strategic efforts to dismantle the right to vote, and the current state of the Voting Rights Act after the Shelby V. Holder and Allen V. Milligan supreme court cases.
Queer Considerations: Voting access is important for Black LGBTQ+/SGL people because we tend to change addresses and names more frequently than other communities due to the family rejection to poverty pipeline and gender transitions, respectively. Limited identification options, address and name change deadlines, and the denial of election day voter registration exclude a disproportionate amount of our voters. What are practical actions for advocates to incorporate into our work that highlight the importance of diverse options for voter identification and name registration for transgender people while also educating on the protections that prevent voter fraud?
9:00am – 11:00am
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Terri Sewell
Voting Rights Braintrust: Give Us the Ballot-
The Road to Restore the Voting Rights Act
Description: The Voting Rights Braintrust will bring together legal, policy, and advocacy experts to discuss the current strategic efforts to dismantle the right to vote, and the current state of the Voting Rights Act after the Shelby V. Holder and Allen V. Milligan supreme court cases.
Queer Considerations: Voting access is important for Black LGBTQ+/SGL people because we tend to change addresses and names more frequently than other communities due to the family rejection to poverty pipeline and gender transitions, respectively. Limited identification options, address and name change deadlines, and the denial of election day voter registration exclude a disproportionate amount of our voters. What are practical actions for advocates to incorporate into our work that highlight the importance of diverse options for voter identification and name registration for transgender people while also educating on the protections that prevent voter fraud?
9:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Robin Kelly
Health Braintrust
Description: Please join us for our 3-part panel discussion on Maternal Health. Panel 1: Building a Hunger-Free Future: Improving Access to Healthy Foods Description: More than 40 million Americans struggle to put food on the table, and Black households in the U.S. experience food insecurity at three times the rate of white households. This is often due to historical discrimination, along with social, economic, and environmental challenges. This panel will amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease and disparities. Panel 2: MOMMAs in Action: Addressing the Maternal Mortality Crisis Description: The increasing maternal mortality rate is a reminder that so many families experience pain, neglect, and loss during what should be one of the most joyous times of their lives. Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation. This is an urgent call for action. This panel will amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions. Panel 3: In Their Own Voices: Supporting Black and Brown Youth Overcoming Mental Health Challenges Description: A panel discussion to address the trauma experienced by under-resourced and historically marginalized communities. By centering the mental health needs of black and brown youth communities and using language that resonates with their lived experiences, we aim to challenge stigma, advocate for early intervention, and promote healing strategies that are inclusive and culturally relevant.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women are more likely to raise kids than our counterparts. Black LGBTQ+/SGL women are more likely to live in poverty; to live with reproductive health disorders, chronic illnesses, and cancer; to experience or die from domestic violence; experience incarceration; and to attempt suicide than our counterparts. How are Black women’s groups actively incorporating the unique and urgent needs of Black LGBTQ+/SGL women in your advocacy, policy agendas, and membership?
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver II
Buying the Block: Increasing Black Ownership of Our Homes and Communities
Description: Homeownership is the primary driver of household wealth in the United States. Homeownership not only financially outperforms stocks and bonds as an investment, but also provides economic security serving as a cushion in times of instability. Homeowners hold over 40 times the median net worth of renters. In 2022, homeownership rate for white households was 75% compared to 45% for Black households. This panel will explore the unique barriers to black homeownership and lay the roadmap for increasing black ownership of homes and communities.
Queer Considerations: One of the barriers that Black LGBTQ+/SGL people face in home ownership is discrimination based on the intersection of race, sexual orientation, and gender expression from the seller of a home or a realtor? Would removing relationship data from forms of people buying a home together help to limit the additional layer of discrimination that queer and transgender couples experience?
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Amazon
Inclusive Tech
Technology of Tomorrow: Born Inclusive
Description: Advancement of generative AI technology has created waves across all sectors of society over the course of this year. There are extraordinary opportunities and responsibilities that emerge with new technology. Many of today’s headlines focus on those. For those who envision a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world, we have an opportunity to seize this moment to leverage new technologies to drive systemic change in inclusion and equity. This session will focus on the intersection of technology and Inclusion. It will also explore the imperative that technology be “born inclusive.”
