1. travel
2. tourist facilities
3. hotel

Rainbow PUSH Coalition and
Citizenship Education Fund
th
44 Annual International Convention
June
20 – June
2015 THE EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE
SILICON VALLEY TO LaSALLE
STREET:
LIFE24,
BEYOND
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
301 E. North Water Street – Chicago, IL 60611
Convention Management Team:
Rainbow PUSH Coalition
John Mitchell, Chief of Staff, (773) 256-2768 jmitchell@rainbowpush.org
Betty Magness, Deputy Convention Director, (773) 256-2712 cbmagness@rainbowpush.org
Strategic Events Solutions
Twyler Jenkins, Convention Director, (773) 256-2753 twyler@strategiceventssolutions.com
Valerie Jenkins, Program Manager, (773) 256-2781 valerie@strategiceventssolutions.com
Tanya Williams, Program Book Manager, (773) 256-2781 tanya@strategegiceventssolutions.com
For scheduled updates and to register, please visit www.rainbowpush.org
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2015 - RAINBOW PUSH COALITION HEADQUARTERS-930 E. 50TH STREET
DAY THEME
FAMILIES, TECHNOLOGY, STATE OF BLACK AMERICA, RIGHT TO VOTE AMENDMENT,
PRISON OUTPOST, LEGAL, HIP-HOP, AND JOBS
8:00-10:00AM
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST: FAMILY REUNIFICATION AND RECONNECTION
Point Persons: Rev. Janette Wilson and Johnnie Savory
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION COMMUNITY HALL
9:00AM4:00PM
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Point Persons: RPC Finance Department and Bertha McMorris
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION LOBBY
10:00AM12:00PM
RAINBOW PUSH COALITION SATURDAY MORNING LIVE TV BROADCAST
Point Person: Rev. Janette Wilson and Butch Wing
Speakers: Jonathan L. Jackson, National Spokesperson, Rainbow PUSH Coalition; Congressman G.K.
Butterfield, 1st Congressional District, North Carolina; Congresswoman Barbara Lee, 13th
Congressional District, California; Dennis Parker, Director, Racial Justice Program, American Civil
Liberties Union; Congresswoman Robin Kelly, 2nd Congressional District, Illinois; Congressman
Bennie Thompson, 2nd Congressional District, Mississippi; and Honorable Ceasar C. Mitchell,
President Atlanta City Council
Invited Speakers: Congressman Bobby Rush, 1st Congressional District, Illinois
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION AUDITORIUM
Page 1 of 13
June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
12:30-2:30PM
RAINBOW PUSH COALITION FAMILY REUNION BAR-B-QUE
Point Persons: John Mitchell
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH HEADQUARTERS BACKYARD
12:00 PM
PUSH EXCEL TECH CENTER: RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY
Point Persons: Tracy Powell and Rev. Janette Wilson
1:00-5:00PM
PUSH EXCEL TECH CENTER TOURS AND PRESENTATIONS
Point Persons: Tracy Powell and Rev. Janette Wilson
Corporate Host:
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH HEADQUARTERS PUSH EXCEL TECH CENTER
1:00-3:00PM
FROM SELMA TO SHELBY TO A RIGHT TO VOTE AMENDMENT
Point Person: Rev. Frank Watkins
Summary: There is a lack of an affirmative fundamental right to vote in the U.S. Constitution. The
purpose of the workshop is to educate attendees about how voting rights have evolved in the U.S.
Constitution and the need to add a voting rights amendment to the Constitution as the final crown
to voting rights. What was Selma? The struggle for voting rights in Selma was to demand federal
legislation to implement the 15th Amendment, which only outlawed discrimination in voting on the
bases of “race, color, and previous condition of servitude.” Adding a right to vote constitutional
amendment would do two things: (1) give every American a fundamental individual right to vote:
and (2) give Congress the authority to create a national uniform voting system with minimum
common sense standards.
Speaker: Honorable Ceasar C. Mitchell, President Atlanta City Council; Congressman G.K.
