20 Years of Transformational Leadership

As President of the National Urban League since 2003, Marc Morial has been the primary catalyst for an era of change and a transformation for the 100-plus-year-old civil rights organization. His energetic and skilled leadership has expanded the League's work around an empowerment agenda, redefining civil rights in the 21st century with a renewed emphasis on closing the economic gaps between Whites and Blacks and rich and poor Americans.

Explore a 20-Year Timeline of Marc H. Morial's Leadership

Under his stewardship, the National Urban League has had record fundraising success and secured the Better Business Bureau nonprofit certification, establishing the National Urban League as a leading national nonprofit organization.  He presided over the League's centennial celebration in 2010, ushering in a new century of service and establishing empowerment goals for every division across the League and its affiliates. Morial's creativity has led to initiatives such as the Urban Youth Empowerment Program, which assists young adults in securing sustainable jobs, and Entrepreneurship Centers in five cities to help the growth of small businesses. He also created the National Urban League Empowerment Fund, which has pumped almost $200 million into urban impact businesses, including minority businesses, through debt and equity investments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morial led the Urban League in sounding the alarm about the racially disparate impact of the burgeoning coronavirus crisis, commencing an intense advocacy and direct relief campaign later to be called The Urban League Fights For You. Under his leadership, NUL also responded to the murder of George Floyd with advocacy, organizing, and policy actions, including 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Public Trust, a framework for criminal justice advocacy.
 

Explore a Playlist of Marc H. Morial's Most Iconic Addresses

Perhaps one of Morial's most significant contributions to the National Urban League's legacy is the Urban League Empowerment Center in Harlem. The $242 million, 414,000-square-foot Urban League Empowerment Center is one of the most significant economic development projects in Harlem's recent history – and a return home for the League that was founded in Harlem in 1910. The Center will serve as the headquarters for the National Urban League and be home to the Urban Civil Rights Museum Experience, New York City's first civil rights museum, and the National Urban League Institute for Race, Equity, and Justice. The Center will also bring 170 affordable housing units to Harlem, below-market office space for nonprofits and community groups, including One Hundred Black Men of New York, United Negro College Fund New York, and the Harlem-based Jazzmobile, and retail space featuring Target and Trader Joe's.
 
Join us as we celebrate 20 years of empowerment and progress under the leadership of President Marc H. Morial.

 

A Highlight of 20 Years of Empowerment and Advocacy

•  July 27, 2003 – Morial outlines the 5-point Empowerment Agenda: Education & Youth, Economic Empowerment, Health & Quality of Life, Civic Engagement, and Civil Rights & Racial Justice, during the National Urban League Conference in Pittsburgh.
• March 24, 2004 – Inaugural Legislative Policy Conference opens with the release of the first State of Black America® report to include the Equality Index™—a tool to compare Black and white Americans' social and economic status.
• October 18, 2005 – Morial's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, a key element of the Urban League's successful advocacy for reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.
• January 1, 2006 – Launch of Project Ready, a comprehensive program to prepare high school students for college, work, and life
• August 15, 2007 – Published the Opportunity Compact: Blueprint for Economic Equity, detailing policy recommendations to empower all Americans.
• March 6, 2008 – Morial declares a homeowner's state of emergency and issues the Homeowner's Bill of Rights. National Urban League responded to the Great Recession, advocating for targeted relief for hard-hit urban neighborhoods and enhanced social service initiatives.
• July 1, 2009 – A four-star rating from Charity Navigator places National Urban League in the top 10% of U.S. charities for good governance, fiscal responsibility, and other best practices
• March 2, 2010 – Launched the "I Am Empowered" centennial campaign celebrating 100 years of advocacy and empowerment of the National Urban League.
• December 18, 2014 – Appointment to President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, created in response to the unjustified use of deadly force against Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and others.
• August, 2017 – NonProfit Times names Morial as one of the nation's Top 50 Nonprofit Executives.
• July 18, 2019 – National Urban League announces future relocation to Harlem and construction of 425,000 square foot Urban League Empowerment Center.
• March 16, 2020 – National Urban League sounds the alarm about the racially disparate impact of the burgeoning coronavirus crisis, commencing an intense advocacy and direct relief campaign later called The Urban League Fights For You.
• May 5, 2020 – Publication of The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve.
• April 26, 2021 – 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Public Trust establishes a framework for criminal justice advocacy.
• November 12, 2022 – Premiere of Gumbo Coalition, a documentary of Morial's work, along with Janet Murguía of UnidosUS, confronting the challenges of 2020.
• 2022 Midterm Election ­– In preparation for the midterm elections, The National Urban League mobilized its affiliates under its signature voter engagement campaign, Reclaim Your Vote, to galvanize the Black electorate around progressive candidates. As a result, the election ushered in a new class of Black and Brown elected officials.

To Be Equal

To Be Equal is a syndicated weekly opinion column distributed by the National Urban League to news outlets across the nation since 1963, when it was started as “the Voice of Black America” by National Urban League President, Whitney M. Young, Jr. The column is has been authored by Marc H. Morial since 2003.

Explore a Selection of Marc H. Morial's Top 20 "To Be Equal" Articles