Queer Considerations: Is a neutral or inclusive technology possible in a society where it is used to market people based on our differences and similarities? What is the cost benefit analysis of such a decision and who ultimately gets to decide the boundaries? For people living with less common identities or a combination of less common identities, these questions can become a matter of life or death, thriving or surviving.
11:00am – 12:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Gwen Moore
Not for Sistah’s Only: Closing the Gap between Politics and Poverty!
Description: Please join Congresswoman Gwen Moore and her special guests as they discuss the dynamics around America’s political structure and the inherent roots of poverty and how we rise above those circumstances. It will be a lively and insightful conversation with engaged panelists and thought leaders. It’s truly a session not to be missed.
Queer Considerations: Black LGBTQ+/SGL people are more likely to live under the poverty line than our white counterparts meaning we are more likely to work multiple jobs, be underemployed, unemployed, work untraditional hours, or spend a disproportionate amount of our time using public transportation making it harder to engage in politics. In order to include people working the hardest for the least amount of money, systems, logistics, meeting agendas, schedules, calendars, and types of engagement must shift. What shifts are reasonable for both politicians and the public and what models have you seen work most effectively?
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Fredricka Wilson
The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys
Description: This panel will focus on the U.S. Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys’ work to dismantle the school-prison-pipeline and empower Black men and boys to secure an education, start a career or a business, build a family, and contribute to society.
Queer Considerations: In order for all Black men and boys to thrive, Black same-gender loving and transgender men and boys must have their unique needs and risks incorporated in the strategies. For our boys, the school to prison pipeline begins at home with family rejection and continues with discrimination and exclusion in education and in the workforce. Finally, in order for our men to build a family, inclusive fertility, surrogacy, and legal family recognition programs need to be accessible and affordable no matter where you live in our nation. What is the U.S. Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys doing to dismantle these factors and barriers for Black same-gender loving and transgender men and boys?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Yvette D. Clarke
AI For The Culture
Description: This year, an explosion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the public sphere has sparked conversations about the use of AI in our society. This emerging technology utilizes machine learning capabilities that are trained on potentially-flawed or biased datasets and designed without safeguards against embedding biases into automated systems. While this technology represents an exciting new leap in an opportunity for further innovation, the development and deployment of AI is fraught with the potential for biased or discriminatory outcomes. This panel will explore the challenges and opportunities that AI presents for Black America.
Queer Question: Civil rights protections are needed in social and digital media, across the internet, and particularly in generative artificial intelligence where algorithms are created based on biases of its creators and stereotypical traits or behaviors, yet since the creation of section 203 of the Communications Act Congress has failed to take action. What efforts is Congress prepared to lead to ensure Black people, LGBTQ+ people, women, and people with disabilities, among others, have their civil rights protected in all forms of the Internet and are educated on how their data, privacy settings, and internet behavior/actions are used to further the technology or provide various products to the consumer?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Barbara Lee
20 years of PEPFAR: How we can achieve an AIDS Free generation
Description: This session will look back on the progress made through the establishment of PEPFAR, and the CBC’s role in its creation. We will identify lessons of the last twenty years to apply now as PEPFAR goes through its reauthorization process.
Queer Considerations: We are closer than we’ve ever been to having the tools necessary to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, the communities most impacted – Black women of cisgender and transgender experience and Black same-gender loving men – continue to be left behind due to decades of mistrust and centuries of government harm. Black LGBTQ+/SGL people stay away from LGBTQ+ health centers due to fears or experiences of racism and stay away from Black health care centers due to fears and experiences of LGBTQ+ discrimination. Yet, the most trusted organizations, Black LGBTQ+SGL non-profits and grassroots organizations remain the most severely underfunded and when funded are faced with additional hurdles to jump. During this reauthorization, how will Congress ensure the administration is approaching community funding in ways that ensure the most impacted communities are hearing messages from respected and trusted messengers while receiving care from companies the community trusts?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Ayanna Pressley
Student Debt Cancellation is Essential
Description: Student debt cancellation is an economic justice issue and a racial justice issue. The student debt crisis has acutely impacted Black families across America. Join us for a conversation about why it is essential to use every policy tool available to urgently cancel student debt.
