New York, N.Y. - August 8, 2006 - The National Urban League's 96th annual conference at Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center in late July gathered together a record 13,000 attendees for four days of plenary sessions, luncheons, workshops, empowerment zones and cultural events. This makes it the league's most successful conference to date.

This year's theme was "Building Economic Power for Black America." UPS and The Coca-Cola Company served as 2006 conference sponsors.

The Greater Atlanta Urban League, under the leadership of CEO Clinton E. Dye and Chairman of the Board Brian Lacey, served as host affiliate. E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, and Michael Eskew, Chairman and CEO of UPS, served as conference Co-Chairpersons.

During his opening keynote address, President and CEO Marc H. Morial deemed economic empowerment as the "defining issue of Civil Rights in the 21st century."

"The fight to sit at a lunch counter was an important fight. The fight to be able to afford what was served at the lunch counter is an even more important fight today. And the fight to own the lunch counter is the 21st century," he said. "So we must focus anew on income and equality and poverty. We must focus anew on trying to close the wealth gap. I believe that for this generation, this generation of Americans, black, white, brown, yellow, it is indeed our calling. It is indeed what we have been anointed and asked to do. "

In his keynote, Morial announced that the Urban League will be launching an economic empowerment tour this fall in several cities across the nation to get the word out. He also extended an invitation to all 2008 presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle to speak at the 2007 annual conference to take place in St. Louis, Mo. Prior to the keynote address, Morial kicked off the conference with a wreath laying ceremony at the tombs of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

The conference featured four plenary sessions: a discussion with minority mayors on how to best increase black participation in urban renewal, a workshop on building personal wealth among African Americans, a town hall meeting on the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast following Katrina, and a speech by Time Warner Inc. Chairman and CEO Richard D. Parsons.

Conference speakers included: Gov. Howard Dean (Vermont) chairman of the Democratic National Committee; The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. (Rainbow/PUSH Coalition); Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman; Rev. Al Sharpton; Edith Gee Jones, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans; the Honorable Cedric L. Richmond, Louisiana Legislature representative and chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, president and chief executive officer of LastWord Productions, Inc.; Dr. Farrah Gray, entrepreneur and author of Reallionaire; Kelvin Boston, financial journalist; the Honorable Byron W. Brown, mayor of Buffalo, N.Y.; Baton Rouge, La. Mayor Melvin L. "Kip" Holden; Michael V. Roberts, president of The Roberts Companies; Donna Gambrill, regional director of The Office of Gulf Coast Recovery; and Norman Robinson, news anchor for WDSU NewsChannel 6 in New Orleans, among others.

The annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Conference Awards Gala paid tribute to Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, President of Bennett College for Women; U.S. Rep. John Lewis,(D-Ga.); and Ambassador Andrew Young, co-founding Principal and Chairman of GoodWorks International and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. It also included a check presentation of $5 million from Wal-Mart for job training programs provided by the National Urban League.

The Business Pioneer Award luncheon recognized Herman J. Russell, chairman of H.J. Russell & Company; Janice Bryant Howroyd, chairman & CEO of the Act 1 Group of Companies; and Dale LeFebrve, managing partner of Pharos' Capital Group, LLC, and Chairman & President of Converge.

Star Jones Reynolds, former co-host of ABC's "The View" and attorney, gave the keynote speech at the National Council of Urban League Guilds Leadership Luncheon. The McGannon Award was presented during the luncheon to three Pitney Bowes Inc. employees: Sheryl Y. Battles, vice president of corporate communications; Susan L. Johnson, vice president of human resources; and Polly O'Brien Morrow, director of community investments. It also featured a $1.6 million check presentation by AT&T for digital career academies.

The third annual Woman of Power Luncheon honored: Xernona Clayton, President and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation; UPS Foundation President Evern Cooper; two-time Olympic Track and Field Champion Gail Devers; Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin ; Model and Entrepreneur Iman; Coca-Cola Foundation Chairwoman Ingrid Saunders Jones; and Georgia State Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears.

The family prayer session also welcomed new Urban League CEOs, honored retiring ones and included the presentation of the Ann Tanneyhill Award. Speakers included: The Reverend Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, The Reverend Ernest Ferrell, president of the Tallahassee Urban League; The Ebenezer Baptist Church's Martin Luther King Choir; Bishop Paul S. Morton, pastor of Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga.; Michael J. Critelli, chairman of the National Urban League and chairman of the board and CEO of Pitney Bowes, Inc.; David Gonzales, vice president of community affairs at PepsiCo, Inc.; Philip Berry, vice president and corporate officer of global workplace initiatives at Colgate Palmolive, among others.

Soul singers Angie Stone and Gladys Knight headlined the annual benefit concert at the Atlanta Civic Center. Also, comedian D.L. Hughley, star of ABC's "The Hughleys," and rising star Earthquake, who has toured with Def Comedy Jam, performed as part of the conference's Comedy Night.

The NULITES (National Urban League Incentives to Excel and Succeed) held its annual Youth Leadership Summit at Georgia Tech. This year's Influencer Summit, sponsored by Citigroup and hosted by the National Urban League Young Professionals (NULYP), Marketing Opportunities in Business and Entertainment (MOBE) and Urban Influence Magazine (UIM), featured hip-hop legend Chuck D, among others.

The Empowerment Exhibits Zone featured 350 exhibits with representatives from Fortune 500 companies, federal, state and local governments, respected philanthropic institutions, prominent community-based organizations and leading academic institutions, including historically black colleges and universities. It is made up of several smaller zones, devoted to employment, homeownership, technology, health and general interests well as a franchise pavilion, where burgeoning entrepreneurs could learn about the most promising franchise opportunities.

In closing his keynote speech, Morial called upon members of the Urban League movement to be the drum majors of the 21st century for economic empowerment.

"We must be the new leaders to define this new movement, because it is indeed consistent with our roots. But in the 21st century it means more than programs, although it means programs that reach people. It means public policy. It means building new partnerships. It means that we must become stronger or visible community leaders," he said.

"It means that we must be, if you will, drum majors in the suites and on the streets. It means we must be drum majors with our friends in the business community, and with our friends in the Civil Rights community. It means we must be leaders, leaders who are destined to serve," Morial added.

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