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September
25, 2009
NBA
NEWS BRIEF
National Bar Association, 1225 11th Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001
NBA
HONORS U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., AND FOUNDERS
OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS
WASHINGTON, DC (September 24, 2009) - Last night the National
Bar Association (NBA) held its Annual
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Reception (PDF),
which was held at The Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. The
event assembled several notable guests including: Congresswoman
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Congressman Robert "Bobby" Scott
(D-VA), Senator Roland Burris (D-IL), Congressman William
Lacy Clay, Jr. (D-MO), CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-CA),
and Founding CBC Member Congressman John Conyers, Jr.(D-MI).
The
reception, which is held in conjunction with the Annual CBC
Legislative Conference, honored the thirteen founders of the
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) with the Presidential Award
of Merit for Excellence in Politics and the Legal Profession,
along with the United States Attorney General and NBA member,
Eric H. Holder, Jr. with the Presidential Award of Merit for
Equal Justice. Past honorees for this event have included:
the 2007 Congressional Black Caucus members, Michael Baisden,
Roland S. Martin and the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs
Jones (D-OH).
NBA
President Mavis T. Thompson stated as she presented the CBC
founding members with their award, ". . . we stand on the
shoulders of the founding members of the Congressional Black
Caucus. . . we thank each of you. We honor your foresight,
your courage and your memory." President Thompson's remarks
alluded to the pioneering efforts of the founders of the CBC
and their ability to inaugurate ideals that reinvested the
value of equal opportunity for all. The Honorable Eric H.
Holder, Jr., who has become the first African American to
hold the position of U.S. Attorney General, reflects the promise
of those who inaugurated the CBC and its ideals. During last
night's awards ceremony, NBA President Thompson recognized
Holder as "our nation's top lawyer," in that he has demonstrated
the value of diversity and equal opportunity.
NBA Executive Director, J. Robert Carr stated, "This year's
honorees were outstanding leaders who have impacted the history
and social agenda of African Americans while expressing relevant
concerns and issues about race and diversity in the United
States." Carr's statement conveys the need to recognize individuals
that continue to maintain the vision of organizations such
as the NBA through their unequivocal leadership and service.
Founded
in 1925, the National Bar Association is the nation's oldest
and largest national network of minority attorneys and judges.
It represents approximately 44,000 lawyers, judges, law professors
and law students and has over 80 affiliate chapters throughout
the United States and around the world. The organization seeks
to advance the science of jurisprudence, preserve the independence
of the judiciary and to uphold the honor and integrity of
the legal profession. For additional information about the
National Bar Association, visit www.nationalbar.org.
For
Immediate Release CONTACT:
Erika
C. Owens, Communications Coordinator
National Bar Association,
(202) 842-3900x20,
eowens@nationalbar.org
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