Butterfield, 1st Congressional District, North Carolina
Proposed Speakers:
Senator Jamie Raskin, Maryland
Congressman Mark Pocan, 2nd Congressional District, Wisconsin
Judith Brown Dianis, Co-Director, The Advancement Project
Rob Richie, Executive Director, Fair Vote
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION COMMUNITY HALL
1:00-5:00PM
JOB AND RESOURCE FAIR
Point Person: Rev. William Hall
1:30-4:00PM
“INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Point Person: Queen Mother Helen Sinclair, International Director, Jessie W. (MA) Houston Prison
& Jail Ministries, Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Queen Mother Helen Sinclair led the appointment of
the first African-American Director of Illinois Department of Corrections.
Summary: This panel discussion will be a follow up to last year’s “Quest for Peace If Possible, But
Justice at Any Rate” theme. This panel will discuss the future of Illinois Department of Correction
and our continued fight for justice before prison, in prison, and after prison. This is in line with
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
PUSH’s roots in the love ethics of Judeo-Christian tradition and the militant non-violent activist
tradition of Thoreau, Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. PUSH has fought to be a positive
moral force and to keep both the spirit of hope and resistance and noncooperation alive.
Micah 6:6-8: Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I
come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7) Will the LORD be pleased with
thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my
transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is
good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?
Moderator: TBD
Panelists: Jerry Butler, Safer Foundation; Benneth R. Lee, Professor, North Eastern University,
Justice Studies Program (former death row inmate); Randolph Stone, Director, Criminal & Juvenile
Justice Clinic, University of Chicago Law School; Standish Willis; Joe Beasley, Southern Regional
Director of Rainbow PUSH Coalition; and Salvador "Tony" Godinez Retired Director, Illinois
Department of Corrections
Invited panelist: Gail Smith, Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM); G. Flint
Taylor, American human rights and civil rights attorney
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION CHAPEL
2:00-3:45PM
SCREENING: “FREEWAY CRACK IN SYSTEM”
Point Person: Jineea Butler
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION AUDITORIUM
3:45-5:45PM
THE NEW AMERICAN PART I: ANALYZING OUR PAST AND CONCEPTUALIZING OUR FUTURE TOWN
HALL MEETING
Panelist: Freeway Rick Ross; P. Frank Williams Prophet, Emmy Award winning TV/Film producer,
writer, journalist, author and commentator; Kevin "Khao" Cates, Creator, Bridge DA Gap and
KOOLriculum; and Marc Levin
Proposed Panelist:
 Rhymefest, Founder Donda's House, Iheart Radio Summer Jam Performer
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION AUDITORIUM
SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 – RAINBOW PUSH COALITION HEADQUARTERS-930 E. 50TH STREET
DAY THEME
FORGING BLACK/BROWN COALITION
12:30-3:00PM
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Point Persons: RPC Finance Department and Bertha McMorris
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION LOBBY
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
1:00-3:00PM
FORGING BLACK/BROWN COALITION PLENARY AND LUNCHEON
Point Persons: Rev. Janette Wilson, Rev. Walter Coleman, and Rev. Quentin Mumphrey
Speakers: Emma Lozano, Civil Rights Activist; Dr. Yvonne Scruggs-Leftwich, Professor, National
Labor College-George Meany Campus, Silver Spring, MD; and Attorney Andrew Stroth, Of Counsel
to the Commercial Practice Group at Handler Thayer, LLP and the President of Impact Talent
Associates, Inc.
