Rev. Al Sharpton To Cut Ribbon At 2025 National Action Network Convention Before Fireside Chat With Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

Sharpton will follow the ceremony with a fireside chat alongside Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Rev. Al Sharpton will begin the 2025 National Action Network Convention in New York City with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A slew of government officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, will take part in the event on April 2. Sharpton, president and founder of the network, will continue the convention’s programming through a fireside chat with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

According to The Tennessee Tribune, the duo will discuss the state of the nation amid a rise in policies against Black America. Moore has become a leading voice for the Democratic Party and will speak with Sharpton about overcoming these new and ongoing challenges for the Black community.

NAN previously recognized Moore during its MLK Day Legislative Breakfast in Washington, D.C. His upcoming speaking engagement at its national convention will lead four days of programming and panels on Black Americans’ current condition and plight.

From April 1 to April 5, the NAN convention will conduct wide-ranging sessions on affordable housing to workers’ rights. Following the fireside chat, Sharpton will lead a discussion on expanding healthcare access to those throughout the Black community. Attorney Benjamin Crump will immediately moderate a panel on the fight for social justice. He will join activists and family members of slain Black men such as Eric Garner, George Floyd, and Trayvon Martin.

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The next day, Don Lemon will moderate a session on discerning media in the age of misinformation. The day will also hold a women’s empowerment luncheon honoring advocates such as Tatyana Ali and restauranteur Melba Wilson. Conversations on LGBTQ+ rights and mental health are additionally scheduled, and a plenary discussion with Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, will also take place.

On Friday, April 4, it will host a highly-anticipated session on the anti-DEI push and how Black Americans can combat this growing movement. NAN will also release an official list of companies to boycott over their anti-DEI stances during the convention. Several state attorney generals will also come together for their own discussion, with additional conversations on gun violence, Black women’s maternal health, the “global challenge” of race, and more. A presentation of the civil rights film, “Storm Over Brooklyn,” will end the evening with a subsequent talkback.

The convention will conclude on April 5 with a Youth and College Day. Beginning with an action rally, the day includes a youth awards ceremony highlighting young entrepreneurs through a pitch contest. After more sessions on restorative justice and the state of Black men in the nation, the night will commence with an “Artivism” fashion and talent showcase sponsored by Sharpton Entertainment.

With an expansive list of featured guests and acclaimed panelists, this year’s NAN convention hopes to build upon results-oriented strategies within the Black community for generations of change-makers. Registration remains available on NAN’s website.