Scarritt Bennett Represents at National Urban League 2026 Conference
Image: ED Rev. Sondrea Tolbert and Director of Development & Sales Jenean Davis share the Scarritt Bennett story with new friends. And there was candy.
Scarritt Bennett Center was among the 300 exhibitors at Community & Family Day Expo during the National Urban League (NUL) 2026 Conference which took place at Nashville’s Music City Center from July 29 – August 1.
The Expo was part of a longstanding tradition in which NUL gives back to the host city chosen for their annual gathering.. Families from across the middle Tennessee poured into a vast exhibit hall transformed into a landscape of music, dance, crafts and exhibits designed with kids and families in mind. Medical and legal professionals were on hand to share best practices and advice and hundreds of kids will head into the new school year with new backpacks, books, and supplies.
For Scarritt Bennett staff, the Expo was like an old home week catching up with longtime friends and colleagues of partner agencies, churches and civic organizations that serve communities with resources and opportunities. We greeted clients and guests from Scarritt conferences, retreats and events and invited new friends to our midtown campus for a taste of Community Lunch mixed with Scarritt Bennett’s brand of radical hospitality.
Over 11,000 people attended the 2026 Conference which featured presentations from former Vice President Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Workshops, panel discussions and plenary sessions included over 200 industry leaders that work on the cutting edge of urban renewal and development.
The 50th edition of NUL State of Black America Report was released during opening plenary on July 30th. America at 250: Is the American Dream Dead? examined whether the national promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is still within reach, and the inquiry of whether to salvage that promise or envision a new one.
Considering the current political context in Tennessee, a recent NUL 2026 Conference press release noted that, “Tennessee, a cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, has become a flashpoint in the national fight over voting rights and fair representation. The state has enacted some of the country’s most restrictive voting laws and, after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the Voting Rights Act, the first racially gerrymandered congressional map in the South. National Urban League advocates and policymakers convened this week to confront what they describe as the most aggressive rollback of civil rights protections since Reconstruction — and to chart a strategy to fight back.”
Scarritt Bennett Center, and former Scarritt College have long histories of offering training in and advocating for racial justice and civil rights. Today, Racial Justice, Women’s Empowerment, Transformative Education and Spiritual Formation are the tenets that inform our work, expressed through the offices of Racial Justice Ministries and Soul Work, We are so grateful to be part of a strong and vibrant community cohort rooted in Nashville, Tennessee committed to equity and justice.
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