The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (The National Coalition) is a 501©3, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement and voter participation in Black and underserved communities. The National Coalition strives to create an enlightened community by engaging people in all aspects of public life through service/volunteerism, advocacy, leadership development and voting.Founded in 1976, for nearly 35 years The National Coalition has served as an effective convener and facilitator at the local, state and national levels of efforts to address the disenfranchisement of underserved and other marginalized communities through civic engagement including:•Non-Partisan Voter Empowerment Organizing and Training•Young Adult Civic Leadership Development•Promoting Women’s Health, Wellness and Girls Issues•Grassroots organizing and issue education•Disaster recovery and rebuilding Initiatives for Katrina- Rita survivors in the Gulf Coast The National Coalition has a national membership of organizations representing a diverse constituency base including civil rights, labor, and business organizations; fraternities and sororities; women, youth, educators, faith leaders, public policy makers, researchers and others; and has established twelve (12) state-based affiliates and networks to maximize its ability to increase Black civic engagement and voter participation.MissionThe National Coalition strives to create an enlightened community by building institutional capacity at both the national and local levels that provides and develops African American leadership. By educating, organizing and mobilizing citizens in our communities, the Coalition seeks to encourage full participation in a barrier-free democracy. Through educational programs and leadership training, the Coalition works to expand, strengthen and empower our communities to make voting and civic participation a cultural responsibility and tradition.

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National Board Member

The Historic Carver TheaterTouching the future without disturbing the past!Welcome back to the historic Carver Theater; during the 1950’s hailed as “America’s finest theater exclusively for colored patrons” with the latest in technology, architectural designs, and the finest amenities. Return as history moves forward with the installation of the Carver Theater’s new state-of-the-art natural sounding Meyer Sound Constellation; an extraordinary breakthrough in sound technology attaining an optimal acoustical experience. Re-designed as a live performance entertainment venue primarily focus on jazz, big band ensembles, chamber music, operetta, musicals, stage plays, dance recitals, and Off-Broadway Shows; the fully renovated 16,000-square-foot theater with the “finest amenities” will comfortably seat approximately 750 guests with the ability to accommodate a much greater number for non-seated performances and special events. The beamless construction and flat flooring design provides for an obstruction less view and present endless opportunities for various productions. State of the arts technology and the development of acoustical sound barriers designed to prevent the intrusion of noise from the outside during performances allows the Carver to serve as a prime venue for live audio and video recordings by the music, film, and entertainment industry. Located just blocks from the French Quarter, proximal to downtown New Orleans, the Carver will also serve as an excellent location for music conferences, film festivals and screenings, and other arts related events.Welcome back to the Historic Carver Theater.Touching the future without disturbing the past!

Sylvain served as the Executive Asst. to Marc Morial, Mayor, City of New Orleans, for the Mayor’s Division of Housing and Neighborhood Development from 1994 - 2002. Under his charge was the accomplishment of federal, state, and local mandates concerning housing and community development. Under his leadership the City’s housing programs served as a national model. The U.S. Conference of Mayor’s recognized his efforts in the development of Fannie Mae’s House New Orleans; a $1 billion Fannie Mae affordable housing initiative which provided affordable home loans for more than 10,000 families. Sylvain also received the conference’s “Excellence in Community Development” award for his leadership efforts in the revitalization of the Tremé’ neighborhood, with the creation of the New Orleans African-American Museum serving as the signature project. Bob Vila, host of HGTV’s Restore America devoted a nationally aired segment on the Treme’ revitalization initiatives. Sylvain’s expertise led to his appointment to the National Advisory Council on the Housing Authority of New Orleans by Congress. HUD presented his office with several “Best Practice” awards. Under his tenure, the City recorded more than 21,000 home sales, provided repairs to the homes of more than 6,000 citizens, and removed 11,000 vacant houses from the City’s landscape. Sylvain’s development of the City’s Soft Second program is still used today as the premier means of providing affordable housing to New Orleans. Sylvain diligently worked with others to help bring major economic development projects such as Saulet Apartments, Venus Gardens’ Apartments, Congress Square, the American Can Company’s mixed-use residential facilities, Albertson’s Supermarket, Jazzland theme park and others to fruition. His efforts led to more than $1.7 billion of housing activities into New Orleans’ economy. Former New Orleans’ Mayor Marc Morial once called Sylvain “the architect of New Orleans housing recovery efforts.”