LOCATION: RAINBOW PUSH COALITION COMMUNITY HALL
5:00-UNTIL
GOSPEL CONCERT AT FELLOWSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
CELEBRATING REV. CLAY EVANS’ 90TH AND MRS. LOUDELLA EVANS-REID’S 85TH BIRTHDAYS
LOCATION: 45th PLACE AND S. PRINCETON AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60609
MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015
SHERATON CHICAGO HOTEL & TOWERS, 301 E. NORTH WATER STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60611
DAY THEME
INTERNATIONAL, WOMEN, AND EDUCATION
8:30AM-7:00PM
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Point Persons: RPC Finance Department and Bertha McMorris
LOCATION: HOTEL LOBBY CONVENTION REGISTRATION
9:30-11:00AM
PUSH EXCEL: HOW TO CONDUCT AN ORATORICAL COMPETITION
Point Persons: Judge Stanley Hill and Michelle Chambers
LOCATION: ARKANSAS MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
10:00AM12:00PM
TEACHING STEM K-12
Point Person: Rev. Janette Wilson and Michelle Chambers
Participants: Dr. Donna Leak, Superintendent, Community Consolidated Schools District 168, Sauk
Village, IL; Dr. Sonya Whittaker, Superintendent, Lockport, IL; and Judith Armstrong, Chairperson,
Teachers Division, PUSH EXCEL
LOCATION: OHIO MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
10:00AM12:00PM
INTERNATIONAL PLENARY I: FOCUS ON AFRICA-AFRICA ECONOMIC EXPANSION FORUM
point Person: James Gomez
Summary: This session is a follow up of last year’s Africa Investment Opportunities Forum and this
year’s Wall Street Annual Summit held in New York last January. Panelist will discuss Africa’s
continuing tremendous business opportunities not only in oil, gas, and natural resources, but also
in areas such as energy, telecommunications, technology, entertainment, construction, financial
services, and tourism in their respective countries/sectors. This forum will also provide an
opportunity to discuss/update last year’s U.S.-Africa Business Summit held in Washington, DC.
Moderator: Dr. Ewa Ewa, Chief Financial Officer, Illinois Human Rights Commission
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
Keynote speaker: Honorable Mzwandile Masine, Deputy Minister, Department of Trade and
Industry, Republic of South Africa
Speakers: Senator Rodney Ellis, Texas State Senator; Mr. Gabriel Curtis, Managing Director, Private
Investment Promotion, Guinea; Mr. Sheriff Balogun, President, Nigerian-American Chamber of
Commerce, Kaduna State Chaper, Nigeria; Mr. Paul J. Schultz, Director, Department of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity, State of Illinois; and Ambassador Kirimi P. Kaberria, Kenya; Mr. Daryl
Swanepoel, Convener, ANC Progressive Business Forum, South Africa
Invited Panelist: Dr. Hussaini Adamu, FNIM, Managing Partner, Shebag Holdings, LTD, Nigeria
LOCATION: ERIE MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
10:00AM5:00PM
PUSH EXCEL YOUTH SUMMIT: K-8TH GRADE/ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
Point Persons: Rev. Janette Wilson, Jason Robinson, Michelle Chambers, and Tracy Powell
10:00 AM-12:00 PM SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM)
Presenter: Candice Smith, Engineering Manager and Chief of Staff to Boeing’s Chief Technology
Officer
12:00-1:00 PM PUSH EXCEL Lunch
1:30-3:00 PM FINANCIAL LITERACY /STOCK MARKET GAME ACTIVITIES AWARDS AND
RECOGNITION
3:30-5:00 PM
McDONALD’S YOUTH MOTIVATION WORKSHOP
LOCATION: HURON MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
10:00AM4:30PM
PUSH EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND YOUNG ADULTS
Point Person: Rev. Janette Wilson and Tracy Powell
10:30 AM-12:00 PM “FINANCIAL LITERACY AND GO COLLEGE NOW”
Sponsored by Wells Fargo
12:30-2:45 PM CORPORATE SPEED MENTORING LUNCHEON (COLLEGE STUDENTS ONLY)
Facilitator: Marsha Villanueva-McDermott, RR Donnelley
(high school students will participant in financial literacy/stock market game activities)
3:00-4:30 PM BUILDING COMMUNITIES WITH 21st CENTURY TECHNOLOGY
Point Person: Rev. Janette Wilson, Tracy Powell, and Butch Wing
LOCATION: ONTARIO MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
11:00AM5:00PM
NATIONAL ORATORICAL COMPETITION
Point Persons: Judge Stanley Hill and Michelle Chambers
