Congresswoman Yvette Clarke called for unity with Washington D.C. as the city faces a federal takeover of its law enforcement by the Trump administration while welcoming thousands to D.C. for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) 54th Annual Legislative Conference, which ran September 24-28.
“We stand firm with the people of the District of Columbia, as they go through the challenges that are presented by the current administration,” said Clarke, who chairs the caucus, at the opening ceremony. The theme for the event this year was “Made for This Moment: Power, Policy, & Progress.”
“This year’s theme is a charge and not a slogan. We are made with this moment because our communities demand [it]. We are made for this moment because democracy depends on it. We are made for this moment because we carry a legacy of courage, conviction, and change. The CBC is not just an institution. It is a movement.”
With dozens of panels, seminars, and workshops hosted by CBC members and others, one of the standout events was the National Town Hall, which typically highlights the conference.
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: (L-R) James Ellis-McGinnis and Representative Maxine Waters onstage during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation annual Legislative Conference National Town Hall at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ) -
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: (L-R) Damon T. Hewitt, Judith Browne Dianis, Representative Yvette Clarke, and Joy-Ann Reid speak onstage during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation annual Legislative Conference National Town Hall at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ) -
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: (L-R) Representative Yvette Clarke and Joy-Ann Reid speak onstage during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation annual Legislative Conference National Town Hall at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation )
But the meeting’s narrative was more urgent than in previous years. It drew the biggest crowds of attendees as panelists discussed what has led to the current socio-political climate and what is needed to address it. Above all, they motivated attendees to move forward together in unity and fully utilize their power to prevent further dismantling of their rights as citizens. “If the President of the United States invokes the Insurrection Act, and he gives, as commander-in-chief, the armed forces an order to shoot protesters, that is a lawful order. Think about that,” said Democratic Rep. Jennifer McClellan of Virginia. “Listen to the words he uses when he declares an emergency, or deploys the National Guard, or sends the Marines. He is itching to call an insurrection. And we need to be ready. And we need to be prepared.”
Other speakers at the Town Hall included Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell, Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, California Rep. Maxine Waters, National Council of Negro Women President and CEO, Rev. Shavon Arline-Badley, and National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial, among many others.
The CBC was officially established in 1971 by 13 founding members, including New York Congressmembers Charles B. Rangel and Shirley A. Chisholm, to ensure that Black Americans and other marginalized communities in the U.S. were empowered and supported by the federal government. In 1976, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), a non-partisan nonprofit arm of the CBC, was established.
“This week is about celebration. It is about celebration, and it is about strategy, and it is about sending all of our attendees off into the world with marching orders,” said Nicole Austin-Hillery, President and CEO of CBCF. “We know as a people and as a community, our history is about overcoming, not just overcoming, but coming out on the other side, even stronger.”
