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Republicans in Congress are hoping to reconcile differences in the Senate and House tax bills and get it passed by Christmas. Good luck getting this from Santa, guys. Based on the latest polls, your leader has been pretty naughty. It’s a good thing the president is such a fan of coal. The tax bills increasingly reward the wealthy, and 45 will have his work cut out for him as he heads to Capitol Hill today to help sell the legislation. Later he meets with Congressional leadership at the White House. Also happening -- Trump's nominee to replace Janet Yellen as Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, faces his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee today. We have more on Trump’s insulting comments to Native Americans below. But no one should be surprised by this. In a 1993 radio interview with disgraced host Don Imus, Trump mocked Native American communities that had opened or wanted to open casinos in NY, CT, and NJ -- all in the vicinity of Trump’s own competing properties in Atlantic City. Also, the standoff at the Consumer Protection Finance Bureau continues, as competing directors instruct staff. And a woman was exposed as trying to dupe WaPo with false accusations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, all in an effort to undermine the paper and the actual victims who have claimed sexual assault. Reporters didn’t fall for it. The folks who love to shout fake news sure do spend a lot of time pushing fake news. In vocab news, Dictionary.com has selected its word for 2017: "complicit." It cited the term's renewed relevance in America's culture and politics. And lastly, JAY-Z leads the pack in Grammy nominations, with Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars not far behind. And Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber are up for song of the year with “Despacito.” See all the noms here. We’re kicking off your Tuesday with this...
- Former President Barack Obama will meet with world leaders.
- Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) expected to announce retirement today.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and colleagues intro 'revenge porn' legislation.
- Obama Presidential Center plans gets reviewed by the feds.
- Indian Country rips Trump’s 'Pocahontas' comment.
- New report on law firms shows lack of diversity at the top.
- Another woman comes forward with sexual harassment claims against Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) while Congressman Al Green (D-TX) gets ahead of an old claim.
- Lawmakers intro bill for more aid for Puerto Rico.
- Van Jones gets his own show on CNN.
- Meet the new director of the DNC’s Women’s Leadership Forum.
- Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) isn’t playing favorites.
- SCOTUS rejects MS Confederate flag case.
- Bakari Sellers eyes the seat of Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC).
- Former NC legislator jumps into congressional race.
- Telemundo and NYC NBC affiliate open San Juan bureau.
- Eric Holder heading to Memphis to commemorate the 50th anniversary of MLK’s assassination.
- New York magazine columnist heads to NAACP LDF as writer-in-residence.
- Trump team unites to try to unseat Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA).
- The Mooch threatens to sue college student over “defamatory” editorial.
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Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) preparing for the upcoming winter season by getting a flu shot. | |  | Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) at home during the Thanksgiving break supporting Small Business Saturday. | |
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Obama Traveling to Meet with Leaders of China and India
As The Beat DC told you last week, former President Barack Obama will travel to New Delhi on December 1st for an Obama Foundation event with Indian youth. Now, he’s scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India during the upcoming trip. According to a reporter with AP, Obama will visit China and India before heading to Paris. More here.
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Gutiérrez Expected to Announce Retirement
Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) today is expected to announce that he will not seek re-election in 2018, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Gutiérrez has yet to make his formal announcement, and speculation as to who will run to fill his seat has already begun. Word is that former Chicago mayoral candidate Jesús "Chuy" García will begin circulating petitions for the post, and Carlos Ramírez-Rosa, Alderman for Chicago’s 35th District, is being added to the mix as well. While folks are ready to jump in the race, there's been speculation before about Gutiérrez stepping away from Congress to run for Mayor of Chicago. We'll find out more later today, as he has a press conference scheduled for this afternoon, where, sources tell The Beat DC, Gutiérrez will endorse García. We’ll explore more about García tomorrow. More here.
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Kamala Harris and Colleagues Intro Revenge Porn Legislation
Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) joined colleagues Richard Burr (R-NC) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), as well as Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) in introducing a bill on Monday to address revenge porn. The bill, Ending Nonconsensual Online User Graphic Harassment (ENOUGH) Act of 2017, is designed to address the unwanted sharing of private, explicit images. Specifically, the bill will ensure the DOJ has tools in place to address revenge porn and establish federal criminal liability for those who share revenge porn and other consensual images. In order to prosecute someone under the ENOUGH Act, there would need to be proof that the person knew the victim, expected the image to remain private, and that sharing the image would harm the victim. "Perpetrators of exploitation who seek to humiliate and shame their victims must be held accountable," said Harris. "It is long past time for the federal government to take action to give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on these crimes." More here.
