Louisville Urban League Hosts Annual Luncheon and Reflects on Past Year of Service

At 91 years old, Civil Rights leader Xernona Clayton said she isn't resting.

"Our fight always is to encourage everybody to join the fight. That's how you win," Clayton said.

She said the battle isn't over yet. Clayton was an aid to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and had her start in civil rights with the Urban League in Chicago.

"What's really disconcerting to those of us who were on the fight every day is that the victories we thought we had won, we're looking at it now as maybe it wasn't a real victory because it didn't last long," Clayton said.

Louisville Urban League (Louisville, KY) hosted the Annual IMPACT Report Luncheon at Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

Clayton was a speaker at the event. Urban League President and CEO Sadiqa Reynolds reflected on the past and made plans for the future.

"I think it's so important for us to remind our city and ourselves that we really are and can be united," Reynolds said.

Last year the organization made continued strides towards that goal. They helped students get $106,000 in scholarships, did over 400 home visits and saved 27 homes from foreclosure. They also helped over 200 people get jobs and registered 722 people to vote, but they say there's more work to be done.

"We've just got to be honest. Racism is real. It's not a pretend thing. It's real, and our systems are broken and so how do we make those changes? Meanwhile, the Urban League is putting band-aids on, but we're also working on policy too," Reynolds said.

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