11:00AM-12:00PM CHECK-IN/REGISTRATON
1:00-5:00PM TABULATION ROOM
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
LOCATION: ARKANSAS MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
12:30-2:30PM
WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE LUNCHEON: 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP-LEADING
FORWARD THEN AND NOW
Point Person: Rev. Janette Wilson, Betty Magness, Donna Gaines, Attorney Mathis, and Glenda Gill
Special remarks and greeting: Dr. Bongi Ngema Zuma, First Lady, Republic of South Africa
Honorees: Heather Booth, Founder Midwest Academy; Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary,
Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference; Dr. Anna Mokgokong, Group Executive Chairperson,
Community Investment Holdings, The Republic of South Africa; Attorney Barbara Arnwine,
President and Executive Director, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Brynee Craig,
Deputy National Political Director, Hilary for America; and Marilyn Mosby, State’s Attorney,
Baltimore, MD
Moderator: Attorney Janice Mathis, Vice President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Panelist: Racquel Mason, Vice President, Marketing Strategy and Innovation, Coca-Cola; Kimberly
Paige, Vice President, Sparkling Brands, Sprite and Flavors; Shannon Watkins, Group Director,
PowerAde; and Lauventria Robinson, Vice President, Multicultural Marketing, Coca-Cola
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM
1:00-5:00PM
NATIONAL ORATORICAL COMPETITION
Point Person: Judge Stanley Hill and Michelle Chambers
LOCATION: MICHIGAN MEETING ROOM AB, LEVEL 2
3:00-4:30PM
HBCU: A PIPELINE TO SILICON VALLEY
Point Person: Rev. Janette Wilson, Jason Robinson, and Butch Wing
Speakers: Kathy Grant, Senior Assistant to the President, Alabama State University; Raymond M.
Burse, President, Kentucky State University; Dr. Glenda Glover, President, Tennessee State
University; Dr. Juliette Bell, President University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Dr. Freddie Jordan
and Dr. D. R. Buffinger, Wilberforce University; Lezli Baskerville, JD, President and CEO, National
Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education; and Juanita R. Jordan, President, Chicago
Inter-Alumni Council for the United Negro College Fund
Invited Speakers: Robert Zimmer, President, University of Chicago; Dr. Elmira Mangum, President
of Florida A&M University (FAMU); Lily Eskelsen Garcia, President of National Education
Association (NEA)
LOCATION: MISSISSIPPI MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
3:00-5:00PM
INTERNATIONAL PLENARY II: FOCUS ON AFRICA-EBOLA AND BEYOND
Point Person: James Gomez
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
Summary: With over 10,000 reported deaths, the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra
Leone is waning but not yet over. These three most affected countries must now find ways to
rebuild their economies and strengthen their health systems to try to prevent another health crisis
in the future. The presidents of the three countries were recently in Washington, DC during a
World Bank meeting requesting assistance for funding an $8 billion, 10-year recovery plan for their
respective countries, with $4 billion needed over the next four years to accelerate recovery. More
than $1 billion was pledged by the end of a high-level meeting at the start of the World Bank
Group -IMF Spring Meetings – including $650 million from the World Bank Group. The three
presidents described the ordeal of the past year as Ebola struck amid a sharp decline in global
prices for their exports. Their health systems collapsed; contractors, consultants, and investors left
their countries; farms and markets ceased; trade and travel contracted; fiscal balances weakened;
and revenue declined, said Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Added Sierra Leone President
Ernest Bai Koroma: “We have to address the issues of getting our economies back on their feet.
We will have to address the issues of the vulnerable people, the survivors, and the orphans that
have been left as a result of the Ebola. We have to get our schools back to normalcy.”
