RIBBON CUTTING FOR NAN’S ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTION TO FEATURE NYC MAYOR BILL de BLASIO, NY STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC SCHNEIDERMAN, NEW YORK STATE COMPTROLLER TOM DINAPOLI, & OTHERS WHO WILL JOIN REV. AL SHARPTON IN KICKING-OFF THE CONVENTION WED MORNING!

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Apr 07, 2015

!!!!MEDIA ADVISORY!!!MEDIA ADVISORY!!!

April 7, 2015 (New York, NY) — National Action Network’s annual national convention kicks off Wednesday, April 8^ththrough April 11^th in New York City at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel (811 7^th Avenue, New York, NY 10019). The NAN Convention will commence with a formal ribbon-cutting at 9:30 a.m. featuring Rev. Al Sharpton, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and other elected officials, clergy, community leaders and civil rights activists.

WHERE:

Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
811 7^th Avenue @ 52

WHEN:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015 – 9:30 A.M.

***Immediately following the ribbon cutting will be a plenary session featuring Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leading into the politics panel at 10:15 a.m. Please also note: There will be another plenary session featuring Dr. Ben Carson, Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery, & Pediatrics, Emeritus Director, Pediatric Neurosurgery Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions at 4:30 p.m.

The politics panel, entitled America’s Choice 2016: Framing the Debate on the Presidential Election, will be moderated by Rev. Al 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 Reverend Dr. Frantz Whitfield, President, NAN Iowa Chapter.

These aforementioned events will be live streamed on nationalactionnetwork.net.

For media credentialing register at: http://poetzinger.wpengine.com/convention-2015/media-credentials/. Media check-in at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel will be located on the 2^nd floor.

A complete convention schedule for Wednesday, April 8, 2015 can be found below. Please note: some events will be live streamed.

Wednesday, April 8th

9:30 a.m. NAN Ribbon Cutting with Reverend Al Sharpton, Chairman Reverend Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, New York State Comptroller Tom Dinapoli, and others
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East

*Will be live streamed at www.nationalactionnetwork.net
10:00 a.m. Plenary Session – Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator, Vermont
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East
*Will be live streamed at www.nationalactionnetwork.net

10:15 a.m. Politics Panel – America’s Choice 2016: Framing the Debate on the Presidential Election
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East
Moderator:
Reverend Al Sharpton, President & Founder, National Action Network
Panelists:
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 & CEO, Voto Latino
Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Philadelphia, PA
Michael Steele, Former Chair, Republican National Committee
Reverend Dr. Frantz Whitfield, President, NAN Iowa Chapter
*Will be live streamed at www.nationalactionnetwork.net
11:30 a.m. Police Brutality Panel – The Impact of Police Brutality – The Victims Speak
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East
Moderator:
Iyanla Vanzant, Host, Iyanla: Fix My Life
Panelists:
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
Soledad O’Brien, Journalist and CEO, Starfish Media Group
Nicole Paultre Bell, President and Founder, When It’s Real, Its Forever Foundation
Samaria Rice, Mother of Tamir Rice
Esaw Snipes, Wife of Eric Garner

*Will be live streamed at www.nationalactionnetwork.net

12:00 p.m. Women’s Power Lunch – When Women Win, We All Win (Invitation Only for guests)
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan West
Host:
Ericka Pittman, Vice President Business Development, Combs Wines & Spirits
Speakers:
Michelle Ebanks, President, ESSENCE Communications Inc. and President, People en Español
Judge Faith Jenkins, Legal Commentator and Host, Judge Faith
Honorees:
Maya Angelou, Author and Poet, In Memoriam
Ruby Dee, Actress and Activist, In Memoriam
Amelia Boynton Robinson, Civil Rights Leader, Author, Playwright, Speaker and Organizer
Marvet Britto, President & CEO, The Britto Agency
Vanessa K. De Luca, Editor-In-Chief, ESSENCE
Carmen Perez, Executive Director, The Gathering For Justice
Reshma Saujani, Founder, Girls Who Code
Gabourey Sidibe, Actress
Tamarre Torchon, Southeast Regional Director, NAN Youth Move
Iyanla Vanzant, Motivational Speaker & Host, Iyanla: Fix My Life

