After Successful Tour in Pennsylvania, NAN Leaders to Engage Students at Two of the Nation’s Most Revered Historically Black Institutions

Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of National Action Network (NAN), announced that the organization’s Ascend HBCU Tour will continue later this week with civic engagement trainings at Morgan State University and Howard University on Thursday, followed by the University of the District of Columbia on Friday. The two-day Baltimore–Washington, D.C. stop comes on the heels of a successful Philadelphia tour earlier this month.

“Since the launch of this tour, we have seen the White House ramp up its attacks on Americans to a degree that is as worse as what we saw at the height of the civil rights movement,” said Sharpton. “It is therefore essential that we engage with and activate students in and around our nation’s capital. In the weeks ahead, we will continue to visit these institutions as the stakes continue to rise.”

The Ascend HBCU Tour is a national leadership and empowerment initiative born from a historic partnership between NAN and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.. Led by Rev. Cassius L. Rudolph, Special Assistant to Sharpton and Tour Director, the collaboration was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed on January 10, 2026. Together, the partners are mobilizing students through hands-on civic education, leadership development, and voter engagement—meeting young leaders where they are and equipping them to shape public policy outcomes.

As the nation approaches the pivotal 2026 Midterm Elections, the tour underscores the urgency of sustained civic participation. Organizers note that key issues expected to be on the ballot include efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; expand federal enforcement actions in cities; and weaken long-standing civil rights protections. Through on-campus trainings and dialogue, Ascend aims to prepare the next generation to engage these challenges with clarity and purpose.

WHERE AND WHEN

Thursday, January 29, 2026

• Morgan State University – Civic Engagement Student Training
  9:00 AM | University Student Center, Room 316
  1700 East Cold Spring Lane | Baltimore, MD 21251
• Howard University – Civic Engagement Student Training
  5:30 PM | Blackburn University Center
  2397 6th Street NW | Washington, D.C. 20059

Friday, January 30, 2026

• University of the District of Columbia – Civic Engagement Student Training
  9:00 AM | Student Center Ballroom
  4200 Connecticut Avenue NW | Washington, D.C. 20008

About National Action Network (NAN)

Founded in 1991 by Rev. Al Sharpton, National Action Network is one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations, with chapters across the United States. Working in the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., NAN advances a modern civil rights agenda rooted in justice, decency, and equal opportunity for all—regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.

For more information, visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net.