Moderator: Dr. Alie Kabba, Executive Director, United African Organization
Keynote Speaker: Congresswoman Karen Bass, Ranking Member, House Subcommittee on Africa,
Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
Speaker: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
Panelists: Dr. Ibrahima Khalil Kaba, Minister Deputy Chief of Staff, Presidency of the Republic of
Guinea
Invited Speaker: Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, The World Bank
Proposed Panelists: Honorable Jeremiah C. Sulunteh, Ambassador of Liberia to the U.S. and
Honorable Bockari Kortu Stevens, Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the U.S.
LOCATION: ERIE MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
6:00-9:00PM
PUSH EXCEL SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET: BEYOND THE BRIDGE TO SILICON VALLEY
Point Persons: PUSH EXCEL Board of Directors
Special remarks and greeting: Dr. Bongi Ngema Zuma, First Lady, Republic of South Africa
Honorees: Dr. Jose Vicente, Rector, Zumbi Dos Palmares University; Attorney Bryan Stevenson,
Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative; Joan Robinson-Berry, Vice President, Supplier
Management, Boeing; and Dr. Juliette B. Bell, President, University of Maryland Eastern Shores
PUSH EXCEL ALUMNI HONOREES: Julian Cook, Laurise Johnson, and Lekui Xiao
SPECIAL RESILIENCE Honoree: Demacio Bailey
ORATORICAL WINNER PRESENTATIONS
PUSH EXCEL Scholarship Recipients
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015
SHERATON CHICAGO HOTEL & TOWERS, 301 E. NORTH WATER STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60611
DAY THEME
LABOR, CLERGY, BROADBAND, HIP-HOP, AND SPORTS
7:00AM7:00PM
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Point Person: RPC Finance Department
LOCATION: HOTEL LOBBY CONVENTION REGISTRATION DESK
8:30-10:30AM
LABOR BREAKFAST
Point Persons: John Mitchell, James Twindwa, Jacquee Algee, and Don Harris
Speakers: Congresswoman Maxine Waters, 43rd Congressional District, California and Rev.
Terrence L. Melvin, President, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
Invited Honorees: Dennis Williams, President, UAW and Mary Jones, President, American
Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Retirees (AFSCME)
Proposed Honorees: 2-Longshoreman Union Representatives and 2-Silicon Valley Organization
Representatives
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM IV & V
10:00-11:30AM
THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS: POSITIONS OF POWER AND INFLUENCE BEYOND THE PLAYING FIELD
Point Persons: Bishop Joseph Bryant, John Mitchell, Sheila Gilmore, Dana London, and Tee Fox
Invited Moderator: Michael Smith, ESPN
Participants: Rushia Brown, President, WNBA Retired Players Association; Brandon Keith, former
NFL Player; Wendy Lewis, Senior Vice President, Diversity and Strategic Alliances, Major League
Baseball; Scott Rochelle, former NBA player, General Counsel/Vice President of Membership,
Player & Chapter Development, National Basketball Retired Players Association; Leonard
Stephens, former NFL player, Owner, Perfect Performance Training Center; and Lloyd Walton,
former NBA player
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM I
10:00AM12:00PM
REVEREND JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. PUBLIC POLICY WORKSHOP: SOCIAL JUSTICE PANEL
Point Person: Axel Adams and Rev. William Hall
Moderator: Van Jones, American environmental advocate, civil rights activist, and attorney
Summary: As a follow-up to our 2014 Faith and Public Policy Workshop, we revisit The Church’s
role and responsibilities in the present day civil rights and social justice movement through public
policy. During the workshop we’ll look at the challenges and the opponents of a unified coalition
of communities, churches, and generation, and we’ll outline practical action plans for local and
national public engagement, with an emphasis on voter registration, education and mobilization.
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
We need to recognize and stop voter suppression. We must deal with cuts in health services for
the impoverished and the working poor.
