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Hope & Justice Program

ABOUT US

In April 2022, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) partnered with Clark Atlanta University (CAU) to establish the NCBCP Thomas W. Dortch Jr. Institute for Leadership, Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, and Social Justice (NCBCP TWD Jr. Institute). The institute is anchored on the campus of CAU.

The NCBCP TWD Jr. Institute's mission is to amplify and expand the NCBCP's leadership development, civicseducation & engagement, voting rights, racial, economic, environmental and gender justice; entrepreneurship, health acess, digital access, AI and wealth building work in The South and nationally.

The NCBCP and CAU Partnership fulfills its mission by amplifying civic engagement and urgent issues affecting Black and underserved communities impacted by systemic and structural racism, inequities, and injustice.

CO-FOUNDERS

Melanie L. Campbell

President & CEO, NCBCP, Convener of The Black Women's Roundtable

Dr. George T. French, Jr.

President of Clark-Atlanta University

Upcoming Events

Our Recent Events

Hope & Justice Lecture Series: Using Your Career to Promote Social Justice & Civic Engagement

OUR HISTORY: THE LAUNCH OF THE THOMAS W. DORTCH JR. INSTITUTE AT CAU
May 30 - June 1, 2023

The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and Clark Atlanta University (CAU) officially launched the NCBCP Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Institute for Leadership, Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment & Social Justice in May 2023. The Institute was established as a space to develop, strengthen, and connect the next generation of Black leaders and organizers while advancing civic engagement, economic empowerment, and social justice.

The Institute’s launch was marked by the inaugural NCBCP Southern Organizing Leadership Convening, a two-day gathering that brought together an intergenerational and diverse network of Black leaders, organizers, advocates, and allies from across the South and beyond.

The convening provided a dynamic space for participants to organize, exchange strategies, share research and knowledge, build coalitions, and develop long-term solutions to the political, economic, and social challenges facing Black communities. With a particular focus on the South, the gathering recognized the region’s critical role in shaping the future of Black political power, civic participation, economic opportunity, and social justice.

The Institute was launched during a critical period marked by growing challenges to civil and voting rights, Black political power, reproductive rights and justice, workers’ rights to organize, LGBTQ+ rights, the teaching of Black history in public schools, and the strength and sustainability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), among other issues affecting Black communities.

In response to these challenges, the 2023 convening also focused on opportunities for immediate collaboration, organizing, and coalition-building in preparation for the 2024 presidential election cycle.

Today, the Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Institute continues to serve as a hub for leadership development, civic engagement, organizing, economic empowerment, research, coalition-building, and social justice, carrying forward a commitment to strengthening Black leadership and advancing lasting solutions for Black communities—particularly throughout the South.