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Third Conyers Accuser Recounts Unwanted Touching
Deanna Maher, a former Deputy Chief of Staff who ran the district office of Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) from 1997 to 2005, told The Detroit News that the Congressman made unwanted advances toward her three times, including inappropriate touching, adding to allegations by unnamed former employees that have prompted a congressional investigation. The 77-year-old says incidents with the now 88-year-old Conyers involved unwanted touching in a car in 1998 and another unwanted touching of her legs under her dress in 1999. Conyers’ attorney Arnold Reed questioned why Maher would continue to work for Conyers for so many years after the alleged incidents. Maher retorted, "I needed to earn a living, and I was 57. How many people are going to hire you at that age?" Reed also said Maher’s allegations are uncorroborated and that his client denies wrongdoing. "At the end of the day, he’s confident that he will be exonerated because he maintains that he has not done anything wrong," Reed said. More here.
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CBS This Morning's Gayle King with her son William and daughter Kirby in the Bahamas over the Thanksgiving break. | |  |
American Urban Radio Networks' April Ryan and daughters Ryan and Grace, with actor Mark Campbell, who plays Scar in the touring production of The Lion King. | |
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Indian Country Reacts to Trump’s ‘Pocahontas’ Comment
At a White House ceremony honoring Navajo veterans of World War II, Donald Trump used the event as an opportunity to once again disparage Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) by calling her “Pocahontas.” Indian Country was not pleased. National Congress of American Indians President Jefferson Keel issued a statement saying, "We regret that the President’s use of the name Pocahontas as a slur to insult a political adversary is overshadowing the true purpose of today’s White House ceremony. Today was about recognizing the remarkable courage and invaluable contributions of our Native code talkers. ... Once again, we call upon the President to refrain from using her name in a way that denigrates her legacy." Dr. J.R. Norwood, General Secretary of the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes stated that "degrading an American Indian name or historic tribal reference by using it as an insult is making a racial slur, whether knowingly or unknowingly. The right to determine if it is a slur belongs to those who have been insulted, not the one who made the insult. The appropriate and mature response when one is made aware of such an insult to an entire race of people is to apologize and to not do it again." Indian Country columnist Ruth Hopkins tweeted that "Pocahontas was a pre-teen who was kidnapped, held hostage & raped by European invaders. Stop using her name as a racial slur & how dare you insult these brave Native men who risked their lives for this country." The event took place during Native American Heritage Month and in front of a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, who signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which resulted in the "Trail of Tears," the mass displacement of Native Americans. See more reactions from Indian Country here.
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Eric Holder Will Head to Memphis to Commemorate MLK
Former AG Eric Holder will be going to Tennessee next spring to the National Civil Rights Museum and the University of Memphis for a two-day symposium about civil rights and economic equality, on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The theme for the event is based on King's final book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Topics to be covered by speakers and panelists include criminal justice, voting rights, poverty, and activism. The symposium is scheduled to take place April 2-3, 2018. It will end with a ceremony on April 4th to commemorate the anniversary of King's death. Holder will keynote the first day of the symposium. More here.
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Feds Review Obama Presidential Center Plans
Before construction can begin on the Obama Presidential Center, the feds have to give it a review. The OPC will consume more than 20 acres in Chicago’s Jackson Park and officials will review how to minimize and mitigate any adverse impact on the surrounding South Side community. This new phase brings in federal and possibly State of Illinois actors, and will strengthen the hand of local and national organizations wanting to manage the changes that are in the pipeline for Jackson Park. The feds will take into account: park history, design legacy, cultural landscape, architectural, archaeological, and ecological features, and how things will look and mesh with the neighborhood. The review kicks off on Friday morning. More here.
