New York, NY, July 19, 2004—The National Urban League will present 10-time Grammy winner and music icon Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds at the Fox Theatre, Thursday, July 22 at 8:00 p.m during the 2004 Annual Conference in Detroit, National Urban League President & CEO Marc H. Morial announced today.

The theme of the conference is Empowerment: Building on the Civil Rights Movement and is expected to draw 15,000 attendees from across the nation and the region. Registration is now open and available via website at www.nul.org and by telephone (800-263-9926).

The National Urban League 2004 Annual Conference takes place Wednesday, July 21 through Sunday, July 25 at the COBO Center. The Detroit Urban League, under the leadership of N. Charles Anderson, is the host affiliate. G. Richard Wagoner, Chairman, President and CEO, General Motors Corporation will serve as the 2004 Conference Chairperson. Roderick D. Gillum, Vice President/Corporate Diversity, General Motors Corporation is the Host Committee Chairman.

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.

Edmonds will perform at the annual benefit concert sponsored by MGM Mirage, Anheuser-Bush Companies, the Coca-Cola Company, Enterprise Rental Car and Toyota. Tickets prices are $125, $75, and $50. Purchase of a $125 ticket and reserve a space at the pre-concert reception sponsored by Marriott and State Farm Insurance. For ticket information call 1-800-263-9926 or log on to www.nul.org.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds has earned 10 Grammy awards including "Producer of the Year," and awards including the "NAACP Image Award," "Soul Train Music Award," and "BET's Entertainer of the Year Award." His hits include "I'll Make Love to You," "When Can I See You," "Breathe Again," and "Every Time I Close My Eyes."

The Salute to Motown featuring Ashford and Simpson, The Contours and the Miracles will be held at the Fox Theatre, Friday, July 23 at 9:00 p.m. The concert is free for registered attendees.

Other speakers include U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige; Jesse Jackson, Sr., Founder & President, Rainbow/PUSH Operation; Ann Fudge, Chairman & CEO, Young & Rubicam Inc; Rosa Parks, mother of the modern-day civil rights movement; Dr. Charles J. Ogletree, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Professor Derrick Bell, NYU School of Law District; the Honorable Dennis W. Archer, President, American Bar Association; Cathy L. Hughes, Founder and Chairperson, Radio One, Inc.; Linda Johnson-Rice, President & CEO, Johnson Publishing Company; Donna Brazile, Managing Director, Brazile & Associates; the Reverend Al Sharpton, Founder, National Action Network; Ted Shaw, Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund; and Dr. Charles Adams, Pastor, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, Detroit.

Other conference highlights include five new Empowerment Exhibit Zones on Health, Employment, Technology, Homeownership, and Fun (Education & Learning) that are free and open to the public; the Women of Power Awards luncheon; the Vote 2004: Hip Hop Voter Empowerment Rally & Voter Registration Drive to register youth and young adults; the annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Conference gala tribute to legends; the NULYP (National Urban League Young Professionals) Training Ground: A Next Generation Leadership Development Seminar; A NULITES (National Urban League Incentives to Excel and Succeed) Youth Summit. The nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Sky Show will also broadcast live from the conference.

New additions to the conference include a 3-kilometer Wellness Walk targeting community health empowerment; an Urban League Book Drive for Detroit Youth; a Behind the Business Tour of Detroit's African-American businesses; and a historic bus tour of Detroit, which will include the original Motown Studio and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African History.

In addition, strategic vision forums will address empowering the black male, closing the achievement gap, best diversity practices, health disparities in the African-American community, America's workforce crisis and reinvestment for urban communities.

National Urban League conference activities open to registered guests include the President's keynote address; and the annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Conference Gala Special Tribute to Legends. The free Career Fair, located in the Employment Zone, features more than 100 Fortune 500 and high-tech companies, as well as non-profit and government agencies with both local and national job opportunities.