Marc Morial

We have an entrepreneurship initiative.

where we provide services, free technical services to entrepreneurs.

We serve about 10,000 of them in any given year.

I mean, this is the work that we do and we've worked to expand that work.

And it's the work that distinguishes us from other organizations.

And so, you know, we're, you know, I like to use the term, I say we're sui generis.

We're a unicorn in the space.

And some people say, well, you think you can do all of the above.

Actually, all of the above is really singular in that we are fighting on behalf of people to build the policy.

And then we're involved in the execution of the very same policy.

And that's the connective tissue between the work we do in public policy and advocacy and the work we do on the programmatic side.

Well, I feel like, you know, one of the other things I've tried to do here at the league is, you know, work closely with other civil rights leaders.

And, you know, work closely with Reverend Al.

Derek Johnson, Melanie Campbell, the Legal Defense Fund, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, National Council of Negro Women, Leadership Conference with Civil Rights.

And then we work with the Latino, Asian, and other communities as well.

So one of the philosophies that I try to embrace is coalition building.

And in a coalition building and mindset, everybody swims in their own lane, but we're swimming in the same direction.

It doesn't mean that we agree on tactics and strategy for everything under the sun.

It means... And I just felt like there was too much petty personality rivalries among African-American leaders.

And I just... To me, it makes nice talk, nice gossip, but it doesn't get you anywhere.