Queer Considerations: Due to the family rejection to poverty pipeline, many Black LGBTQ+/SGL people are saddled with debt from student loans and tuition bills for degrees they were never able to finish. What policy tools are available to address the debt accrued due to anti-LGBTQ+ bias in families and in the higher education system itself?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
American Institutes for Research
Integration and Equity 2.0: Leveraging Title II of ESSA
to Support Black Educators and Black Students
Description: Contemporary research on how school diversity and teacher diversity benefits children underscore the need for policymakers, advocates, and practitioners to work together to improve both. Title II of ESSA provides opportunities for this, but is not currently being leveraged, even amid federal leadership that is open to such ideas and in states prioritizing teacher diversity. AIR, William T. Grant, and the National Coalition on School Diversity have partnered to tell the story of empowerment and disempowerment of Black educators and show – through research – how Title II can be leveraged and strengthened to support teacher diversity and school integration.
Queer Considerations: What are the most effective messages to provide to Black LGBTQ+/SGL potential teachers fearful of joining a profession where they must self-censor conversations about themselves and their families in ways their colleagues do not have to in order to preserve their jobs, healthcare, retirement, and other means of financial security? What protections exist for teachers and potential teachers who sit at the intersection of race, sexual orientation, and gender identity/expression?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Troy Carter
Our kids are NOT oK, and neither are we:
Mental Health & Wellness in the Black Community
Description: The stigma associated with mental health treatment among the Black American community is a crisis that demands urgent attention. Between 1991 and 2019 self-reported suicide attempts among Black youth increased nearly 80%, while no significant change was noted among other races and ethnicities. In addition, Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than white adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress. Despite this, only one in three Black adults in need of mental health care receive it. This session will focus on understanding and eliminating the barriers to, and stigma associated with mental health treatment for Black Americans.
Queer Considerations: The National Black Justice Coalition collaborated with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to publish a report on Black youth suicide called “Ring the Alarm” that highlighted the disproportionate amount of youth suicide attempts and completions by Black queer and transgender youth. With the increase in harmful rhetoric and legislation coming from public officials and extremist groups, our youth are even more in need of affirming family support than ever before. How are members of Congress and community leaders supporting Black parents to affirm and support Black LGBTQ+ youth to decrease the disparities in suicide ideation, attempts, and completions among the population?
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. Center for Policy Analysis and Research
AI and the Future of Work in Black Communities
Description: According to reports, artificial intelligence (AI) could replace 300 million jobs globally. AI-driven automation has the power to transform productivity by extracting patterns in data and deriving meaning. Automation can minimize human error and complete mundane and repetitive tasks in a fraction of the time a human could. Further, technological modernization is intrinsically linked to breakthroughs in the labor market, creating new jobs and spurring economic growth; however, this technology also has the propensity to disrupt labor markets and exacerbate wealth disparities by increasing job displacement among Black and other minoritized communities. This panel will examine the broader societal implications of AI, replacement technology, and the future of work, including how it may exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities. By fostering a conversation about these important issues, the panel aims to empower Black communities to harness the potential of AI through technology education investment while also advocating for policies that promote equitable and just outcomes for all.
Queer Considerations: Customer service, entertainment, cosmetics, writing services, sales, and marketing are fields that Black LGBTQ+/SGL people depend on to feed themselves and their families – especially after being pushed out from their families. How can we best prepare ourselves and our community for a workforce that requires internet connectivity, access, and literacy?
2:00pm – 2:45pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Judiciary Braintrust Panel I:
H.R. 40: Good for Black America – Good for America
Description: The Judiciary Braintrust I: How to advance legislation that will provide a national platform to development of solutions to heal the unaddressed moral issues that continue to haunt this nation.
Queer Considerations: Which agencies or departments have programs that could be directed to address reparations for specific harms of the federal government, for instance government neglect towards the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and what role can Congress members play in reparations conversations in their state, local communities, local businesses, and local families?
2:45pm – 3:30pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Judiciary Braintrust Panel II:
Mothers of the Movement: Where do we go from here?
Description: The Mothers’ (of the Movement) personal experiences of loss, their efforts to seek accountability and justice for their children, their activism in the names of their children for policing reform and legislative solutions to reduce gun violence and how their access to justice (or lack thereof) and accountability for their children’s killers are rooted in the legacy of enslavement.
