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- CBC Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA) pushes Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) for Senate Judiciary Committee.
- Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC) says don’t forget HBCUs and MSIs in talks on higher education funding.
- Actor Kal Penn inks book deal detailing time in the Obama White House.
- Dennis Rodman wants in on North Korea.
- BuzzFeed makes changes to leadership.
- Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) presses OMB on race and ethnicity to ensure accurate Census count.
- San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee dies unexpectedly.
- Conservative Latino AZ state Senator jumps into race to fill former Congressman Trent Franks’ seat.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) calls out FCC Chair Ajit Pai on net neutrality.
- New research shows most SCOTUS clerks are white.
- Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI) wants to know what steps are being taken to protect Senate pages in case Roy Moore wins today.
- Dem female legislators want House Oversight Committee to investigate Trump over sexual harassment allegations.
- Valerie Jarrett returns to University of Chicago.
- Jeh Johnson joins Lockheed Martin.
- Hispanic Lobbyists Association elects new Board.
- FCC announces partnership with FTC ahead of net neutrality vote. Mignon Clyburn has feelings.
- Meet the new leader of the Center for Advancing Opportunity.
- The NYT has a new critic of non-fiction works.
- Tribal officials wary of a Trump plan for a new monument near a Montana reservation.
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Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) meeting with Janet Murguía from UnidosUS to discuss DREAM Act legislation.
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National Federation of Filipino American Associations Executive Director Jason Tengco with the NaFFAA board. | |
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CBC Wants Harris or Booker to Take Senate Judiciary Vacancy
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) has written a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calling for either Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) or her colleague Cory Booker (D-NJ) to fill the pending vacancy on the Senate Judiciary Committee after Senator Al Franken (D-MN) announced he would be resigning. In the letter, obtained by BuzzFeed’s Darren Sands, Richmond wrote, "In the current political and legal environment, Black America faces the greatest threats to its rights and safety since the post-Reconstruction era ... The CBC urges you and the Senate Democratic Caucus to appoint a CBC Member to join Ranking Member Feinstein and others in defense of our democracy, our values and our constitutional rights." Richmond goes on to say, "Either of these highly accomplished attorneys would be effective assets to the oversight and legislative efforts of Senate Judiciary Democrats. They would also bring personal experience to bear on the important debates taking place in the Committee that directly impact millions of African-Americans in this country." The request comes on the heels of losing John Conyers, who was the Ranking Member on the powerful House Judiciary Committee. More here.
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Moore vs. Moore
On Friday, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI) sent a letter to the Senate Sergeant at Arms to determine what preventative steps are being taken to protect Senate Pages from predatory conduct, in response to concerns over Roy Moore’s presence in the Senate. The Congresswoman believes that Roy Moore presents a threat to young people who participate in the U.S. Senate Page Program. "It has come to light that Roy Moore is alleged to have had a number of inappropriate relationships with at least ten minors. The threat Roy Moore posed to minors was so notorious and troublesome that in 1979 he was banned from the Gadsen Mall [sic] and YMCA for soliciting sex from minor girls. In addition to initiating a sexual encounter with a fourteen-year-old when he was a thirty-two-year-old district attorney, Moore pursued relationships with three minors/young women between the ages of sixteen to eighteen during this time," Congresswoman Moore writes. See the full letter here.
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Meng Presses OMB on Race and Ethnicity Data for 2020 Census
In an effort to collect more accurate and complete data on race and ethnicity for the 2020 Census, Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) urged Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to revise outdated federal standards for data collection as soon as possible. The Census Bureau must submit final questions for the 2020 Census to Congress by March 31, 2018, so any change to federal data collection standards must be made immediately to allow the Census Bureau sufficient time to respond. "I cannot overstate the importance of accurate and reliable Census data, particularly concerning race and ethnicity," said Meng. "This data is used in everything from how we allocate federal resources to how we determine the distribution of congressional seats. Research shows that shifting from a two-question approach on race and ethnicity to a one-question approach would improve data collection and lead to more reliable and more accurate results." Senators Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a similar letter last week. More here.
