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WATCH: National Action Network’s Annual Convention Kicks Off Amid Discussion Of Injustices

On Wednesday morning, the National Action Network will kick off its 25th year with their annual national convention — a welcome unification of civil rights leaders, politicians, clergy, and community leaders.

This year’s conference, held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers from April 8 to April 11, comes amid a national conversation on race, justice, and police brutality sparked by the killing of unarmed Black men, women and children across the U.S. Just a day before the conference was set to begin, another unarmed man was killed by police in South Carolina.

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Rev. Al Sharpton, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, and others will mark the beginning of the four-day conference jam-packed with panels to discuss housing, health care, immigration, employment, and police relations.

Wednesday will also see the gathering of community leaders for a panel entitled Politics Panel – America’s Choice 2016: Framing the Debate on the Presidential Election. According to NAN, the panel will be moderated by Sharpton and include Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark, NJ; Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin, Columbia, SC; Yvette D. Clarke, U.S. Representative, 9th Congressional District, New York; Robert Gibbs, Former White House Press Secretary to President Obama; Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO, Voto Latino; Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Philadelphia, PA; Michael Steele, Former Chair, Republican National Committee, and more.

The panel will be followed by a discussion on police brutality impact, featuring commentary from the victims themselves, including Valerie Bell, Mother of Sean Bell, William Bell, Father of Sean Bell, Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner, John Crawford, Jr., Father of John Crawford III, Lesley McSpadden, Mother of Michael Brown and more. The panel will be moderated by Iyanla Vanzant, Host of Iyanla: Fix My Life.

Other influencers, including producer and director Lee Daniels, actor Anthony Anderson, Obama administration cabinet members, and Dr. Ben Carson, are set to attend panels over the four days.

Watch a feed of the panels in the livestream above. You can find more, including information on registration and ticketing, here.

For a schedule of all events, click here.

The conference is open to the public.

SOURCE: NAN