Queer Considerations: During the uprising in the Summer of 2020, the names of many were called – yet too often a Black trans man killed by the police in Florida named Tony McDade was often missing from the list. What can we do to increase the care and support for mothers who have lost Black queer and transgender children to police violence? What can we do to increase the care and support for Black mothers whose children lived with mental illness and were lost to police violence?
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. James Clyburn
Tragedy on the Horizon: Substance Abuse Affecting Black Men and Boys
Description: Black men and boys are facing a quiet crisis that requires attention. The frustration of dealing with grief, financial loss, self-esteem and family dynamics has caused individuals to look for relief in the wrong places. Substance abuse can lead to tragic results, particularly when substances are laced with synthetic drugs like fentanyl. This is not just an adult issue. Failure to address health issues in a timely manner can also lead to an untimely demise. This year’s panel discussion will feature experts in the field, offering solutions to this unique challenge before black men and boys.
Queer Question: When young Black gay/same-gender loving men are rejected from Black families because of who they are attracted to, they too often fall into “party n play” (PNP) communities of sex work and sex parties where money and/or shelter is often given in exchange for sex under the influence of illicit drugs such as fentanyl. In order to fully address the substance abuse crisis facing Black men and boys, PNP drug use and overdose education must be included. How should Congress and other community stakeholders address PNP culture and the family rejection that often leads to it as it takes the lives of our same-gender loving Black men and boys?
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Danny K. Davis
Criminal Justice: How do we change the paradigm?
What do we do next to make reentry work better?
Description: The conference on “Changing the Paradigm in Criminal Justice: Advancing Reentry Solutions” will bring together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders in the field to discuss strategies for improving the reentry process and transforming the criminal justice system. Participants will explore innovative approaches and will propose actionable steps to enhance reentry outcomes for individuals transitioning from incarceration to society.
Queer Considerations: Due to family rejection, Black LGBTQ+/SGL people often leave prison without a place to go except the streets. How can we improve reentry programs to work for people with limited or no community options while increasing access to housing and employment? What improvements to reentry can begin in prison to line up housing, employment, and/or educational opportunities?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Emerging Leaders Town Hall
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
JP Morgan Chase
Unlocking Second Chances: Clean Slate Policy Panel & Fireside Chat
Description: One in three Americans has an arrest or conviction record, which can limit opportunities for employment, education, and housing. The panel will discuss the federal Clean Slate Act and state efforts to enact and implement automatic record clearing to streamline the process, lower barriers to employment and advance more equitable growth. The discussion will feature perspectives from federal and state policymakers, impacted individuals, the Clean Slate Initiative, the Second Chance Business Coalition, and business and community leaders about the economic benefits of Clean Slate legislation for individuals, families and communities.
Queer Considerations: Due to the family rejection to poverty pipeline, Black LGBTQ+/SGL people represent a disproportionate number of people with an arrest or conviction record. How are your campaigns recruiting, including, and partnering with the LGBTQ+ community to bolster your efforts and ensure no one is left behind?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Rep. Robin Kelly & GILEAD Sciences, Inc.
How Black Communities Can Lead in Ending the HIV Epidemic by 2030
Description: Recent CDC data shows a steady decline in new HIV infections year over year – but progress is not moving fast enough to meet the national goal of “ending the HIV epidemic” by 2030. Blacks account for 40% of new HIV infections, and Black women account for 54% of new diagnoses, despite comprising just 14% of women in the US. This panel will discuss the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black women – the specific barriers this community faces in accessing HIV screening, testing and linkage to care, and how Congress can advance targeted policy solutions and resources.
Queer Question: Black bisexual women and Black women of transgender experience are disproportionately impacted by HIV, yet when asked about their sexual history are too often not educated about the benefits of PReP and other HIV prevention measures. How can Congress and other community leaders change the behavior and conversations of nurses, doctors, and other medical providers to help end the epidemic?
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Genentech
How Black Communities Can Lead in Ending the HIV Epidemic by 2030
Description: One woman out of eight in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Black women have a 41% higher mortality rate and present at younger age with an increased risk of biologically aggressive disease such as triple-negative breast cancer. Breast cancer health equity cannot be achieved with a one-size-fits-all approach, but will require the collective efforts of healthcare systems, policy experts, and clinical researchers to address the many determinants of cancer outcomes. This session will examine the challenges of triple-negative breast cancer, the need for early diagnosis, and the importance of precision diagnosis and treatment.