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|  | Brittany Packnett, Dionna Dorsey, and DeRay Mckesson on Saturday at CNN's Symone Sanders' birthday party at the MGM Grand in MD. | |  | CNN commentator Ana Navarro Christmas caroling with former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula on Sunday. | |
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Democratic Female Legislators Speak Today on Letter Asking Committee to Investigate Trump for Sexual Harassment
Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) and several of her female House colleagues are speaking today at a Capitol Hill news conference about a letter that 56 female Democratic lawmakers sent to Oversight Committee Chair Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) asking the committee to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against Donald Trump. The lawmakers, all members of the Democratic Women’s Working Group, wrote that "In the time of "Me Too," women across the country are coming forward with their own harrowing stories of sexual harassment and assault. Members of Congress have also come under scrutiny and investigation, with some resigning, for improper sexual conduct. We cannot ignore the multitude of women who have come forward with accusations against Mr. Trump." The female legislators are asking the Committee to respond within 10 days. More here.
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Adams Fights for HBCU Funding Ahead of PROSPER ACT Mark Up
The PROSPER Act, which would reauthorize the Higher Education Act for the first time since 2008, is expected to be marked up in the Education and Workforce Committee today. Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, led a letter to Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) highlighting her concerns for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Adams’ letter addresses institutional aid for HBCUs and financial aid for the students they serve. She also raises concerns over flat funding for Pell Grants and the exclusion of the HBCU Innovation Fund. "HBCUs have been forced to do more with less since their inception and this flawed bill doesn’t address those issues," said Adams. "I’ve received feedback from HBCU presidents from across the nation and they are clear: in order to keep their doors open they need equal funding immediately." Read the full letter here.
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DNC Chair Tom Pérez speaking at the Democratic Attorneys General Association last week. | |  | Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) and staff bidding farewell to interns Kendrick Chang and Natalie Hajinelian last week. | |
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San Francisco Mayor Dies Unexpectedly
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee died unexpectedly early this morning at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. He was 65 years old. The office didn't immediately explain what Lee died of at 1:11A PST, but said: "family, friends and colleagues were at his side." Lee was San Francisco's 43rd mayor and its first Asian American in that post. The child of Chinese immigrants, Lee was born and raised in Seattle and moved to the Bay Area to attend law school at the University of California at Berkeley. As a student, he became involved in advocacy by working for the civil rights group Asian Law Caucus. Lee was best known for his progressive policies on immigration -- defending San Francisco as a 'sanctuary city.' He also tried to combat the city’s longstanding homelessness problem with the creation of Navigation Centers -- which are short-term housing options, and investments in affordable housing programs. San Francisco Board of Supervisors President London Breed became Acting Mayor, per the city charter. This makes her the first Black female Acting Mayor of the city. More here.
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Republican Immigrant Vies for Franks' Open House Seat
Another name has emerged in the race to replace former Republican Arizona Congressman Trent Franks. Republican state Senator Steve Montenegro announced on Monday his intention to run. Montenegro has spent five terms in the state Legislature, including a stint as Speaker Pro Tempore when he was on the House side. He was the only Latino in the legislature to vote for the highly controversial anti-undocumented immigration measure -- Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. Until recently, Montenegro worked in Franks’ district office. The 36-year-old acknowledged that the GOP primary will be crowded, but said he is optimistic about his chances, adding that he has "the most conservative record." He was a Donald Trump delegate at the RNC last year and said he will defend Trump’s positions. Montenegro migrated to the U.S. from El Salvador at the age of four. He went on to graduate magna cum laude from Arizona State University and also holds an Associate of Arts in Theology from CBAN and Logos Christian University. Earlier this year he announced that he was running for Secretary of State, but switched gears when Franks resigned. The primary will be held on February 27th, and the general election will take place April 24th. More here.
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Former NBA Player, Alabama native, and Republican Charles Barkley joins Alabama Senate candidate Doug Jones and family on Monday night in advance of today's election. | |  | Magic Johnson, Rev. Al Sharpton, NUL’s Marc Morial, and Eric Holloman at a reception hosted by Johnson on Monday night. | |
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Kal Penn Inks Book Deal With Stories from Hollywood to Obama
Former Obama official and actor Kal Penn has inked a deal to write a book of essays on his unique 21st-century American success story and his unusual sabbatical from acting to head over to the White House as a staffer. The 40-year-old stunned fans when he decided to leave the TV medical drama House for a job in then-President Barack Obama's administration. He served as the Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement until 2011. Since returning to the private sector, he has continued his involvement in philanthropy and politics. Earlier this year Penn raised more than $500,000 for refugees after receiving a message on social media telling him he didn’t "belong" in the U.S. He also currently stars in the ABC political drama Designated Survivor. His book is currently scheduled for a 2019 release. More here.
