16 months after a devastating EF3 tornado tore through North St. Louis, transforming a staple neighborhood retail plaza into a mound of rubble, new plans are emerging to turn the cleared dirt lot into a multi-million dollar community anchor.

The tornado destroyed the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis's (St, Louis, MO) strip plaza on Page Boulevard, forcing a complete demolition of the unrenovatable structure. On Monday, the property sits entirely vacant. Across the street, scaffolding remains visible on the organization's 98-year-old headquarters as workers continue finishing the final phases of storm repair.

As recovery continues, leadership is looking forward, laying out an ambitious roadmap to revive the corridor with retail, senior housing, and new single-family homes.

Urban League President and CEO Michael McMillian says the organization is finalizing insurance negotiations over the next few months to pave the way for a new retail center.

Community leaders, elected officials, educators, faith leaders, and advocates gathered at the Chicago Urban League (Chicago, IL) to officially launch National Civility Month, reaffirming their collective commitment to advancing respect, meaningful dialogue, and safer communities throughout Cook County and the State of Illinois.

Hosted by the Chicago Urban League, the press conference brought together influential voices from government, education, faith-based organizations, and community leadership to emphasize the critical role civility plays in reducing violence, strengthening relationships, and fostering healthier, more connected communities.

More than six decades after Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and declared his dream for a more just America, thousands gathered in Washington on Friday to warn that voting rights and other freedoms he fought and died for are once again under threat.

Civil rights leaders invoked the same demands he made from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial two and a half generations ago: that the fight for equality remains unfinished.

The event, called “March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote,” drew several thousand people to the National Mall, including union members, students, members of Black Greek-letter organizations, and attendees of all ages who traveled from across the country.

Homeowners in a historic Kansas City neighborhood are already benefiting from a Jackson County-funded program aimed at keeping them in their homes while boosting their property values and stabilizing their neighborhoods.

Gwendolyn Grant, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City (Kansas City, MO), said its Operation Rebuild program means funding for more than 40 homes in the Prospect Avenue corridor alongside job training for young adults who may be underemployed or who have been involved with the justice system.

“We want to expand this out for the next three years and get all of these houses uplifted, increase property values and stabilize the communities with owner-occupied residents rather than absentee landlords,” Grant said Friday (August 28th) in front of homes on Lockridge Avenue in the Santa Fe neighborhood.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 28, 2026) — National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial delivered a forceful call to action Friday at the commemoration of the historic March on Washington, urging Americans to confront assaults on voting rights, civil rights, and democratic institutions through civic engagement, economic action, and political participation.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“A people without the knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” - Marcus Garvey

When I graduated high school in New Orleans, America was a different place. Black Americans were all but locked out of economic opportunity because of the color of our skin and the racial caste system that saw us as no more than servants to White Americans; many of whom benefited financially and socially from our enslavement for centuries.

 It’s back-to-school season in central Ohio and families in Columbus are getting their students ready for the first day of classes.

This time of year can be expensive for families, so the Columbus Urban League Young Professionals (Columbus, OH), in partnership with Things That Matter, is helping out with a Back-To-School Block Party on Sunday. 

Families were given free supplies, backpacks, wellness kits, and free haircuts to help with the start of the school year.

Pearce McDaniel brought his six-year-old niece to make sure she was ready for her new journey to the first grade.

“This is definitely something that came in clutch because it helps us save a little money because I do have 10 nephews and nieces total,” he said. “When having to take them out to appointments and things like that times 10, it can get a little bit more costly. Events like these definitely do help out.”

31 people graduated from the Youth Builders STL program on Saturday (August 22nd).

The Youth Builders STL program at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) gives young people hands-on experience for jobs in construction and the trades. The program was launched in response to last year’s May 16 tornado.

One speaker had a passionate message for parents in the crowd.

“The best gift that you can give them is not the latest phone. It’s not the latest kicks. The best gift that you can give your child is an example,” said James Clark, Vice President of Public Safety at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

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