NCBCP/Black Women’s Roundtable 11th Annual Women of Power Gathering and Jazz Brunch

Our Deputy Executive Director Shaylyn Cochran represented the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law at the 11th Annual Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) Women of Power Gathering and Jazz Brunch on Friday, July 4, 2025, during the Essence Festival of Culture Weekend in New Orleans.

This powerful, intergenerational event brought together Black women leaders from across the South and the nation to celebrate Black women’s leadership and strategize for the road ahead.

Shaylyn spoke on “The Fierce Urgency of Now Call to Action!” panel alongside: Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw, African American Policy Forum; Janai Nelson, NAACP LDF; Fatima Goss Graves, National Women’s Law Center; Letetia Daniels Jackson, South Alabama BWR; Monica Simpson, Sister Song.

Together, they tackled the urgent threats posed by Project 2025 and “The Big Ugly Federal Bill,” calling for bold, collective action to protect our history, rights, freedoms, democracy, and opportunities in 2025 and beyond.

The Lawyers’ Committee is honored to stand in solidarity with these trailblazing leaders and organizers.

Photo credit: Patrick Niddrie for AP Images / Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law