Among people of color and underserved communities, a revival of the spirit of the freedom
fighters of the 50’s and 60’s combined with the passion, social media and mobilization savviness of
our youth is in order. Black lives matter is not simply a demand for equal treatment from police
and the criminal justice system. It must be call for jobs, voter registration, for schools, and for
hope. The issues are serious, but not insurmountable.
Panelists: Dr. Jamal H. Bryant, Senior Pastor, Empowerment Temple, Baltimore, MD and Dr. Nelson
Rivers, Vice President, Religious Affairs and External Relations, National Action Network; Rev. Dr.
William Barber II, President, North Carolina NAACP
Invited Panelists:
Emma Lozano, Civil Rights Activist; Father Michael Pfleger, Senior Pastor, St. Sabina Church,
Chicago; and Dr. Stacey Edwards-Dunn, Executive Minister, Community Engagement and
Transformation, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM II
10:00AM12:30PM
BROADBAND PLENARY: THE STATE OF THE INTERNET
Point Person: Rev. Steve Smith
Moderator: Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, Vice President, Multi-Cultural Media Telecom and Internet
Council
Panelists: Allison Remsen, Executive Director, Mobile Future; Kristal High, Editor-In-Chief,
Politics365; Antonio Williams, Director, Government Affairs, Comcast; Navarrow Wright, Founder
and President, Maximum Leverage Solutions; Jamal Simmons, Chair, Innovation Alliance; Jason
Lorenz, Professor, Rutgers University
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM III
12:30-2:30PM
CLERGY LUNCHEON
Point Person: Axel Adams, Rev. Williams Hall, Rev. Jeanette Wilson, Gary Massoni, and Veronica
Black
Summary: The Minister’s Luncheon will recognize 21st century freedom fighters who are taking
public service to the next level.
During the Minister’s luncheon we will meet representatives of the Cuban council of Churches of
Cuba (CCCC) and examine a 2013 certified agreement with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition (RPC) to
work together on global campaigns for peace, social justice, economic security, and empowerment
of the ecumenical community. The 2013 agreement set action steps for RPC and the CCCC to work
together to advance the role of church as a positive force for social change; encourage family
reunification; remove Cuba from the list as a “sponsor of terrorism”; seeking the release of
prisoners from the U.S. and Cuba; expand an open, transparent and respectful dialogue between
the U.S. and Cuba; and end the U.S. blockade, and normalize relations between the U.S.
Emcee: Bishop Freddy Haynes, Senior Pastor, Friendship-West Baptist Church, Dallas, TX
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ,
Chicago, IL
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2:26 PM
Honorees: Bishop John Bryant, Presiding Bishop, African Methodist Episcopal Church; Dr. Jamal
Bryant, Senior Pastor, Empowerment Temple, Baltimore, MD; Rev. Aundreia Alexander, National
Council of Churches of Christ, USA; and Rev. Joel Ortega Dopico, General Secretary, Cuban Council
of Churches; Rev. Dr. William Barber II, President, North Carolina NAACP
Proposed Honoree: Dr. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church, Atlanta,
GA; Dr. JoAnne Terrell, Associate Professor of Ethics, Theology and the Arts, Chicago
Theological Institute
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM IV & V
3:00-4:30PM
CLERGY WORKSHOP: COMMUNITY STABILATION AND FINANCIAL READINESS
WELLS FARGO AND BANK OF AMERICA
Point Person: Axel Adams
Moderator: Dr. Todd Yeary, Senior Pastor, Douglas Memorial Church, Baltimore, MD
Summary Part I: Wells Fargo will discuss their Community Urban Stabilization Program (CUSP)
Project. Pastors will share how their religious institutions uses the gifted property and how the
properties have impacted their community by way of transitional housing, day care, and other
essential mission projects. This program, a direct result of the partnership between Wells Fargo
and the Rainbow PUSH 1000 Churches Connected Program, was created to assist churches with
community stabilization. Wells Fargo will also discuss the “HOB” financial literacy program, down
payment assistance programs, and an update on programs that help their customers avoid church
and home foreclosures.
