The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) is an American

political Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

organization composed of

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

elected to

state legislatures A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Stat ...

in the United States and its territories.

Background

NBCSL was founded in 1977 after a group of about eighteen African American state legislators, attending the annual meeting of the

National Conference of State Legislatures The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), established in 1975, is a "nonpartisan public officials’ association composed of sitting state legislators" from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States. Background ...

and perceiving that the NCSL was still "racially exclusive" at that time, decided to call for a national conference in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

.Tyson King-Meadows, Thomas F. Schaller, ''Devolution and Black State Legislators: Challenges and Choices in the Twenty-First Century'' (

State University of New York Press The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

, 2007), , pp. 194–95, 202 & passim.
Excerpts available
at

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. About ninety African American state legislators attended. The first president was Michigan state representative Matthew McNeely. The organization has grown to more than six hundred members by 2008. Legislators of this organization come from 44 states, the

U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

, and the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

. Since its inception, NBCSL has met annually in a pre-determined host state for its Annual Legislative Conference. Throughout the year, NBCSL sponsors policy symposia to keep members abreast of growing policy trends and educated on policy issues that affect NBCSL’s constituents. When legislators attend the Annual Legislative Conference, policy committees meet and discuss policy resolutions, drawing upon information presented in the symposia, that are voted up or down by the membership. These resolutions become the policy position of the organization. Legislators, corporate partners, and labor representatives take these policy resolutions and use them to influence public policy in

and on

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...

Mission

The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) is a membership association representing more than 700 black state legislators from 47 states, the

and the

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...

. NBCSL members represent more than 50 million Americans of various racial backgrounds. NBCSL monitors federal and state activity and provides this information to its members through policy symposiums and conferences. Each year, NBCSL members pass policy resolutions that directly impact federal and state policy. The organization focuses on issues that directly impact US domestic policy and is committed to policies that positively affect all Americans. The primary mission of the NBCSL is to develop, conduct, and promote educational, research, and training programs designed to enhance the effectiveness of its members, as they consider legislation and issues of public policy which impact, either directly or indirectly, upon the general welfare of African American constituents within their respective jurisdictions.

Executive officers

Representative Billy Mitchell (GA), President Representative Laura V. Hall (AL), President-Elect Representative Harold M. Love Jr. (TN), Vice President Representative Vivian Flowers (AR), Secretary Senator Raumesh Akbari (TN), Financial Secretary Representative Cherish Pryor (IN), Treasurer Senator

Gerald Neal Gerald Anthony Neal (born September 22, 1945) is an American politician and attorney. He is a Democratic Party member of the Kentucky Senate, representing District 33 since January 1989. Life and career Born September 22, 1945, Gerald Anthony N ...

(KY), Parliamen Senator Pat Spearman (NV), Chaplain

State legislative black caucuses

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:National Black Caucus Of State Legislators Organizations established in 1977