Conyers Announces Judiciary Braintrust Forums at CBC Annual Legislative Conference

Forums will be held on: “H.R. 40 Sustaining a Dialogue on the Legacy of Slavery,” “The Trayvon Martin Tragedy,” “Protecting the Right to Vote,” and “The Return of Detroit: From Bankruptcy to Rebirth”

(WASHINGTON) – This Friday, September 20^th at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislation Conference, in Room 143-A of the Washington Convention Center, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) will be hosting four separate Judiciary braintrusts on Advancing the Civil Rights Agenda. The four forums will include discussions with participants on the legacy of slavery, the Trayvon Martin Tragedy, protecting the right to vote following the Supreme Court’s decision in Holder v. Shelby County, and the way forward from Detroit’s bankruptcy filing. The braintrusts will feature panels composed of leaders in the civil rights movement, elected officials, prominent academics, critical advocacy organizations, and civic leaders.

Further information about the four braintrusts is detailed below:

What:	Chairman Conyers Judiciary Braintrust – H.R. 40: Sustaining a Dialogue on the Legacy of Slavery
Who:	Ø  Moderator – Dr. Ron Daniels – Institute of the Black World 21stCentury Ø  Dr. Julianne Malveaux – Former President of Benedict College Ø  Nkechi Taifa – Open Society Institute Ø  Council Member JoAnn Watson (Detroit At-Large)
When:	Friday, September 20th, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where:	Washington Convention Center: Room 143-A

What:	Chairman Conyers Judiciary Braintrust – The Trayvon Martin Tragedy: The Intersection of Criminal Justice Reform and Racial Profiling
Who:	Ø  Moderator – Tanya Clay House – Public Policy Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Ø  Benjamin Crump, Esq. – Counsel to Trayvon Martin Family at Parks & Crump Ø  Chief John Dixon – President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Ø  Professor Charles Ogletree – Harvard Law School Ø  Laura Murphy – Director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, DC Ø  Patricia Rosier, Esq. – President of the National Bar Association Ø  Ron Scott – Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality Ø  Reverend Al Sharpton – President and Founder of the National Action Network Ø  Imani Walker – Executive Director of the Rebecca Project Ø  Donnell White – Detroit Police Commissioner
When:	Friday, September 20th, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where:	Washington Convention Center: Room 143-A

What:	Chairman Conyers Judiciary Braintrust – Protecting the Right to Vote
Who:	Ø  Moderator – Professor Spencer Overton – George Washington University Law School Ø  Barbara R. Arnwine – Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Ø  Nicole M. Austen-Hillery – Director and Counsel Washington Office, Brennan Center for Justice Ø  Wade Henderson – President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Ø  Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. – Founder Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Ø  Dr. Tyson D. King-Meadows, Ph.D. – University of Maryland Baltimore County Ø  Greg Moore – Executive Director of the NAACP National Voter Fund Ø  Professor Charles Ogletree – Harvard Law School Ø  Becky Pringle – Secretary/Treasurer of the National Education Association Ø  Hilary Shelton – Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy of the NAACP Ø  Deborah J. Vagins – Senior Legislative Counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office
When:	Friday, September 20th, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where:	Washington Convention Center: Room 143-A

What:	Chairman Conyers Judiciary Braintrust – The Return of Detroit: From Bankruptcy to Rebirth
Who:	Ø  Moderator – Dr. Michael Eric Dyson – Professor, Georgetown University Ø  Reverend Wendell Anthony – President of the NAACP, Detroit Chapter Ø  Krystal Crittendon – Former counsel for the City of Detroit Ø  Al Garrett – President of AFSCME, Detroit Chapter Ø  Harvey Hollins III – Director of the Michigan Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives Ø  State Senator Bert Johnson (MI-2nd District) Ø  James Spiotto – Partner and head of the Special Litigation, Bankruptcy and Workout Group, Chapman & Cutler LLP Ø  Professor John A. E. Pottow – University of Michigan Law School Ø  Council Member JoAnn Watson (Detroit At-Large)
When:	Friday, September 20th, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where:	Washington Convention Center: Room 143-A

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