(February 23, 2015) Statement from Marc H. Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League, re: the Discrimination Lawsuit filed by National Association of African-American Owned Media & Entertainment Studios Network:
"It was brought to my attention today that the National Association of African-American Owned Media & Byron Allen-owned Entertainment Studios Network have filed a lawsuit naming the National Urban League as a co-defendant in a $20 billion discrimination claim against Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and others. The National Urban League has not yet been served with any papers regarding this meritless lawsuit, but the sheer absurdity of the claims demand that we address the situation now.
The National Urban League has led the fight for civil rights and diversity and inclusion in America - especially Corporate America - since our revered former President, Whitney M. Young, successfully forged partnerships with CEOs like Henry Ford II and others around shared goals of providing more jobs and training for people of color in business. Our heritage and history of encouraging and working with corporations across industries to recognize the value of and to foster a diverse workforce at all levels, as well as supplier and board diversity, speak for themselves. We continue to work on behalf of more than two million Americans annually to help them chart a path to better futures and to help create a more equal and equitable nation - as we have for 105 years - around jobs, wages, education, health, housing and justice.
Unfortunately, these plaintiffs are working only on behalf of themselves, and this bogus lawsuit is nothing more than an exploitative sham based in greed and selfish personal gain. It is deeply disappointing that they would resort to such disparaging, unfounded claims and smear tactics, but we will not be a party to their sensationalist efforts and will seek immediate dismissal of this frivolous lawsuit. After all, we have more important work to do."
