By Kay Scrimger
February 2, 2009

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial addressed the 77th Winter Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors January 19, the commemoration of The Reverend Dr. Martin King Jr's birthday.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., began his movement for social change in an American city - Montgomery, Alabama by challenging segregation in one of the essential public services - public transportation," he said.

Morial pointed out that in Montgomery, Birmingham, Augusta, Chicago, Memphis, and other cities, King articulated and demanded change in this great nation. "This prophet of the civil rights movement shaped the American city," Morial said.

The first African-American mayor of an American city was Carl Stokes of Cleveland, elected in 1967. "In the American city, multi-racial political coalitions were developed, and the mayor's role was to bring people together to achieve a common view," Morial said. "Although President Elect Barack Obama and Dr. King have come from different traditions, they both share a vision of an inclusive America."

Morial continued, "As we celebrate Dr. King's 80th birthday, what would Dr. King's counsel and advice be to our new President as he goes forward, in the face of economic problems that shock the conscience? He would say that we need a new economic plan for a new America. To all mayors, I urge you to become a ‘new Nehemiah nation,' a nation of those who would rebuild their cities."

Morial called upon mayors to advocate for sending money directly to cities so that they will have the necessary resources to build and repair infrastructure, combat unemployment, create jobs, including green jobs, and carry out all actions needed to realize Main Street Recovery.

Morial emphasized that the strength of The U.S. Conference of Mayors is that it is not just for Republicans or Democrats, not just made up of big cities or medium-sized, or small cities, not just for one or another group, but that it is "an organization of all mayors!"

"Thank you, Conference of Mayors, for you are the Nehemiah generation!" Morial concluded.

Morial served as mayor of New Orleans from 1994-2002 and as Conference of Mayors' President from 2001-2002. He is the son of the late Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial, also mayor of New Orleans and Conference President, 1985-1986.