ADL and National Urban League Announce Expansion of Partnership Focusing On Voting and Civil Rights
ADL AND NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF PARTNERSHIP FOCUSING ON VOTING RIGHTS AND OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES IN 2020 AND BEYOND
New York, NY (October 21, 2020) -- ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and the National Urban League today announced the expansion of a partnership between the two venerable civil rights organizations in service of fighting racism, antisemitism, and advocating around issues of mutual concern.
The partnership, initially announced in August, is intended to create deep relationships on the ground through the next generation of leaders, uniting each organization’s existing young professional cohort into a powerful network. The initiative is already underway in Philadelphia with a voting rights pilot project entitled “Our Time, Our Vote.”
The expansion includes a similar voting rights pilot project in St. Louis for 2020, as well as other collaborative civil rights initiatives in Houston and Chicago set to take place in 2021 -- focusing on issues important to each respective community. This could include working together to advocate for local hate crimes legislation, environmental protection, or any number of various issues of mutual concern.
“The National Urban League’s collaboration and solidarity with the ADL has strengthened both of our organizations and advanced our shared mission immeasurably,” said Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “We welcome the opportunity to broaden and invigorate our relationship through our dynamic leaders on the local level.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director, added, “This is a tremendous opportunity to continue our storied partnership with the National Urban League across the country – pursuing our shared goal of achieving equality and justice for all. With divisiveness and disarray in our nation’s politics at a seemingly all-time high, it is ever important for our young leaders to work together and brainstorm ideas to better their respective communities at the grassroots level. It is my hope that the work our two organizations do together will serve as a foundation for others to emulate in the future.”
During the past 100 years, our organizations have fought against discrimination targeting people of Black and/or Jewish identities and consistently fought for a stronger and more secure society free of racism and antisemitism. The multiracial Jewish community, the non-Jewish Black community , and allies have often worked hand-in-hand in the face of widespread hatred, marching together in the American South, jointly lobbying the Supreme Court and Congress, and helping one another on the ground in neighborhoods across the country.
ADL and the National Urban League hope to continue and advance that storied history by reenergizing the relationship and making it stronger, with young leaders working side-by-side on the ground toward a more civil society.
Seizing this historic moment in the aftermath of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake and the protests against racism that have taken place across the country, the project was launched as a pilot in Philadelphia, where ADL’s Philadelphia Regional Office and the Urban League of Philadelphia brought together young leaders to learn and work together.
About National Urban League
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague.
About ADL
ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.