Richmond’s Nathan Hogg was nearly speechless when reflecting on his experience attending a national policy conference on issues affecting African Americans and the global Black community.
The Congressional Black Caucus Conference’s 55th annual legislative event was held Sept. 16-20 in Washington D.C.
“To be in a room with 20,000 people who look like you, where there’s representation in the room, to meet members of Congress that you watch on TV every day and have conversations … I can’t even begin to describe what it felt like,” Hogg said.
Hogg attended with a supervisor from his Indiana Statehouse internship earlier this year. He mingled and shared space with people like U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Jasmine Crocket, Summer Lee and Maxwell Frost.
Established in 1971, the CBC is a nonpartisan caucus that works on legislation benefiting African American and other marginalized communities. The conference brings its 62 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate with community organizers, celebrities, activists and other professionals to discuss important causes, from criminal justice reform and voter suppression, to access to quality healthcare, education and economic development.
With a theme of “Rooted, Ready & Rising,” the conference offered a variety of panels and events. Hogg’s favorites included one led by Indiana Congressman Andre Carson. Carson moderated a discussion titled “Hip-Hop and Politics,” with hip-hop artists on the art form’s role in politics and messaging to a new generation.
Another event was a dance party, “Young, Gifted and Black,” hosted by longtime California Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Hogg said Waters discussed how she fought to prevent rap artists from being censored in the 1980s, sensing how their music would later change the world.
Apart from the conference, Hogg participated in a Black Menswear flashmob organized by Richmond native Lawrence Spicer. A weekend-long gathering of Black men combining community service, networking, and a large group photo aimed at changing cultural narratives, the group has events throughout the year.
With his own political aspirations, Hogg said his biggest takeaway was learning about the power of community and wanting to replicate the joy he experienced.
“I want to be able to create a space like that one day and I want to encourage other people from Richmond to tag along to engage in that kind of joy,” said Hogg.
For more information on the CBC, visit cbc.house.gov.
A version of this article will appear in the October 7 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