1:00 p.m. Police Policy Panel – Fighting Crime Without Suspending Rights
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East
Moderator:
Lawrence O’Donnell, Host, Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC
Panelists:
Najee Ali, Founder, Project Islamic Hope
Cynthia Davis, President, NAN Staten Island Chapter
Ronald L. Davis, Director, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), United State Department of Justice
Chief John Dixon, III, Chief of Police of Petersburg, VA, Immediate Past President and Board Member, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
Minister Kirsten John Foy, Northeast Regional Director, NAN
Major Neill Franklin, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
George Kelling, Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute and Co-Author Broken Windows Theory
Glenn E. Martin, Founder, JustLeadershipUSA
Lucia McBath, National Spokesperson, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Faith and Community Outreach Organizer, Everytown
Iesha Sekou, Founder & CEO, Street Corner Resources
Benjamin B. Tucker, First Deputy Commissioner, New York City Police Department

*Will be live streamed at www.nationalactionnetwork.net

2:30 p.m. The Movement – Children of the Movement
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East
Moderator:
Dominique Sharpton, Daughter of Reverend Al Sharpton
Panelists:
Donzaleigh Abernathy, Daughter of Reverend Dr. Ralph David Abernathy
Kwame Abernathy, Son of Reverend Dr. Ralph David Abernathy
Dr. Bernice King, Daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jamida Orange, Daughter of James Orange
Ilyasah Shabazz, Daughter of Malcom X
Maalak Shabazz, Daughter of Malcom X
Ashley Sharpton, Daughter of Reverend Al Sharpton

3:00 p.m. LGBTQ Rights – Homophobia in the Black Community
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Empire East
Moderator:
Patrik-Ian Polk, Director, Writer, Producer (Noah’s Ark, The Skinny and BlackBird)
Panelists:
Reverend Steffie Bartley, Sr., President, NAN Elizabeth, NJ Chapter & NAN Board of Directors
BJ Coleman, President, Coleman Entertainment Group
Sean Coleman, Executive Director, Destination Tomorrow and NAN Youth Huddle Member
Reverend MacArthur Flournoy, Director Faith Partnerships and Mobilization, Human Rights Campaign
Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and CEO, National Black Justice Coalition
Mariah Lopez, Executive Director, Strategic Trans Alliance for Radical Reform (STARR)
Lawrence “Miss Lawrence” Washington, Co-Host, Bravo’s Fashion Queens
Daniel Williams, Youth Huddle Member and Chairperson, LGBT Committee, NAN NYC Chapter

3:30 p.m. NAN/EBA Youth Hackathon
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Empire West

4:30 p.m. Plenary Session – Dr. Ben Carson, Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery, & Pediatrics, Emeritus Director, Pediatric Neurosurgery Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East

*Will be live streamed at www.nationalactionnetwork.net

4:45 p.m. Generation Now Panel – What’s a Real Movement & What’s Inspired By A Moment
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Empire East
Moderator:
Janaye Ingram, National Executive Director, NAN
Panelists:
Mary Pat Hector, National Youth Director, NAN Youth Move
Sammie Dow, National Director, Youth and College Division, NAACP
Sherman Justice, Black Male Initiative Fellow, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Brandi Richard, President, National Urban League Young Professionals
Leighton Watson, President, Howard University Student Association

7:00 p.m. Truth to Power Revival – Bishop Hezekiah Walker
LOCATION: 2nd Floor – Metropolitan East

FOR THE FULL APRIL 8^th-11^th NAN CONVENTION SCHEDULE VISIT:

http://poetzinger.wpengine.com/convention-2015/

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