REV. AL SHARPTON WELCOMES VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS DURING SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT NAN’S MLK BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST AS CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER DELIVERS POWERFUL CALL TO ACTION TO PROTECT DEI

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Jan 16, 2025

Rev. Sharpton Address on State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Comes Ahead of NAN’s Major MLK Day Rally in Washington on January 20th

WASHINGTON, DC (January 15, 2025) – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris to the MLK Birthday Breakfast in Washington, D.C. this morning in a surprise visit, where she praised the organization’s advocacy for Black America over the last 34 years.

***To watch Vice President Harris’ address to the NAN MLK Birthday Breakfast, click here.***

Rev. Sharpton also addressed the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Corporate America as the policy faces its greatest existential threat yet. Rev. Sharpton’s remarks on these attacks to DEI come as he prepares to announce a major development to safeguard it at NAN’s MLK Day rally in Washington on Monday, January 20th. The rally will occur while Donald Trump, who has threatened a crackdown on DEI initiatives, is inaugurated to a second term in office.

“We are not rallying to protest an inauguration. We’re rallying to affirm the dream of Dr. King on Dr. King’s federal holiday,” Rev. Sharpton told guests this morning at the Mayflower Hotel. “We are not going to let them kill the dream and we are not going to let them bring us backwards. At the rally, we will announce an economic plan and a convening on how we will maintain DEI. They may have the votes in the House, they may have the votes in the Senate, but we control our dollars.”

Today’s event, held on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday, brought together prominent figures in government, organized labor, and business to reflect on the state of DEI and honor leaders who embody its principles, including Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Clarke.

The breakfast honored House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Clarke; Rep. Jasmine Crockett; Eric Bunn, Sr., National Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); and Rev. Terrence Melvin, Secretary-Treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO and President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU).

A significant number of companies began to claw back on those pledges, however, beginning with the 2023 Supreme Court decision to gut affirmative action in higher education. Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman subsequently led the charge against DEI, even as corporate leaders such as longtime JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon argued the policies were good for business.

NAN has been at the vanguard of the fight to protect DEI over the last two years. After Ackman led the effort to oust Harvard University President Claudine Gay — the first Black woman to lead the institution — NAN has rallied outside the billionaire’s Manhattan office every Thursday for more than a year. Now, as a second Trump administration has made it clear it will force an end to diversity policies, the organization will continue to highlight the economic, moral, and social benefits of investing in marginalized communities.

*** If you are interested in covering NAN’s March on Inauguration Day on January 20th, please complete this form by 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 19th. ***

About National Action Network (NAN)

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

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