For renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the fight for justice has always extended beyond the courtroom. Known as "Black America's Attorney General" for his representation of families in landmark cases involving George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols, and Ahmaud Arbery, Crump has now turned his attention to one of the most persistent inequities facing Black and brown communities: the racial wealth gap.

The numbers are stark. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, households with a white householder had ten times more wealth than those with a Black householder in 2021, with white households holding 80% of all wealth while Black households held just 4.7% (U.S. Census Bureau).

 The City of Spartanburg is in the spotlight after a Hollywood movie company announced they are expanding into the Upstate.

FilmPool movie production company was joined alongside the Urban League of the Upstate (Greenville, SC), Spartanburg Community College and the Spartanburgers to announce their expansion into the Upstate.

“This is a huge opportunity for us and, you know, we just know the talent we have in Spartanburg, in front of and behind the camera is just to knock it out of the park,” Dr. Gail Wilson Awan, President and CEO of the Urban League of the Upstate said.

“FilmPool, after 22 years is expanding into South Carolina, Spartanburg area,” Brenton Earley producer with Filmpool told 7NEWS.

The company said planting roots in Spartanburg will create bigger opportunities for creative professionals in the area.

The Fort Wayne Urban League (Fort Wayne, IN), in partnership with Weigand Construction, will host a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of a major renovation project at its facility. This milestone initiative will reconstruct the lower level of the Urban League building, made possible through a generous $400,000 grant from the Windswell Foundation, formerly known as AWS Foundation.

Once completed, the newly renovated space will house Alliance Health Centers (AHC), which will operate a comprehensive developmental health clinic serving children and families across the region. The clinic will provide critical services including screenings and diagnoses for autism and other developmental disorders, as well as a broad range of integrated medical, behavioral, rehabilitation and therapeutic services.

JPMorgan Chase is donating millions to central Ohio organizations in an effort to strengthen the region's workforce as the country recovers from a weakening job market.

The United States' largest bank is investing $2.7 million into the National Center for Urban Solutions, Columbus Urban League (Columbus, OH), Jewish Family Services, the Godman Guild Association, Impact Community Action and Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio.

The bank, which employs nearly 20,000 in central Ohio, will also donate $1.3 million to several organizations in Cleveland and Cincinnati to "advance career pathways, strengthen regional workforce pipelines and support economic mobility for all Ohioans," according to a press release.

“They’re not serious about the exploitation of college athletes, protecting their health, safety and ability to share in the enormous profits that’s being created because of their sweat and labor … There’s no industry or activity in America where this much wealth is created and the people that actually create the wealth are not seeing the kind of benefits or protections they deserve.” -- U.S. Senator Cory Booker

In partnership with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals and the Urban League of River Valley (Columbus, GA), the Urban League of Greater Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) hosted its Annual Day at the Capitol. The event brought more than 70 scholars from across the Atlanta Metro Area to the Georgia State Capitol for an immersive civic learning experience.

The program combined participants in Project Ready, supported by the Young Professionals, with those in the At Promise At Work Program, supported by ULGA’s Youth and Young Adult Services Team. The young scholars explored the legislative process in-depth firsthand and gained insight into how decisions made at the Capitol directly affect their schools, neighborhoods, and futures.

Distinguished leaders elevated the experience, including: