Dr. Bernard E. Anderson
Whitney M Young, Jr. Professor Emeritus, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Senior Economic Advisor, National Urban League

The U.S economy added 678,000 new jobs in February, the unemployment rate dipped down to 3.8 percent, and more than 300,000 workers were added to the labor force.

"Black people today, for all our righteous anger and forceful dissent, still believe in the American Dream. And we must, in this year of doubt and confusion, remind a forgetting nation that this land is ours, too. This nation too often forgets that this land is sprinkled with our sweat, watered with our tears, and fertilized with our blood … And so it is Black people who, by our belief in the ideals of American democracy, can help this nation to overcome its crisis of spirit and enter a new era of hope and fulfillment.” – Vernon E. Jordan, National Urban League Conference Keynote Address, 2010

FARRELL, PA – There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that small businesses have taken some of the biggest hits of this pandemic.

The U.S. Small Business Administration will try to help those small businesses by allowing nonprofits to provide necessary services such as counseling, training and technical assistance to small businesses, specifically those that are owned by underserved populations.

The Shenango Urban League (Farrell, PA) will take the monies given by the program to create The Community Navigator Pilot Program, which aims to assist local businesses overcome the challenges that have arisen due to the pandemic.

GARY, IN – Thanks to a grant by Boeing, fifty of Gary’s students will have the opportunity to participate in STEM programs.

The funds were given to the Urban League of Northwest Indiana (Gary, IN) to help create a bigger interest in science, technology, engineering and math programs among Gary’s youth.

These STEM programs will take place in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Indiana.

PHILADELPHIA (February 28, 2022) – As Black-owned businesses struggle to recover from the pandemic, National Urban League and U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a partnership aimed at connecting underserved small businesses with the programs and resources they  need to grow and thrive.

ST. LOUIS, MO – Workers of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) have taken to the streets to fight the opioid crisis.

In partnership with Americorps and the Black Alcohol/Drug Information Center (B.A.S.I.C), the Urban League of Metropolitan ST. Louis have begun 30-day initiative that will distribute NARCAN in neighborhoods where open drug use is apparent. The initiative has a goal of giving out 200 Narcan vials per day. NARCAN, according to the FDA, has been shown to reverse an opioid overdose.

CANTON, OH – The Greater Stark County Urban League (Canton, OH) celebrated 100 years of advocating for their community this past Saturday, February 26th.

The Black and White Gala, which is the affiliate’s largest annual fundraiser, saw several hundred people attend, including some elected officials. They all praised the Urban League’s dedication to the community and called upon personal experience to highlight the League’s importance.