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Rodman Wants to Worm His Way Into Serving as North Korean Envoy
Former NBA star Dennis "The Worm" Rodman has urged Donald Trump to appoint him as a peace envoy to North Korea. Rodman was on his way to North Korea, but was stopped due to a travel ban preventing U.S. citizens from visiting the country. In an interview from Beijing, Rodman said American officials had discouraged him from going to NK amid growing tensions between the countries. Rodman first visited North Korea in 2013 and calls Kim Jong-un his friend. "If I can go back over there ... you’ll see me talking to him, and sitting down and having dinner, a glass of wine, laughing and doing my thing. I guess things will settle down a bit and everybody can rest at ease," Rodman said, adding, "I think a lot of people around the world ... want me to go just to see if I can do something." More here.
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MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid and her husband Jason sneaking in one last kiss before entering her birthday party. | |  | briliant corners' Cornell Belcher and WSJ's Peggy Noonan getting ready to go on-air during a Meet the Press segment on the Alabama race with Chuck Todd. | |
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Szalai Named NYT’s Non-Fiction Critic
The NYT has named Jennifer Ildiko Szalai as its new Non-Fiction Book Critic. Before this role, she was a NYT Book Review Editor and, previously, a Senior Editor at Harper’s. The paper says the Canadian native, who grew up between cultures -- her father was Hungarian and her mother is from the Philippines -- is accustomed to negotiating between different viewpoints. The University of Toronto graduate received her Master’s in international relations from the London School of Economics. Szalai has taught journalism and criticism at Columbia and NYU. Her work has appeared in The Times Magazine, Harper’s, The Economist, New York magazine, Slate, The Nation, The New Statesman, The New Yorker (online), and The London Review of Books. Congrats, Jennifer! More here.
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BuzzFeed Promotes from Within and Names VP of News and Programming
BuzzFeed has promoted Shani Hilton to VP of News and Programming. She was most recently the Head of U.S. News for the platform, having served in that position for the past year. The 2006 Howard University graduate spent time in DC as a Staff Writer for the Washington City Paper, and later as a Morning Editor for the local NBC affiliate. She relocated to NYC in 2013 when she joined BuzzFeed. In her new capacity, Hilton will bridge print and broadcast and connect reporting to video. She has her own impressive track record to follow, having helped develop BuzzFeed’s Am to DM, the media company’s foray into morning news, which is now reaching close to one million daily viewers. Congrats, Shani! More about her here.
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BuzzFeed Brings On Head of Programming
BuzzFeed also named Cindy Vanegas-Gesuale as their new Head of Programming. She had been working on a contract basis as the showrunner on BuzzFeed’s morning news show AM to DM before officially joining the team this week. Prior to that, she held numerous positions in network news, ranging from Associate Producer at CNN to Line Producer at Fox Business Network. She ventured into digital platforms when she worked as an Executive Producer for HuffPost Live. The 2001 Boston College graduate went on to earn her Master’s from NYU. She will be based in NYC. In her new capacity, she will oversee all of BuzzFeed’s shows. Congrats, Cindy! More about her here.
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|  | Activist Eddie Huang at the Rum & Bass ART BASEL block party in Miami. | |  | Terrence Ford with Gregory Cendana at last week's rally in support of DREAM Act legislation. | |
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Valerie Jarrett Joins University of Chicago Law School
Former Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett is returning to the University of Chicago on January 1st, as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the law school. While she will be based at the law school, she will work throughout the university. Her areas of academic interest will be an extension of the issues she focused on during the two Obama White House terms, including the many aspects of gender equity and criminal justice reform. The paid position calls for Jarrett to take part in ten classes, seminars, or conferences, but Jarrett said in an interview she expects to do more. Before Jarrett joined the Obama White House in 2009, she was the Chair of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees and a Trustee and Vice Chair of the U. of C. board. The campus is a short distance from the future Obama Presidential Center to be constructed in Jackson Park. Jarrett is an advisor to the Obama Foundation, working out of its DC branch office. More here.
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Jeh Johnson Joins Lockheed Martin Board
Former Homeland Security Secretary under President Barack Obama and current Partner at Paul Weiss, Jeh Johnson, is joining the board of directors of Lockheed Martin. He will serve on the classified business and security committee and ethics and sustainability committee. Prior to serving as DHS Secretary, Johnson was the Defense Department’s General Counsel from 2009 to 2012. He is also a former General Counsel for the Air Force and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for New York’s Southern District. The 1979 Morehouse College graduate completed law school at Columbia University in 1982. Directors at Lockheed Martin make roughly $300,000 in equity and cash. His appointment takes effect on January 1st. More here.
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MMTC President and CEO Steps Down, Interim President Named
After serving in the post for three years, Kim Keenan has resigned as President and CEO of the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC). No reason was given for the exit beyond Keenan's note that she had "moved on to pursue other professional opportunities" and that she had viewed her role as "having assisted MMTC in developing the requisite infrastructure to grow and thrive." Some of Keenan’s signature events were the Net Equality Tour, annual Tech Prep summits, and a net neutrality campaign, all of which were designed to engage diverse communities. Maurita Coley Flippin, EVP and COO, will be Interim President/CEO. Coley Flippin is a lawyer and former BET executive with experience in media and entertainment, communications law and policy, and business operations. The 1977 Michigan State University grad went on to complete law school at Georgetown in 1981. Since then, she has overseen network operations and programming at BET Networks; served as a Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and Cole Raywid & Braverman; and served as Executive Director for Capital Area Asset Builders until 2011, when she left to join MMTC. More here.
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SCOTUS Law Clerks Mostly White Males
Research conducted by The National Law Journal found that since 2005, 85% of all Supreme Court law clerks have been white. Only 20 of the 487 clerks hired by the justices were Black, and eight were Hispanic. A year as a SCOTUS law clerk creates an exclusive pathway to the upper echelons of the legal profession. Former clerks have their pick of top-tier job offers and can command $350,000 hiring bonuses at law firms. Four current justices were clerks at the Court and three Senators are former clerks. Clerks also play a crucial role in helping justices pick which cases to hear and in writing opinions. Hence, a lack of diversity among clerks means the court’s decisions on race and immigration, for instance, continue to be shaped by players who have little personal experience to inform the discussion. Justice Sonia Sotomayor leads the pack on diversity; 31% of her clerks have been non-white. By contrast, only 12% of clerks for Justice Clarence Thomas has been minorities and just 8% for Chief Justice John Roberts. More here.
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|  | Former Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski with Fox News' Harris Faulkner on the set of her show last week. | |  | Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) meeting with Ambassador Todd D. Robinson, Trump's pick for the top diplomatic spot to Venezuela. | |
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Hispanic Lobbyists Elect 2018 Leadership
On Monday, the Hispanic Lobbyists Association (HLA) elected the 2018 Board of Directors at its annual December Board meeting and Christmas Party. Elected to second terms on the HLA Executive Board are Raben Group Principal Larry González as President; Vice President Maximiliano Trujillo, President, MJT Policy; Treasurer Rosemary Garza, Medtronic; and Secretary Liz López, EVP, Public Policy, Opportunity Finance Network (OFN). The Hispanic Lobbyists Association was founded in 2006 by a group of DC advocates with a vision to organize and associate Hispanic lobbyists across the country into an organization to promote communication, education, and bipartisanship. Congrats to the 2018 Board. More here.
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Center for Advancing Opportunity Names Robinson as Executive Director
Gerard Robinson has been named Executive Director of the Center for Advancing Opportunity, a research and education initiative stemming from a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Charles Koch Foundation, and Koch Industries. The Howard University grad, who received his Master’s in Education from Harvard University, was most recently a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and served on Donald Trump’s presidential transition team for education. Previously, Robinson served as Commissioner of Education for the State of Florida, Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and as President of the Black Alliance for Educational Options. The Center for Advancing Opportunity supports students and faculty at HBCUs, as well as at majority colleges and universities, to develop research-based solutions to pressing issues in fragile communities. Robinson will be based in Atlanta. More here.
