Southern Christian Leadership Conference Elects New President

New president DeMark Liggins has served with the SCLC for over 10 years.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) has promoted its vice president, DeMark Liggins, to lead the esteemed civil rights organization.

The conference formally elected Liggins as president and CEO after his predecessor, Dr. Charles Steele, announced his resignation. Liggins, who has served in the SCLC for 10 years, was officially voted into his new role during the SCLC’s 65th annual convention on Aug. 10.

Liggins became SCLC’s vice president in 2023 and previously served as the organization’s chief of staff and chief financial officer.

“I find myself humbled and excited about being named the President/CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,” Liggins said in a press release sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “As the new leader of this historic organization, my vision for the company rests on the SCLC’s Legacy, Leadership, and Love. These pillars of our brand will guide the direction of my presidency.”

Steele, the former president, worked with the SCLC for over 20 years but is not retiring. He spent two terms as president and CEO. In a conversation with WABE’s Closer Look, the 78-year-old shared that he will now focus on affordable housing programming and development.

In his new role, Liggins intends to focus on youth education, criminal justice reform, and voting initiatives for the SCLC. The HBCU alumnus and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. also hopes to follow SCLC’s founding president, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as he brings his own vision for the organization to life.

King founded the SCLC in 1957 as a call to action to serve and uplift the Black community and humanity overall. Moreover, its mission to provide economic and racial justice, alongside civil rights, remains ingrained across its local chapters nationwide.