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|  | Lin-Manuel Miranda with Stella McCartney getting fitted for his sustainable opening night Hamilton outfit in London. | |  | CNN contributor Joshua DuBois and wife Michelle welcomed home their newborn baby girl over the Thanksgiving holiday. | |
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Big Names Line Up to Unseat Maxine Waters
Republican Omar Navarro is trying again to unseat Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA). He lost badly to Waters last fall. However, this time he’s got Trump confidant Roger Stone as a campaign advisor, former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio on a weekly call schedule, and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones recently hosted him on his popular show. Plus, as The Beat DC reported earlier this month, a group of major Republican donors plans to take on the long-serving Congressional Black Caucus member. Navarro, whose family migrated from Cuba, advocates for increased scrutiny toward refugees seeking to resettle. According to his website, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and is the coordinator for the Unified Small Business Alliance Outreach Program. More here.
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NC A&T University Grad Jumps Into NC Congressional Race
Linda Coleman, a former three-term North Carolina General Assembly member and Lieutenant Governor candidate, is running to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for NC’s second congressional district. If she wins the Democratic primary, she will challenge GOP incumbent Congressman George Holding in 2018. After graduating from NC A&T State University, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority member went on to earn her Master's from the University of Pittsburgh. She previously served as Chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, was elected three times to the North Carolina House of Representatives, and served as the Director of the Office of State Personnel from 2009 to 2012. Coleman ran for Lieutenant Governor twice, narrowly losing to Dan Forest both times. More about her here.
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Sellers Eyes Clyburn Seat
Former South Carolina state Representative and CNN commentator Bakari Sellers has expressed interest in running for Congress … when Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC) retires. In an interview with The State, the 33-year-old Morehouse and University of South Carolina School of Law grad said he is not thinking about running against the 77-year-old Clyburn if he seeks re-election, but that “When that opportunity presents itself, when it arises, it's fair to say I will be raring and ready to go to get the voters of the 6th District to send me to Congress.” A former Clyburn intern, Sellers has been a rising star in the Democratic Party since he was first elected to the SC House at the age of 22. In 2014, he ran for lieutenant governor, and he is now an attorney at the Strom Law Firm in Columbia. We see you, Bakari. More here.
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José Genera Polanco, Mayor of the town of Florida, Puerto Rico, with Resident Commissioner Congresswoman Jenniffer González (R-PR) last week. | |  |
NM congressional candidate Deb Haaland with her family on Thanksgiving. | |
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NY Magazine Columnist Heads to NAACP LDF
New York magazine Columnist and Editor for Radiolab's More Perfect, Cristian Farías, is joining the NAACP LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute as a writer-in-residence. He will work to create focused analysis and commentary on its areas of research and advocacy. He previously worked as a Legal Affairs Reporter for HuffPost. After graduating from Rutgers University, Farías went on to complete law school at the City University of New York. His areas of commentary and analysis include SCOTUS, civil rights issues, criminal justice, and related issues. He says he “tries to crystallize for readers whether the Constitution and the rule of law matter, if at all, to the current administration.” More about him here.
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Telemundo and NBC Launch Bureau in San Juan
The Telemundo and NBC affiliate in NYC has opened a San Juan bureau to increase coverage of the ongoing recovery efforts since Hurricane Maria devastated the island more than two months ago. The bureau launched last week and will operate through February 2018. Reporter Julio “Gaby” Acevedo (pictured), will be based in Puerto Rico and will file reports in both English and Spanish for all NBC and Telemundo stations across the U.S. Acevedo is a local broadcast veteran in Puerto Rico. WNBC’s Darlene Rodríguez, Michael Gargiulo, Ray Villeda, and Erica Byfield, as well as WNJU’s Alberto Rullán and Cristina Navarrete will also file reports from the bureau on occasion. More here.
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Van Jones Gets Own CNN Show
Starting January 2018, author and CNN commentator Van Jones will get his own show on CNN. The Van Jones Show will be an hour long, air twice a month during primetime, and be filmed before a live studio audience. The network also announced the development of a new original documentary series in partnership with Jones' production company, Citizen Jones. Hosted by Jones, the series will focus on reconciliation, hope, and redemption within the criminal justice system. The Beat DC will keep you posted as more details emerge. Congrats, Van! More here.
