The Urban League’s Clear Vision Amid Uncertainty

As the terms diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to be scrutinized, the Urban League of Rochester (Rochester, NY) is grounding its work in the voices of the community. The organization is taking a listening-first approach, holding conversations with the community to ensure its efforts—rooted in a legacy of 60 years—remain relevant and responsive.

“We are a civil rights organization and our foundation is diversity, equity and inclusion,” says Seanelle Hawkins, President and CEO. “We have to be conscious of that, and we’re thinking about, how do we make sure that we can continue to do our work?”

These reflections on preserving mission, efforts that aren’t limited to the Urban League, come at a pivotal moment, as the organization considers raising funds to assess the need for a new space. The Urban League is eyeing the site currently occupied by the bus terminal, which is expected to move to the Louise M. Slaughter Rochester Station in the next few years.

This vision was shared at the Urban League’s sold-out gala at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in February, a gathering that drew more than 800 supporters.

“Imagine a city reconnected, a city once divided by barriers, concrete cutting through communities, roads that were lines, lines that were walls, walls that kept us apart,” Hawkins voice rings out in a video that was shared with the Beacon. “But now imagine this: Green spaces alive with possibilities, a park where laughter bridges divides, where every corner breathes unity, and just beyond the trees, a glow catches your eye, a sign shines bright, Urban League of Rochester, a beacon of light, a call to gather, a call to rise…”

The project is still in its “soft phase,” Hawkins says, and doesn’t have a price tag yet. The Urban League plans to conduct an assessment and is seeking funding to support this initiative. 

The Urban League’s efforts at building equitable conditions for all could be at risk given the Trump administration’s Jan. 20 executive order titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” Following that, a number of companies and organizations, including big names like Amazon, Google, ad giant WPP, and Disney, quickly rolled back or retooled DEI policies. 

While others might have removed references to DEI, cut related staff positions, or toned down the focus on equity and diversity, for the Urban League, changing words carries a unique significance. 

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