2024 NYCUDL Gala: 70 Years Later; Fulfilling the Promise of Brown v. Board of Education

On June 6th, we gathered at Tribeca Rooftop to celebrate another year creating equitable access to academic debate and to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. The evening's program highlighted both the progress our nation has made since this landmark decision and the work left to do to fulfill its promise.
The program began with remarks from our Board Chair, Eric Aboaf, and our Executive Director, Amisha Mody Mehta, who spoke about creating debate access. We learned about the direct impacts of debate on a personal level from our Student Speaker, Julian Moten, a current debater in our Open League.
We honored two accomplished advocates as our 2024 Champions of Debate:
Gurbir Grewal: Director of Enforcement, Securities and Exchange Commission
Brooke Cucinella: Global Head of Litigation & Regulatory Inquiries, Citadel
We are grateful to both of our Champions of Debate for sharing their reflections on Brown and how enriching academic experiences like debate can close the opportunity gap and help students achieve their full potential.
Thank you again to everyone who supported and celebrated the League on June 6th. We are humbled to be a part of the important work to close the opportunity gap and ensure all students have access to quality educational opportunities and positive life outcomes. We could not be doing any of this without you!