Civil Rights Leaders to Back New York Living Wage Bill

NAACP, National Urban League, and others to rally for $30 minimum wage at Black History Month event

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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On Friday, February 20, 2026, national civil rights leaders including Derrick Johnson of the NAACP, Marc Morial of the National Urban League, and New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam will join restaurant workers, small business owners, and labor advocates at the New York Hilton Midtown to call for passage of Living Wage For All legislation in New York City, New York State, and at the federal level. The legislation would raise the minimum wage to at least $30 in New York and $25 federally, and end all subminimum wages, including the tipped minimum wage which has roots in post-Emancipation labor practices.

Why it matters

The event will confront what leaders describe as the unfinished economic legacy of slavery, where the wage system behind desegregated lunch counters remained divided, preserving a two-tiered structure that still allows employers to pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 an hour. Speakers will argue that economic dignity is inseparable from civil rights and that wage exclusion anywhere weakens standards everywhere.

The details

The press conference will highlight how the subminimum wage for tipped workers traces back to post-Emancipation labor practices that pushed Black workers into tip-dependent jobs with no guaranteed pay, and how the National Restaurant Association has spent decades lobbying to preserve that system. Leaders will also warn that the National Restaurant Association is pushing Congress to pass the Tipped Employee Protection Act (H.R. 2312), which would expand the subminimum wage for tipped workers and weaken worker protections nationwide.

  • The event will take place on Friday, February 20, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
  • The event marks the 100th anniversary year of Black History Month.

The players

Derrick Johnson

President of the NAACP.

Marc Morial

President of the National Urban League.

L. Joy Williams

Chair of the New York NAACP.

Yusef Salaam

New York City Council Member and member of the Exonerated Five.

Saru Jayaraman

President of One Fair Wage.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Living Wage For All bills are expected to be introduced in the New York City Council and New York State Legislature in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

This event marks a pivotal moment in the fight for economic justice, as civil rights leaders join forces with workers and small business owners to demand an end to the subminimum wage and a living wage for all. The outcome of these legislative efforts could have far-reaching implications for the future of labor rights and racial equity.