Viola Davis Moves the Room as the CBCF Celebrates 50 Years

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation marked a half century of service the way it knows best, with a packed room, a full stage and a call to action. The foundation's annual Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center capped the 55th Annual Legislative Conference and doubled as a celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Actors Amin Joseph and La La Anthony hosted the evening. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries opened with welcome remarks focused squarely on the Nov. 3 election, urging attendees to use the 45 days remaining to talk with neighbors, knock on doors and turn out every vote.

The foundation's president and CEO pledged that the CBCF will keep supporting Black leaders in the fight to protect and empower our communities, no matter who stands against them, and described the foundation's policy work as the toolkit elected officials will need for the next 50 years.

Then came Viola Davis. The EGOT winner received the CBC Chair's Award, honoring both her work on screen and her advocacy for cultural rights. She spoke about a conversation with her daughter as they looked through images tied to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the long history of lynching in this country. Her daughter's response, as Davis told it, was simple: each person in those images was somebody's baby.

"Our history is ripe with the loss of a lot of 'somebody's babies.'"

Davis offered that line as a reminder that every name in our history belongs to a family, and that those of us still here carry the responsibility to honor them.

The dinner closed a five day conference held Sept. 16 through 20 under the theme Rooted, Ready and Rising, chosen to commemorate the foundation's 50th year. The ALC offered more than 100 free issue forums and brain trusts, bringing together lawmakers, advocates, entrepreneurs, students and community leaders from across the country. Signature events included the Day of Healing Prayer Breakfast, the National Town Hall and the Black Party.

Voting rights sat at the center of many conversations. Panels examined the fallout from the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which advocates warn could put a significant share of Congressional Black Caucus seats at risk this fall.

What began in the 1970s as Black Caucus Weekend has grown into one of the largest cross industry gatherings in the nation. For the DMV, the ALC is also a homecoming, filling hotels, restaurants and ballrooms across the city with Black professionals and families every September.

Fifty years in, the CBCF is asking the same question it asked at the start: what will we build together next? Judging by the energy in that ballroom, the answer is plenty.