Presenter: Mr. Russ Cross, Senior Vice President, Regional Servicing Director, Wells Fargo Home
Mortgage
Housing-Community Stabilization Panel: Dr. Kevin L. Adams, Sr., Senior Pastor, Olivet Baptist
Church, Chattanooga, TN; Dr. Tommy Lewis, Pastor, Bethel Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL; Bishop
James Dixon, Pastor, The Community of Faith Church, Houston, TX; Rev. Derrick Anderson, Pastor,
Centennial Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, IL; Dr. Ivan Hicks, First Baptist Church, Indianapolis,
IN; Trina Heathington, Rainbow PUSH Church and Home Resource Specialist, Atlanta, GA office
Summary Part II: Bank of America knows that many pastors and churches need to know the ABC’s
of how to secure mortgage loans and loan modifications. During this segment BOA will share how
they can save churches money by combining or cutting back on services during a financial crisis,
tips on how they can save churches money by combining or cutting back on services during this
current period of financial instability.
Presenter: Maurice Coleman, Senior Vice President, Community Development Banking, Bank of
America
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM II
3:00-4:30PM
THE NEW AMERICAN PART II: HIP HOP AND ECONOMICS
Point Person: Jineea Butler
Panelists: Jineea Butler, President-Founder, Hip Hop Union; Dana Wilson, Faculty, New York City
Dance Alliance; Shurnette Henry, Financial Representative, Papillion Financial; J. Alexander Martin,
Co-Founder, F.U.B.U.; and Christine Bacher, Chief Administrative Officer, ProOrbis, LLC
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June 1, 2015
2:26 PM
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM 1
6:00-9:00PM
SPORTS BANQUET ROUNDTABLE
AFTER THE CHEERING STOPS: CELEBRATING ATHLETES SUCCESS STORIES BEYOND THE PLAYING
FIELD
Point Persons: Bishop Joseph Bryant, John Graves, and John Mitchell
Invited Host/Moderator: Michael Smith, ESPN
Participants: Roy Jones, Jr., Professional Champion Boxing legend; Rushia Brown, President,
WNBA Retired Players Association; Brandon Keith, former NFL Player; and Leonard Stephens,
former NFL player, Owner, Perfect Performance Training Center
Honorees:
Trailblazer Award: Linda Alvarado, Owner, Colorado Rockies, first Latino woman owner of a pro
sports franchise
Humanitarian & Community Service Award: Davin Joseph, NFL Star, Davin’s Dream Team
Foundation
Game Changer Award: Ed O’Bannon, former NBA player, won historic case against the NCAA for
use of likeness without consent
Spencer Haywood Lifetime Achievement Award: Sonny Parker, retired NBA player, President,
Sonny Parker Youth Foundation
Proposed Honorees:
Rainbow Push Sports Legend Award: Stuart Scott (posthumously);
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM IV & V
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015
SHERATON CHICAGO HOTEL & TOWERS, 301 E. NORTH WATER STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60611
DAY THEME
BUSINESS, HEALTH, AND LEGAL
7:00AM2:00PM
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Point Persons: RPC Finance Department
LOCATION: HOTEL LOBBY CONVENTION REGISTRATION DESK
8:00-11:00AM
HEALTH CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST AND PLENARY
Point Persons: Dr. Damon Arnold, Wynona Redmond, and Robert Beck
BREAKFAST LOCATION: LB PROMENADE, LEVEL 2
8:00-9:30AM
CLOSING THE GAP ON HEALTH DISPARITIES
Point Persons: Dr. Damon Arnold, Wynona Redmond, and Robert Beck
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Summary: This workshop dissects the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to review results, challenges, and
next steps in the national landscape. The discussion will cover the Affordable Care Act three years
and counting; recent studies and disparities; plan of action to address disparities.
