New York, N.Y. – July 20, 2004– The Honorable John Conyers, Jr. and Judge Damon J. Keith will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the nation and the Detroit community on Saturday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Cobo Center during the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Conference Gala during 2004 Annual Conference in Detroit, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial announced today.

This year’s conference theme is “Empowerment: Building on the Civil Rights Movement.” The conference will convene July 21 through July 25 at COBO Center in Detroit, Michigan. Registration is now open and available via website at www.nul.org and by telephone at (800-263-9926).

Representative Conyers, a Detroit Democrat was re-elected in November 2002 to his 19th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, winning 83 percent of the vote in Michigan’s 14th Congressional District. Congressman Conyers is also one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus and is considered the Dean of that group.

Judge Keith has served as a United States Court of Appeals Judge for the Sixth Circuit since 1977. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals, Judge Keith served as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The National Urban League is the nation’s largest civil rights and community based organization. With over 100 affiliates in 35 states, the National Urban League serves 2 million people in the African American and urban communities nationwide through direct services, advocacy and research.

The Detroit Urban League, under president and CEO N. Charles Anderson, is the host affiliate for this year’s event and G. Richard Wagoner, GM’s chairman and CEO, will serve as the 2004 Conference General Chairperson. Roderick D. Gillum, Vice President, Corporate Diversity, General Motors is the Host Committee Chairman.

Conference activities include free entrance to the Exhibit’s Hall five new Empowerment Zones. The Empowerment Zones in Health, Employment, Technology, Homeownership and Fun (Education & Learning), feature over 400 booths, Fortune 500 businesses, leading national, state and government agencies and nonprofits, among others, along with an Entertainment Stage where talented local artists will perform throughout the day. The Employment Zone’s career fair will allow prospective job seekers to have face-to-face discussions and interviews with recruiters from 100-plus top corporations, nonprofits and government agencies.

Other conference highlights include the Keynote address by National Urban League President Marc H. Morial, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 21; and an appearance by President George Bush, Friday, July 23 at 10:00 a.m. and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry, Thursday, July 22 at 10:00 a.m.

Other speakers and guest appearances include, Rosa Parks, mother of the modern-day civil rights movement; the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr, President & Founder, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; Dave Bing, NBA legend, Chairman & CEO, The Bing Group; Earl G. Graves, Sr., Chairman and CEO, Earl G. Graves, Ltd.; Ann Fudge, Chairman and CEO, Young & Rubicam Inc; Roderick D. Gillum, VP/Corporate Diversity, General Motors Corporation; Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick; the Reverend Al Sharpton, Founder, the National Action Network; Cathy L. Hughes, Founder and Chairperson, Radio One, Inc; Linda Johnson Rice, President & CEO, Johnson Publishing Company; syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner of the Tom Joyner Show; Ted Shaw, Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; the Honorable Dennis W. Archer, President, American Bar Association; Dr. Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Donna Brazile, Managing Director, Brazile & Associates; and Dr. Charles Adams, Pastor, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, Detroit, among others.

Plenary sessions and activities include a National Education Summit: Brown v. Board of Ed: How Far Have We Come? How Far Do We Have to Go?; a workshop on America’s Workforce Crisis: Can We Continue Outsourcing Highly Skilled Jobs and Meet the Country’s Urgent Need for Job Growth; Succeeding: The African-American Corporate Executive’s and Entrepreneur’s Perspectives; a Hip Hop Voter Empowerment Rally led by Unity ’04 in partnership with The Hip Hop Summit Action Network and Rock the Vote; a Benefit Concert with music icon and ten-time Grammy winner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds; the NUL Cultural Night: a Salute to Motown with legendary Motown artists; The Tom Joyner Sky Show; the Women of Power Luncheon; the NULYP Training Ground: A Next Generation Leadership Development Institute targeting young African-American professionals between the ages of 21-35; the NULITES Youth Leadership Summit for youth between the ages of 14-19; the Family Session: Urban League Sunday; and the Annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Conference Gala: A Tribute to Legends. More information about the National Urban League’s 2004 Annual Conference registration, exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities is available on the League’s website at www.nul.org, or by calling 800-263-9926.