2022 EMPOWERMENT AND POLICY CONFERENCE PLENARY PANELS
View full agenda here.
DAY ONE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2022
10:00AM – 11:00AM CST
PLENARY PANEL – Investing in Racial Equity:
Since 2020 the United States has been going through a racial reckoning. Many organizations across the nation, large and small, were voicing support for racial equity. But what does it look like to move beyond words and put your money where your mouth is? The panelists on “Investing in Racial Equity” will share what they have learned and seen through their investments that explicitly fund racial equity and uncover what is needed from philanthropy to ensure that investments match the work being done in communities across Louisiana every day in support of racial equity.
- Deirdre Johnson Burel, Senior Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Andy Kopplin, President & CEO, Greater New Orleans Foundation
- Carmen James Randolph, Founding President & CEO, Women’s Foundation of the South
- Chantel Rush, Managing Director, American Cities, Kresge Foundation
- Takema M. Robinson, Founder, Converge for Change, Moderator
11:00AM – 12:00PM CST
PLENARY PANEL – Moving Toward Holistic Health:
Achieving health equity requires a multifaceted approach – one that addresses health holistically. This panel will explore what it will take to make health equity a reality and consider what strong health equity infrastructure looks like. Local health leaders will respond to important questions like, what do we need to focus our attention on to create a strong health infrastructure to move us closer to health equity? And has the experience of COVID-19 shifted the way we think about holistic health and health equity?
- Davondra Brown, M.Ed., Director, Community Partnerships & Health Equity Louisiana Department of Health
- Dr. Eric Griggs, M.D., Health Equity Ambassador, State of Louisiana
- Dr. Eboni Price-Haywood, M.D., MPH, Medical Director, Ochsner Xavier Institute for Health Equity and Research
- Alma C. Stewart, R.N., M.S., President, Louisiana Center for Health Equity
- Dr. Julie Morial, M.D., MPH, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare, Moderator
DAY TWO: THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022
8:50AM – 10:00AM CST
PLENARY PANEL – Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus: 2022 Legislative Session:
The 2022 Legislative Session begins on March 14th, 2022. Members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus from across the state will share what to expect, what to pay attention to, and what to advocate for.
- Rep. Kyle Green, LA House of Representatives, District 83
- Sen. Katrina Jackson, LA House of Representatives District 34
- Rep. Edmond Jordan, LA House of Representatives, District 29
- Rep. Ed Larvadain III, LA House of Representatives, District 26
- Rep. Candace Newell, LA House of Representatives, District 99
- Rep. Tammy Phelps, LA House of Representatives, District 3
- Rep. Vincent Pierre, Chairman, LA Legislative Black Caucus, LA House of Representatives, District 44
- Rep. Jason Hughes, LA House of Representatives, District 100, Moderator
10:00AM – 11:00AM CST
PLENARY PANEL – Redistricting Louisiana:
Redistricting only happens once every ten years and the Louisiana legislature just voted in February to pass new maps for important political districts including U.S. Congress, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and the State House of Representatives and Senate. During hearings held across the state, residents called for better representation for African Americans who make up a third of the state’s population based on the 2020 Census data – but the maps that passed did not do this.
Just this week Governor Edwards vetoed the unfair Congressional map, but not the ones for the State legislature or BESE. Make sure you know what to be paying attention to as the redistricting process moves forward. Hear from a panel of advocates and experts on where we go from here and how you can help continue the fight for fair maps.
- Jared Evans, Policy Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Alanah Odoms, Executive Director, ACLU of Louisiana
- Ashley Shelton, Executive Director, Power Coalition
- Nicole Jolly, Vice President, Strategy and Engagement, Urban League of Louisiana, Moderator
11:10AM – 12:00PM CST
PLENARY PANEL – Infrastructure Act: What’s Possible in Louisiana?:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is an historic investment and a generation-defining infrastructure bill. The roughly $1.2 trillion bill touches every sector of infrastructure, from transportation and water to energy, broadband, and housing, and contains policy reforms and funding for hundreds of programs. What can we expect to see in Louisiana, particularly within transportation and housing? What are the opportunities and who will benefit?
- Andreanecia Morris, Executive Director, Housing Louisiana
- Kyle Wedberg, Senior Manager, Research and Consulting, Government Officers Association
- Dr. Shawn Wilson, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
- Donald Cravins, Jr., Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, National Urban League, Moderator
12:30PM – 1:30PM CST
PLENARY PANEL – SEE CHANGE: Closing The Racial Wealth Gap:
A close examination of wealth in the U.S. finds evidence of staggering racial disparities, according to the Brookings Institute. Nationally, the net worth of a typical white family ($171,000) was nearly ten times greater than that of a Black family ($17,150) in 2016. By 2050, Metro New Orleans stands to realize a $3 billion gain in economic output by closing the racial equity gap.
The racial wealth gap persists due to accumulated inequality, discrimination, and policy – but it can be addressed. This panel features the SEE CHANGE National Advisory Committee who will speak to the opportunity for wealth creation in Black and Brown communities – from entrepreneurship and homeownership to strategies rooted in community – these experts will shed light on where we can go from here to close the racial wealth gap.
- Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence, PolicyLink
- Bill Bynum, CEO, Hope Credit Union
- Peggy Davis, Vice President Community Impact, Chicago Community Trust
- Dr. JaNay Queen Nazaire, Senior Advisor, PSG
- Dr. Andre M. Perry, Author and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute
- Judy Reese Morse, President and CEO, Urban League of Louisiana, Moderator
1:30PM – 2:30PM CST
PLENARY PANEL – Sustaining Louisiana’s Cities featuring Mayors of Louisiana:
Back by popular demand, African American Mayors in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Alexandria will come together to share their thoughts on leading through a global pandemic, their plans for creating more sustainable cities and the opportunities to increase equity through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Don’t miss this intimate and important conversation about the future of Louisiana cities. - Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President, Baton Rouge
- LaToya Cantrell, Mayor, New Orleans
- Jeff Hall, Mayor, Alexandria
- Jade Brown Russell, Principal, JD Rusell Consulting, Moderator