Participants Include: Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rev. Mark Thompson, Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, Angela Rye, Joy Reid, Marilyn Mosby, Derrick Johnson, Bishop Leah Daughtry, Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, Ilyasah Shabazz, Minyon Moore, Maya Wiley, Tamika Mallory, Ben Crump, Larry Hamm, Acre Boyzz, Maimouna Youssef and many more

(Black PR Wire) BALTIMORE, MD — This week the “State of the People National Assembly” brings together hundreds of Black leaders, organizers, artists, elders, and youth from across the country for a historic Juneteenth convening to celebrate and unify, strategize and launch the next era of collective Black power, healing, and action. Plenary conversations will examine a range of issues impacting Black communities discussed in the Black Papers Policy Project, a bold blueprint for action developed through collaboration with more than a hundred leading Black scholars, organizers, and policy experts. A living cultural and political agenda for Black America, the Black Papers informs our organizing, policy, and collective advocacy. Actionable tools for advocacy and liberation will be shared through a series of workshops and delegate training will prepare our communities for the 2026 International Assembly. Grounded in the spirit of the 1972 Gary National Black Political Convention and other historic national convenings, the Assembly is a declaration: We are defining our agenda, naming our solutions, and committing to collective action for future generations.
A truly intergenerational gathering, we are thrilled to announce that a special partnership with the Children’s Defense Fund will bring the CDF Freedom Schools® Program to Baltimore for a special Juneteenth session during our Assembly, June 19-21. The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program has been empowering children and families for over 25 years through culturally relevant education that builds leadership skills and critical thinking. This special Juneteenth session brings together 50 young people for intensive programming on June 19-20, continuing CDF's legacy of combining academic excellence with social justice education (K-12) and community organizing. The program is free and will run concurrent to the Assembly programming. To learn more and register for the program please go to: https://forms.gle/unZmScFfboA774Rt8.
Members of the public can sign up to attend the National Assembly for free, receive program information and RSVP here: https://stateoftheppl.com/baltimore/.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE *** Note: All times EST. ***
Thursday June 19, 2025 DAY 1 
3:00pm - 5:00pm Registration
4:30pm - 6:30pm Opening Plenary
6:30pm - 9:30pm Juneteenth Fish Fry Celebration

LOCATION: Empowerment Temple AME Church
4217 Primrose Ave
Baltimore, MD 21215

NOTE: Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School ® – Juneteenth Special Session will run from 3:00pm - 6:00pm

Friday June 20, 2025 DAY 2
7:30am - 8:30am - Registration & Breakfast, Vendor and Resource tables open
10:00am - 11:30am Morning Plenary
11:30am - 12:30pm Breakout Sessions #1 Workshops: How to Run for Office; Black Women Empowering the Change; Born to Thrive: Black Men from Surviving to Wholeness; How to Develop and Strengthen Mutual Aid Networks, Power Mapping
12:45pm - 2:45pm Lunch 
3:00pm - 4:00pm Afternoon Plenary
4:00pm - 5:00pm Breakout Session #2 Workshops: Land, Legacy and Liberation; Power Mapping Violence Intervention Tools that Work; Hands Off! – Keeping Our Knowledge and Our History; Transforming the Criminal Legal System
4:00pm - 5:30pm Delegate Training
5:00pm - 6:00pm Breakout Session #3 Workshops: Utilizing Digital Platforms as the Key to Owning Our Stories; All Eyes on Maryland – Reparations Movements at the Local, State, and Federal Levels; Service Beyond Service - a conversation about the unique challenges facing Black veterans
6:00pm - 8:00pm Dinner Break
8:30pm - 10:00pm Evening Town Hall

8:00am - 6:00pm Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School ® – Juneteenth Special Session

Saturday, June 21, 2025 DAY 3 
9:00am - 11:00am Closing Plenary
12:00pm - 2:00pm Black Love in Action: Community Service & Mutual Aid

MEDIA RSVP
To attend or request interviews, contact: comms@stateoftheppl.com

ABOUT STATE OF THE PEOPLE
The State of the People is a national movement grounded in community healing, civic action, and cultural power. Led by local and national coalitions of organizers, educators, artists, and everyday people, the movement builds on historic Black conventions to create a modern political and cultural agenda defined by us, for us.
To learn more, visit: www.stateoftheppl.com