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|  | Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice with One Concern co-founders Ahmad Wani and Nicole Hu. | |  | Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) on Saturday tailgating with friends at the Iron Bowl -- the big rivalry game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers. | |
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DNC Makes New Hire
Jessica Knight Henry has joined the Democratic National Committee's Finance team as the Women's Leadership Forum Director. The Millsaps College graduate is a former Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus and a former Manager at the League Of Conservation Voters. “I'm extremely excited about the position and can't wait to work with this wonderful network of women,” Henry said in an email to friends. She began her career in politics as a Development Associate for Berger Strategies and Hirschberg Strategies. Congrats, Jessica! More about her here.
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Law Firm Diversity Grows ... Just Not at the Top
A new report by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) finds that minority lawyers make up 16% of law firms -- a record high -- but remain scarce at the top; only 9% of law firm partners are people of color. Hispanics are the most underrepresented minority among law firm attorneys when compared to their share of the population, but they have seen the most consistent progress. They now make up almost 4% of law firm attorneys and are also more likely to be partners at their firms than their Asian or African American counterparts. African American attorneys are less represented than they were ten years ago, making up only 3% of law firm attorneys. MCCA found that firms are hiring fewer Black attorneys and that they are more likely than other minority groups to leave their firms. There are now more Asian lawyers than Hispanic and Black attorneys combined, but Asian American lawyers are the most underrepresented in firm leadership: only 20% are partners, compared to 27% of African Americans, 31% of Hispanics, and 47% of whites. On the corporate side, general counsels at Fortune 500 firms are now 5% women of color and 7% men of color, while 22% are white women. Nearly 70% are white men. WaPo takes a full look at the findings here.
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|  | Donna Brazile on Sunday in San Francisco at The Commonwealth Club of California discussing her new book. | |  |
Roland Martin with Texas A&M; University head football coach Keith Sumlin. | |
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Members Into $146 Billion Plan for USVI and Puerto Rico
Delegate Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) and Congressman Darren Soto (D-FL) will join Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) -- who is leading the effort, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Ed Markey (D-MA) to introduce a comprehensive plan to address the immediate humanitarian needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and ensure that the islands are able to rebuild in a way that empowers them to thrive. They will introduce the bill, which comes with a $146 billion price tag, at a press conference today. It has the backing of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz and also calls on Congress to consider retiring Puerto Rico’s debt and would give the island billions in additional federal funding for transportation, healthcare, and education in the hopes of stemming a feared mass exodus to the mainland. The bill is highly unlikely to get a vote in Congress and is more generous even than the $94 billion requested by Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló. More here.
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Al Green Resurfaces Harassment Claims With Preemptive Statement
Clearly, members of Congress are increasingly nervous as allegations of harassment continue to surface about their colleagues. The Houston Chronicle reports that more than a decade ago, Congressman Al Green (D-TX) had a "romantic encounter" with a former aide in Houston, which later led to an allegation of sexual assault and talk of lawsuits and employee discrimination. But the incident quieted down in a 2008 agreement between the two. Green resurfaced the issue on Monday, putting out a statement explaining that he and the woman, Lucinda Daniels, are "consenting friends" and "regret [their] former claims" -- and that there was no payment ever made in the case. "In the present climate, we wish to jointly quiet any curious minds about our former and present relationship with one another," Green and Daniels said in a joint statement. "We are friends, and have long been friends. At an unfortunate time in our lives, when both of our feelings were hurt, we hastily made allegations against one another that have been absolutely resolved." More here.
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Curbelo Making Enemies Left and Right
From K Street to the Capitol and all around DC, Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) is making enemies on both ends of the political spectrum. His recent public spat with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus created deeper divisions with his colleagues on the left. His criticisms of the administration for refusing to take an active role in fighting climate change, coupled with his admonishment of the NRA after they opposed his efforts to ban bump stocks -- devices like those used in the Las Vegas shooting that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like fully automatic weapons -- have made him enemies on the right. “Most Americans are sick of the games, the hypocrisy, and honestly if that’s what’s required to be successful here, I’d rather go home,” Curbelo said. “It’s the only way worth doing this work. You can either go along to get along and just be polite all the time and ignore the underlying reality or you can kind of call things the way you see them and expose what’s really going on around here.” Take a look at some of Curbelo’s battles here.
