Young served as the fourth executive director of the National Urban League and during his tenure brought the league into the civil rights arena, expanding its scope beyond social services.

Sponsored by BP America, Prudential Financial, Toyota, UPS, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club , the event will take place on Saturday July 29 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in the Thomas J. Murphy Ballroom at the Georgia World Congress Center.

This year's Legend Award winners are:
Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, who is the 14th president of Bennett College for Women and first African American woman to serve as president of Spelman College. With more than three decades of experience as a college professor and administrator, her work consistently addresses issues of racial, gender and other forms of discrimination. In 2004, Dr. Cole became the first black to chair the board of the United Way of America. She also serves upon many other boards, including America's Promise and Merck & Co., Inc. An author of numerous publications, Dr. Cole, who earned her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College, her M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Northwestern University, holds 51 honorary doctorates and numerous awards, including the Radcliff medal and the Dorothy I. Height Dreammaker Award.

The Honorable John Lewis, who is the Democratic U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th Congressional District. Often considered "one of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement ever produced," Congressman Lewis was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1986 after years as a civil rights activist. At the age of 23, he was one of the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement as well as an architect of the 1963's historic March on Washington. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Lewis to direct 250,000 volunteers of the federal agency ACTION. A recipient of numerous awards, including the golden Plate Award, the Georgia Democrat is a graduate of Fisk University and the American Baptist Theological Seminary.

Ambassador Andrew Young, who is founding principal and chairman of GoodWorks International, an organization committed to fostering economic development in the Caribbean and Africa. He began his career as an ordained minister and top aide to Dr. Martin Luther King., Jr., during the civil rights movement and served three terms as a member of the U.S. Congress before being appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 1977. He also was mayor of Atlanta for two terms and co-chaired the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Young was appointed chairman of the $100 million Southern Africa Enterprise Development fund in 1994. Most recently, he chaired Workings Families for Wal-Mart.

"It is a delight to honor these three outstanding individuals who have played substantial roles in opening doors for and empowering African Americans in three different realms -- higher education, national politics and international affairs," said Marc H. Morial, president & CEO of the National Urban League.

Charles J. Hamilton, Jr., Esq., National Urban League counsel and senior partner with Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP, and John W. Mack, league trustee and retired president and CEO for the Los Angeles Urban League, will present the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Leadership Award in Race Relations to one Urban League affiliate. Charles M. Collins, former senior vice chairman of the National Urban League, will present the Collins Award.

Thomas D. Hyde, executive vice president & corporate secretary for the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and National Urban League trustee, will be on hand to present a $5 million check to the league.

Remarks will be made by: Ray C. Dempsey, vice president and commercial manager for the Western Hemisphere region for BP; Gabriella E. Morris, vice president for Prudential Financial Community Resources and president of the Prudential Foundation; Jerome Miller, vice president of diversity and inclusion for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.; Jim Winestock, senior vice president of U.S. operations of UPS and a National Urban League trustee; and Noel Hankin, senior vice president of Moet Hennessy USA.

The invocation will be given by The Reverend Dwight Andrews, pastor of the First Congregational Church in Atlanta, with National Urban League Chairman Michael J. Critelli, who is also chairman of the board and CEO of Pitney Bowes Inc., presiding over the event. Jazz recording artist Kathleen Bertrand will provide the entertainment, and wines will be compliments of Moet Hennessy USA.

The National Urban League's 96th annual conference will run from July 26 through July 29 at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year's theme is "Building Economic Power for Black America" and is expected to draw over 10,000 attendees from across the nation and around the region. UPS and The Coca-Cola Company will serve as conference co-chairs.

The conference is the premier networking, recruiting and issues conference for African American professionals nationwide. Highlights include: a career fair with over 100 Fortune 500 Companies and recruiters; top speakers in business, politics and academia; an exciting, interactive exhibit hall with five specialty zones; the "Influencer Summit" targeted at young professionals under 40; franchise and business development opportunities; career coaching; and interactive sessions on building wealth, entrepreneurship, health and education.

More information about the National Urban League's 2006 Annual Conference registration, exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities is available on the League's website at www.nul.org or by calling (800-263-9926).