BALTIMORE, MD — American Urban Radio White House Correspondent and political analyst April Ryan will moderate the NAACP’s Presidential Candidates Forum at the 110th National Convention on Wednesday, July 24, 2019, 9:30 a.m. EDT in Detroit, Michigan. The forum, which will take place at the COBO Center, offers candidates and convention attendees alike the opportunity to discuss solutions to some of the most critical issues we face as a nation.
Confirmed presidential candidates include:
• Joe Biden, Former U.S. Vice President
• Cory Booker, United States Senator
• Julián Castro, Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• Kamala Harris, United States Senator
• Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator
• Beto O’Rourke, Former Member of the United States House of Representatives
• Bernie Sanders, United States Senator
• Elizabeth Warren, United States Senator
• Bill Weld, Former Governor of Massachusetts
“As a media trailblazer, April Ryan is a journalist who continues to create distinguished bodies of work with an extraordinary depth, scope and significance to people in the Black community,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of NAACP. “We are honored to have her moderate our Presidential Candidates Forum and look forward to hearing the candidates address some of the most critical issues we face today.”
April Ryan has a unique vantage point as the only Black women covering urban issues from the White House – a position she has held since the Clinton era. Ryan delivers her readership and listeners a “unique urban and minority perspective in news.” Her status as a White House Correspondent has afforded her unusual insight into the racial sensitivities, issues, and attendant political struggles of our nation’s past presidents.
In 2015, Ms. Ryan was nominated for an NAACP Image Award (Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author) for her first book, The Presidency in Black and White. She is also the author of the award-winning book, At Mama’s Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White, where she looks at race relations through the lessons and wisdom that mothers have given their children. Her latest book is Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House.
April Ryan has served on the board of the prestigious White House Correspondents Association. She is one of only three African Americans in the Association’s over 100-year history to serve on its board. She is also an esteemed member of the National Press Club. As a Baltimore native and Morgan State University graduate, April gives back to her community by serving as a mentor to aspiring journalists and assisting with developing “up and coming” broadcasters.
Questions for the Presidential Candidates Forum can be submitted here. The highly-anticipated event is expected to draw a large crowd of activists and political leaders from across the nation.
The NAACP Convention brings together over 10,000 activists, organizers, and leaders to set policies priorities for the coming year. Highlights will include a CEO Roundtable, a legislative session, LGBTQ workshop, the awarding of the prestigious Spingarn Medal to Ambassador Patrick Gaspard, and the signature NAACP Experience retail expo and diversity career fair. More information about the 110th Annual NAACP National Convention, including a detailed schedule of events may be found by visiting naacpconvention.org.