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Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) in her district supporting Small Business Saturday. | |  | VA Lt. Gov.-elect Justin Fairfax on Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Vienna. | |
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SCOTUS Rejects Confederate Flag Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Clarksdale, MS Municipal Judge Carlos E. Moore’s lawsuit that said the state flag promotes white supremacy and violates the equal protection rights of Black Mississippians. In a Facebook post shared by his law firm on Monday, Moore praised his lawyers for "a valiant fight." He wrote: "If the state flag is to change it will be up to the people or the elected representatives. The public sentiment continues to change and I trust the flag will change in due season." He told AP that he has received five death threats because of the lawsuit. More here.
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The Mooch Threatens to Sue College Student, Colombian Immigrant
Anthony Scaramucci, a former and ever-so-brief WH spokesperson, is threatening to sue a college student for defamation following the publication of an op-ed column criticizing him. An attorney representing the Mooch demanded in a letter that Tufts University graduate student Camilo A. Caballero, an immigrant from Colombia, and The Tufts Daily newspaper retract “false and defamatory allegations of fact” about his client and issue an apology. The university postponed a Monday event featuring the Mooch, a graduate of Tufts who has served on an advisory board at Tufts’ Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy since 2016. In an e-mail to Caballero, Scaramucci said the student had “suggested publicly” that Scaramucci had engaged in unethical behavior. “So either back it up or you will hear from my lawyer,” Scaramucci wrote on November 16th. “You may have a difference of opinion from me politically which I respect but you can’t make spurious claims about my reputation and integrity.” Earlier this month, more than 240 students and administrators signed an online petition calling for Scaramucci’s removal from the advisory board. Caballero, a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, hopes to join the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer after completing studies at the Fletcher School next month. More here.
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| FOMO Wednesday, November 29th, 9:30A: The Center for American Progress and the National Urban League host a forum to discuss how the GOP tax plan would affect communities of color. Click here for more information and to RSVP. Wednesday, November 29th, 12P: The Raben Group sponsors a discussion with Victoria A. Lipnic, Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: “A Look at Civil Rights from the Center Right.” 1341 G Street, N.W., 5th Floor. Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday, November 29th, 6P: The Hill Latino sponsors a reception with Congresswoman Mia Love (R-UT) and Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) as part of its Leadership in Action Newsmaker Series. American University. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
Wednesday, November 29th, 8P: Join Congressman André Carson (D-IN) for JAY-Z's 4:44 Tour. Capital One Arena, 601 F Street, N.W. For more information or to RSVP, contact Courtney Hodges or Randy Broz at: 202.403.0606 or email: Courtney@ABConsultingDC.com
Thursday, November 30th, 12P: The Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs, an interfaith coalition comprised of 37 organizations, hosts a congressional briefing on the need to pass a Faithful Budget. CV 201-00 (Capitol Visitor Center). Click here to RSVP.
Thursday, November 30th, 6:30P: A reception in support of Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). 3205 R Street, N.W. Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday, December 6th, 6P: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute holiday reception in honor of retiring Hispanic members of Congress. Library of Congress, Madison Hall, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E. Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday, December 6th, 6P: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee 2044 Leadership Council holiday party. To RSVP contact: Gisele Aceves at gaceves@dscc.org or 202.545.3565
Thursday, December 7th, 6P: The Ladies of Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. Metro DC Chapter’s 15th Annual Holiday Party. SAX Lounge 734 11th Street, N.W. Click here to RSVP.
Monday, December 11th, 6P: The Hispanic Lobbyists Association hosts its annual holiday party. UPS Townhouse 421 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Click here to RSVP.
Monday, December 11th, 6P: A reception with former Attorney General Eric Holder in support of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Click here to RSVP. Location provided upon RSVP.
Wednesday, December 13th, 2P: The Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls is hosting a roundtable discussion, Leading From The Black: How Black Women Lead Even When Ignored. 2168 Rayburn HOB. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
Thursday, December 14th, 6P: Solidarity Strategies hosts a Holiday Fiesta. Invite only.
Saturday, December 16th, 8P: The National Black MBA DC Chapter Annual Holiday Party. Hard Rock Cafe, 999 E Street, N.W. Click here to purchase tickets.
April 19, 2018: The University of North Dakota sponsors a conference on the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Standing Rock protests. Click here for more information.
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