Queer Considerations: Black same-gender loving women and transgender men are less likely to receive a timely diagnosis of cancer and more likely to die from cancer due to biases and ignorance from healthcare providers regarding our need for pap smears and increased risk of uterine cancers. What is or can Congress do to increase cultural education and inclusion for the additional risk factors of Black same-gender loving women and transgender men?
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Washington Convention Center
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s National Racial Equity Initiative
Protecting Black Boy Joy
Description: Across their lifetime, Black boys and men experience unprecedented inequality. In education, they are punished more harshly, contributing to the highest rate of learning loss across any demographic group, losing on average 132 days per 100 enrolled. In health, they experience disproportionately higher diagnosis rates for the nation’s top chronic illnesses, contributing to the lowest life expectancy, seven years less than the national average. While incarceration rates for Black men and boys have dropped, they are still incarcerated at five times the rate of their white counterparts.
Queer Considerations: Black boys and men’s expressions have long been policed with too masculine being grounds for imprisonment and too feminine being grounds for exclusion and harassment. Black men and boy joy conversations must also include the ability for Black men and boys to just be themselves. What can policy makers and community influences/leaders do to create more space and programs that allow Black men and boys to get to know who they are without societal stereotypes as guard rails limiting their ability to flourish as they naturally were created to be?
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Washington Convention Center
Congressional Rep. Ilhan Omar
Foreign Affairs on Africa: Our Africa, Our Future
Description: “Our Africa, Our Future” will be a forward-looking discussion on the future of Africa, as envisioned by Africans. Structured as a fireside chat between Rep. Omar, high-ranking African officials, and prominent citizens active in the advancement, progression, and promotion of the continent. The discussion will cover topics such as economic development, impactful infrastructure investment, conflict resolution, cultural appreciation and celebration, post-colonial recovery, the landscape of trade relations, US militarism, the historic impact of sanctions, and consideration of the international community’s ability to and history of responding to humanitarian, economic and climate-related environmental crises.
Queer Considerations: In the midst of Year of Return commemorations throughout West Africa, African Americans rejoiced at returning to the shores their ancestors were stolen – except for many Black queer and trans people who could find themselves in jail, harassed, or killed. Unity across the African Diaspora requires uniting all of us – including Black LGBTQ/SGL people. How can or is the U.S. government balancing the protection of queer and trans people alongside strengthening the African Diaspora?
CBCF ALC Gala
Queer Considerations: The CBCF ALC Gala is an opportunity to network with other leaders and decision makers while building relationships that may lead the way to policy improvements and creations that will enhance life for Black LGBTQ+/SGL people – and everybody Black.
The Black Party – Sold Out
Queer Considerations: The CBCF Black Party is an opportunity to network with other leaders and decision-makers while building relationships that may lead the way to policy improvements and creations that will enhance life for Black LGBTQ+/SGL people – and everybody Black.
Saturday September 23rd
7:30am – 10:00am
Day Of Healing
(formerly the Prayer Breakfast)
11:30am – 12:30pm
Renaissance/Westin Hotel
999 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Vulnerable, Challenged, Homeless & Issue Voters Fighting At the Ballot Box
Queer Considerations: Voting access is important for Black LGBTQ+/SGL people because we tend to change addresses and names more frequently than other communities due to the family rejection to poverty pipeline and gender transitions, respectively. Limited identification options, address and name change deadlines, and the denial of election day voter registration exclude a disproportionate amount of our voters. What are practical actions for advocates to incorporate into our work that highlight the importance of diverse options for voter identification and name registration for transgender people while also educating on the protections that prevent voter fraud?
7:00pm – 9:30pm
Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner
Queer Considerations: The CBCF ALC Phoenix Awards Dinner is an opportunity to network with other leaders and decision makers while building relationships that may lead the way to policy improvements and creations that will enhance life for Black LGBTQ+/SGL people – and everybody Black.
9:45pm – 11:00pm
Official Phoenix Awards After Party
Queer Considerations: The CBCF ALC Phoenix Awards After Party is an opportunity to network with other leaders and decision-makers while building relationships that may lead the way to policy improvements and creations that will enhance life for Black LGBTQ+/SGL people – and everybody Black.