Moderator: Dr. Lisa Thornton, NBC
Panelists: Dr. Gary Puckrein, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Minority Quality
Forum; Jack Lynch, Director, Community Affairs, Gift of Hope;
Invited panelists: J. Nadine Garcia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and the Director
of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Felicia
Norwood, Director of Healthcare and Family Services
LOCATION: ARKANSAS MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
8:30AM-12:00
PM
STATE OF THE LAW: BEYOND SELMA AND SHELBY AND BEYOND THE EDMOND PETTUS BRIDGE
Point Persons: Attorney June Brown, Attorney Jay Readey, and Attorney David Slane
8:50-9:40 AM
9:40-9:50 AM
9:50-10:40 AM
10:40-10:50 AM
10:50-11:40 AM
11:40-11:50 AM
CIVIL RIGHTS: The Best of Times the Worst of Times
Q & A SESSION
ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2015
Q & A SESSION
VOTING RIGHTS AND ELECTION ISSUES – POWER PLAYS
Q & A SESSION
LOCATION: MISSISSIPPPI MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
9:00-10:30 AM
TECHNOLOGY EVERYWHERE PANEL: WHERE THE TECH JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE AND HOW
TO ACCESS THEM
Point Persons: Glenda Gill, Chee Chee Williams, Attorney Janice Mathis, Butch Wing, Eric Thomas
and Steve Smith
Summary: Whether we work in Silicon Valley or not, we are all surrounded by sophisticated
information technology every day, everywhere. Technology leaders will give an overview of the
various ways that technological innovation drives the economy of every industry. Representatives
from aerospace and banking will demonstrate that innovation is the key to economic success for
companies, communities and families. Don’t get caught in the digital divide. This enlightening look
at the way technology touches our lives today and tomorrow will be invaluable to the student
deciding on a career, the mid-career professional reinventing his or herself and companies seeking
growth and a competitive advantage.
Keynote Speakers: Ted Colbert, Chief Information Officer, Boeing company and Ms. Sharon
Murphy, Executive Vice President, Team Member and Mobility Service (TMMS), Wells Fargo
LOCATION: COLORADO MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
9:30-11:00AM
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT LIVE IN ILLINOIS
Point Persons: Dr. Damon Arnold, Wynona Redmond, and Robert Beck
Summary: How does the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid coexist in Illinois? Under new
gubernatorial leadership what changes can be expected? Listen to the trends then ask the panel of
Illinois Health Care leaders their views on the condition of our state’s health affairs.
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2:26 PM
Panelists: Jeff Joy, Chief Executive Officer and President, Illinicare Health and Kimberly McCullough
Starks, Assistant Director, Illinois Department of Central Management Services
LOCATION: ARKANSAS MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
12:30-2:30PM
BUSINESS LUNCHEON
Point Persons: Glenda Gill, Chee Chee Williams, Attorney Janice Mathis, Butch Wing, and Steve
Smith
Honoree: New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Joyce Tucker, former Vice
President, Global Diversity and Employee Rights, Boeing
Honoree: James Bell, former Chief Financial Officer, Boeing
? Ambassador from Cuba?
Panelists: Ted Colbert, Chief Information Officer, Boeing; Joan Robinson-Berry, Vice President,
Supplier Management, Boeing; Norma Clayton, Vice President, Learning, Training, and
Development, Boeing; and Verett Mims, Director, Treasury Boeing
LOCATION: SHERATON BALLROOM
2:45-4:30PM
FOOD Industry Plenary
Inclusion and Growth in Retail and Foodservice Supply Chains: Making Opportunities and
Commitments Reality
Point Person: Eric Thomas and Peter Kennedy
Panelists: Heidi Morgan, Vice-President, Business Needs, Compass N. A.; Olivia Dorsey- VicePresident, Thompson Hospitality; La Verne Hall, Diversity Consultant for Mc Cormick Place
Expansion Project & the McCormick Marriott Hotel; Alicia Garcia-Abner, President, Trinal, IncDiversity Consultant for Mariano's Grocery.
Additional Participating Organization: Albertsons/Safeway
LOCATION: ONTARIO MEETING ROOM, LEVEL 2
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2:26 PM