Washington, DC, Dec. 7, 1999–The Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Urban League today announced a joint initiative designed to help African-American small business owners learn how to ready their computer operations for 2000 and beyond.

Through the initiative, 20 Urban League affiliates nationwide will present community forums focusing on Y2K compliance, remediation and contingency plans; referrals for businesses that need expert advice and consulting and information about Y2K loan opportunities guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. In addition, the SBA will distribute free Y2K information kits and brochures to all participants.

The term Y2K refers to the situation businesses face with computer programs in which the year is represented by a two-digit date code to store data. When the two-digit space allocated for "99" rolls over to 2000, the next number will be "00," which many computers will recognize as 1900, not 2000. This could affect everything from employee payroll records, payments due and utility bills to security systems and computers.

"SBA has been working hard for some time to make sure small businesses become Y2K compliant," said SBA Administrator Aida Alvarez. "We have engaged in community-based outreach around the nation to limit problems with the Y2K transition. And that’s why this partnership with the National Urban League is so important. We want to ensure that no business is left behind because of the transition. The SBA also has established a special Y2K Web page that is an excellent source of information that’s available around the clock." The address for the site is www.sba.gov/y2k.

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According to the SBA, America\'s 24 million small businesses employ more than 50 percent of the private workforce, generate more than half of the nation\\\'s gross domestic product, and are the principal source of new jobs in the U.S. economy.

Added Milton Little, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Urban League, "In keeping with our goals to help promote economic self sufficiency among African-Americans, we recognized this initiative with the SBA as an ideal way to help minority business owners in local Urban League communities gain the knowledge they need to head off a potentially crippling problem. We’re pleased to be a partner in the effort."

In July 1998, the SBA and the NUL signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding to encourage the participation of African-American-owned small companies in SBA business development programs.

The U.S. Small Business Administration, established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, SBA is the nation\\\'s largest single financial backer of small businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than one million small business owners. The SBA also plays a major role in the government\\\'s disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.

Founded in 1910, the National Urban League is the premier social service and civil rights organization in America. The League is a nonprofit, non-partisan, community-based movement, headquartered in New York City with professionally staffed affiliates in 115 cities in 35 states and the District of Columbia.

Attached is contact info for the Urban League affiliates participating in the program. Please call the organization in your area directly to receive more information.

Urban League of Metropolitan Harrisburg
2107 North 6^th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 234-5925

Houston Area Urban League
1301 Texas Avenue
Houston, TX 77002-3508
(713) 759-9400

Baltimore Urban League
512 Orchard Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 523-8150

Urban League of Northeastern New York
95 Livingston Avenue
Albany, NY 12207
(518) 463-3121

Buffalo Urban League
15 East Genesee Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 854-7625

Urban League of Champaign County
314 South Neil
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 363 3333

Urban League of Pikes Peak Region
125 North Parkside Drive
P.O. Box 1979
Colorado Springs, CO 80909-1979
(719) 634-1525

Columbus Urban League
788 Mount Vernon Avenue
Columbus, OH 43203-1408
(614) 257-6300

Indianapolis Urban League
850 Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 639-9404

Springfield Urban League, Inc.
100 North 11^th Street
P.O. Box 3865
Springfield, IL 62708
(217) 789-0830

Urban League of Greater Jackson
3405 Medgar Evers Boulevard
Jackson, MS 39213
(601) 981-4211

Phoenix Urban League
1402 South Seventh Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Contact: Arnold Williams
(602) 254-5611

Greater Washington Urban League
3501 14^th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20010
Contact: Jacquelyne Hall
(202) 265-8200

Sacramento Urban League
4900 Broadway — Suite 1600
Sacramento, CA 95820
Contact: Marilyn Johnson
(916) 733-2200 ext. 250

Bay Area Urban League
2201 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 271-1846

Detroit Urban League
208 Mack Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
Cassandra Nelson Pruitt
(313) 832-4600 ext. 128

Chicago Urban League
4510 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60653
Cassandra K. Redd
(773) 285-5800

Greater Lansing Urban League, Inc.
304 N. Chestnut Street
Lansing, MI 48933
Deanna M. Edwards
(517) 487-3608

Fort Wayne Urban League
227 E. Washington Boulevard
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
(219) 424-6326

Urban League of Westchester County
61 Mitchell Place
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 428-6300