Mayors Gather in Birmingham, Ala., for National Convening to Curb Violence Against Black Men and Boys
Media Contacts:
April Odom
Mayor’s Office of Public Information
Mayors Gather in Birmingham, Ala., for National Convening to Curb Violence Against Black Men and Boys
3rd Annual Cities United convening brings mayors and other city leaders to uplift African American men and boys, while confronting the urgent crisis they face
WHAT:With homicide as the leading cause of death for African American men and boys age 10-24, U.S. mayors and city leaders are gathering in Birmingham, Ala., to share ideas and solutions to reduce violence and restore hope and opportunity.
“We welcome the Cities United 2016 convening to Birmingham, Alabama, to address the urgent issue for the prosperity of cities and our nation—stemming the tide of violence against and among African American men and boys,” said Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell, Sr. “This convening is bringing together mayors, youth, philanthropy and community leaders to build upon efforts to reduce violence in our communities and strengthen achievement and outcomes for African American men and boys across the nation.”
The 2016 Cities United convening, The Fierce Urgency of Now, is a three-day gathering that will provide cities with crucial tools and resources to build on and accelerate efforts to reduce violence and improve outcomes for African American men and boys across the United States. The convening will feature interactive dialogue among mayors, youth, philanthropy and community leaders from across the country.
“Cities United is founded on the simple but fundamental premise—African American men and boys matter,” said Anthony Smith, executive director of Cities United. “For our cities to progress, we must improve life outcomes and expand opportunities for all of our young people. Together, we are working to create safe, healthy and hopeful communities by ending violence against African American men and boys and helping build pathways to justice, employment, education and increased opportunities.”
Key themes include the need to address trauma in communities impacted by violence, creating more employment opportunities and job training and reforming the criminal justice system. The convening aims to:
- Highlight effective programs and initiatives for city leaders to take back to their hometowns.
- Leverage resources and share knowledge to strengthen the network of organizations and individuals working to improve the lives of African American men and boys.
- Uplift the voices, leadership and perspective of youth.
Cities United equips mayors and local leaders with the tools, practices, skills and resources needed to effectively eliminate violence against African American men and boys. Doing so strengthens communities, cities and the nation as a whole. For example, the CDC estimates that reducing violence by 50 percent saves over $35 billion in annual medical and lost productivity costs alone.
The 2016 convening is being sponsored by the Jacob and Valerie Langeloth Foundation, Casey Family Programs, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Coca-Cola and BBVA Compass.
Media interested in attending should RSVP to DebayaniKar, Debayani@wonderforgood.com, or Bilen Mesfin Packwood, bilen@change-llc.com, by May 2, 2016.
WHO:Mayors, philanthropy and community leaders from throughout the U.S., including:
- The City of Birmingham, AL – Mayor William A. Bell, Sr.
- The City of Tuskegee, AL – Mayor Johnny Ford
- The City of Knoxville, TN – Mayor Madeline Rogero
- The City of Madison, WI – Mayor Paul Soglin
- The City of Milwaukee, WI – MayorTom Barrett
- The City of Minneapolis, MN – Mayor Betsy Hodges
- The City of New Orleans, LA – Mayor Mitch Landrieu, founding member(invited)
- The City of Philadelphia, PA – former Mayor Michael Nutter, founding member(invited)
- Campaign for Black Male Achievement – Shawn Dove, founding member
- Cities United – Anthony Smith
- Casey Family Programs – Dr. William C. Bell, founding member
- National League of Cities – founding member
- Roy Austin, Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity, White House, Domestic Policy Council
- Youth leaders
WHEN: Tuesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 5, 2016
May 3 at 4:30 p.m. Opening Session – Welcome to Birmingham
Cities United Executive Director, Anthony Smith
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel
2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N.
Also available on Periscope: @CitiesUnited
May 3 at 6:00 p.m.March for Hope & March for Hope Press Conference
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
520 Sixteenth Street North
May 4 at 9:30 a.m.Opening plenary, The Voices of the Affected
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel
2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N.
Also available on Periscope: @CitiesUnited
May 4 at 10:30 a.m. Mayors’ Press Conference
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel
2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N.
Also available on Periscope: @CitiesUnited
May 4 at 3:15 p.m. Finding Common Ground: A Multi-Generational Fishbowl
Conversation
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel
2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N.
Also available on Periscope: @CitiesUnited
WHERE: Sheraton Birmingham Hotel
2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N. Birmingham, AL
###
ABOUT CITIES UNITED:
Cities United was launched in 2011 by Philadelphia Mayor, Michael Nutter, who partnered with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Casey Family Programs President and CEO, William C. Bell, Campaign for Black Male Achievement CEO, Shawn Dove and the National League of Cities to forge a national network of communities focused on eliminating violence in American cities related to African American men and boys. Today, this movement has grown to nearly 80 cities committed to working with community leaders, families, youth, philanthropic organizations and other stakeholders to reduce the epidemic of homicides and violence plaguing African American men and boys. These cities also are focused on restoring hope to their communities and building pathways to justice, employment, education and increased opportunities for residents. For more information: http://www.citiesunited.org/.
