Policy Symposia
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The mission of The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) is to educate its members on important policy issues. NBCSL hosts symposia throughout the year with America’s top subject matter experts as a way to accomplish this mission. Topics cover a range of current policy issues from financial literacy to healthcare reform implementation. Below, you will find information about NBCSL’s most recent symposia, aimed at providing members with concrete and sustainable policy solutions that can be implemented in their communities.
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Black America’s Dialogue on Health

Supported for the past 19 years by Eli Lilly & Company, this symposium provides a much-needed space for several policy conversations on African-American health. The 2012 conference was titled “Raising our Health Status through Medical Innovation, Treatment, and Delivery” and focused on innovations allowing Americans to live longer, healthier, more active lives. The event is streamed live on the internet--allowing everyone to participate. Online viewers may submit questions online to be incorporated into the live discussion. Archived conference video footage can be found in the link below. The video content also includes meeting transcripts, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and supplemental information.

Video and Materials Archives



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Promoting Healthy Lifestyles

Supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Company, various symposia have allowed legislators to discuss new ideas and tackle mental and physical health problems affecting minority communities. The policy series is a part of a seven-year partnership with the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL). The 2012 symposium, titled “Healthy Aging,” addressed several ways in which legislators could help seniors live healthier and more independently.”



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Standing on Common Ground

In 2012, NBCSL began an unprecedented partnership with the Gill Foundation to examine timely policy issues surrounding both America’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and African-American communities. The first policy symposium, titled, “Confronting Bullying and Hate Crimes Against LGBT Youth,” delved into understanding why bullying is a major problem and deserves a public policy response and the potential impact of extending hate crimes legislation to cover the LGBT community.



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Colloquium on African American Health

Supported by Pfizer, Inc. and a 13-year partnership with the National Medical Association, this series has allowed NBCSL members and African-American doctors from across the country to study health issues together, enabling both groups to advocate more effectively on behalf of their communities. The 2012 colloquium focused on implementation of healthcare reform at the state level.