In a year unlike any other, our community needed an NLC convention unlike any other. And wow - NLC Convention: AT HOME raised the bar for what a digital experience can look and feel like.

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1,000 Leaders. 58 NLC stories. Three incredible days.

In a year unlike any other, our community needed an NLC convention unlike any other. And wow - NLC Convention: AT HOME elevated our understanding of what a digital experience can look and feel like. Most of all, it was you - our alumni and supporters - who made this year’s convention so meaningful. 

Browse through the highlights below. Learn from the 58 speakers from the NLC Family. We promise that you will be fired up for the months ahead. 

A night to celebrate 

On Thursday, we started with the NLC Resiliency Ball, where disability rights activists Judy Heumann and Keah Brown encouraged us to understand the intersections of disabled experiences and ensure that when we fight for everyone, we include everyone. 

We also laughed with Keegan-Michael Key, spotlighted NLC members doing incredible work, and uplifted our Chapters’ efforts. Anchoring the entire experience were the musical stylings of DJ Omé, who just about brought our actual houses down with their energy. 

Throughout the weekend, we learned from 10 Spark! Talks, where members from the NLC community shared their ideas and expertise on how to ignite change. Thank you, #NLCFamily, for bringing your time, talent, and wisdom to this year’s Convention.

Rallying for equity and justice

Saturday centered important conversations about inequities underscored by COVID, uplifted millennial mental health care, and explored progressive entrepreneurship. 

Civil right stalwarts and NLC alumni then led sessions about the continued fight for racial justice. Vanita Gupta from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights reminded us to uplift hope as an action as we lead our communities towards a better tomorrow.

Restoring faith and reimagining our future

On Sunday, we explored how communities and institutions are responding, rebounding, and rebuilding in the wake of COVID-19. Mayors across the country spoke to the power of local leaders. Ai-jen Poo and Jess Morales Rocketto from the National Domestic Workers Alliance inspired us to keep pushing and reimagining the future because “we never win more by demanding less.”

We wrapped Convention with our Democracy session, where NLC Honorary Co-Chair Secretary Julián Castro spoke truth to power and pain to progress: “We need to do all that we can to get closer and closer to a country that all of us can be proud of.” 

Stacey Abrams then fired up the chat, and highlighted that we are the ones that are going to lead our country forward: “There are millions of Americans afraid of their power. I call on you to be leaders who restore their faith and carve out pathways to justice.”

Progress isn’t cancelled. Leadership isn’t cancelled. 

This year’s convention reminded us that progress isn’t cancelled, even if we can’t meet in person. We will be the ones to carve out those pathways to justice. 

We will dream bigger. We will reach deeper. We will show up for our communities and our country.

Because we are those leaders. We are that community. We are NLC. 

Thank you to all of our speakers, attendees, sponsors, and volunteers for making this convention one to remember. We can’t wait to see you again next year in Philadelphia, when we can gather together safely.

And if you’re ready to join our community of change makers, we encourage you to apply or nominate a local leader for the 2021 NLC Institute. Applications are open until September 3. 

Fired up, ready to go,
Clare Bresnahan English

New Leaders Council
1050 Connecticut Ave NW #66004
Washington, DC 20035
United States

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