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Spencer Overton from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies at a Google X demonstration on driverless cars. | |  |
Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA) surveying the Thomas Fire damage in Ventura with Santa Barbara County Fire officials. | |
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Kamala Harris Targets Ajit Pai on Net Neutrality
If FCC Chairman Ajit Pai convinces two other commissioners to vote with him on Thursday -- as expected -- he will dismantle net neutrality. In a piece for Cosmopolitan, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) writes that repealing the FCC's rules on net neutrality will stifle future innovation. "What the Trump administration proposes is a big win for multi-billion-dollar broadband companies like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon. It grants them the legal power to block content from competitors, slow video-streaming services from rivals, and charge businesses more (and by extension charge you more) to deliver their content in special "fast lanes,"' writes Harris. The Senator cautions that the rule change will have its most devastating impact on small startups. She says this fight isn’t about saving Netflix but it’s about saving the next Netflix. Harris encourages readers to express their views on safekeeping a fair and open internet. "This fight is about protecting a competitive online marketplace, where the next great idea can come from anyone, anywhere." Read the full piece here.
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FCC Announces Partnership with FTC in Advance of Net Neutrality Repeal Vote
The FCC is expected to approve on Thursday the plan to scrap the Obama-era rules on net neutrality. Under the proposal, the FCC would get rid of the conduct rules governing broadband companies and cede authority over the industry to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). On Monday, the FCC announced an agreement to coordinate their efforts to police the internet once the latter agency has repealed its net neutrality rules. Once the repeal is passed, the FTC will be tasked with going after internet providers that engage in unfair or deceptive practices. "The Memorandum of Understanding will be a critical benefit for online consumers because it outlines the robust process by which the FCC and FTC will safeguard the public interest," FCC Chair Ajit Pai said in a statement. "Instead of saddling the Internet with heavy-handed regulations, we will work together to take targeted action against bad actors." However, Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said in a statement, "The agreement announced today between the FCC and FTC is a confusing, lackluster, reactionary afterthought: an attempt to paper over weaknesses in the Chairman’s draft proposal repealing the FCC’s 2015 net neutrality rules." More here.
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Trump Admin Targets More Sacred Native American Land
The Trump administration is pursuing the creation of a new monument on the border of a Montana reservation where tribal officials remain wary of the idea. The Blackfeet Indian Tribe has long fought oil and gas drilling and other development in a mountainous expanse bordering Glacier National Park that’s sacred to the tribe. The Badger Two-Medicine area has deep cultural significance for the Blackfeet as the site of the tribe’s creation story and a place where traditional plants are still gathered for medicinal purposes. Blackfeet Chairman Harry Barnes (pictured) told the AP that protection of that 200-square-mile area is paramount. He sees a "workable solution" in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s proposal to co-manage the area with the tribe but stressed that the Blackfeet have never sought a national monument designation for the land. More here.
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| FOMO
Wednesday, December 13th, 9A: The Raben Group hosts Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA) for a breakfast discussion on How Cities and Suburbs are Combating Poverty. 1341 G Street, N.W. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
Wednesday, December 13th, 12P: Latino Magazine hosts the Latino Career Forum featuring experts in government relations and a panel discussion with Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA). Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Meeting Room South CVC 217. For more information and to RSVP, contact Alfredo Estrada at: 512.483.1898.
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.
Wednesday, December 13th, 4P: The Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative hosts its Winter Social in G-50 Senate Dirksen Office Building. RSVP with your name, title, and office or organization to: Diversity_Initiative@schumer.senate.gov
Wednesday, December 13th, 5P: Join Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL) for her Ho Ho Harley Holiday Reception and fundraiser. 413 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. To RSVP, contact Caroline Stonecipher or Randy Broz at: 202.403.0606 or Caroline@ABCConsultingDC.com. Wednesday, December 13th, 5P: Cornell Belcher and brilliant corners Research & Strategies host a holiday party 5-7PM. Invite Only.
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.
February 21 - 23, 2018: The NFL, along with Morehouse College and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), hosts a program in Atlanta to educate athletes on how to develop and implement effective advocacy platforms that positively impact society. Click here for more information.
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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