COLUMBUS – The Columbus Urban League is marking its 100th anniversary by opening a business center for minorities on the eve of the organization’s national conference, which is focused on making the digital revolution as inclusive as possible.
The president and CEO of the National Urban League says the five-day conference, beginning Wednesday in Columbus, includes a line-up of all major technology companies and a large career and networking fair.
The 6,500-square-foot building Huntington Empowerment Center, next to the Columbus Urban League’s headquarters on Mt. Vernon Avenue, houses the Columbus Minority Business Assistance Center, My Brother’s Closet — the social enterprise and clothing boutique for low-income men — and a high-tech lab for middle and high school students to learn skills for employment or higher education.
Events at the national conference, which is taking place through Saturday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, include a conversation between Marc Morial Morial and Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg.
The conference will also include the U.S. debut of the Google Arts & Culture Pop Up Lab, showcasing black history and culture through an online collection of artifacts, art, documents and stories.
Other conference offerings are service projects and a schoolchildren backpack giveaway. They are part of what Morial says is the organization’s goal to have an impact on communities where its conferences are held.
#MeToo movement creator Tarana Burke, Rainbow Push Coalition founder Jesse Jackson, National Action Network founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton are also on the list of speakers.