PURCHASE, NY, Oct. 20, 2020 -- The National Urban League and PepsiCo joined forces to create the Black Restaurant Accelerator, which will boost approximately 500 Black-owned businesses over the next five years. The PepsiCo Foundation is providing a $10 million grant to fund the program, which will provide current and aspiring Black restaurateurs with access to capital, training, mentorship and other support services that are necessary for business success.

Millions of Americans continue to wait for another stimulus check, but those discussions are still up in the air. However, one local organization is stepping up. The Knoxville Area Urban League (Knoxville, TN) is looking for eligible families to give money to.

Funds to help with mortgage, rent and utilities are available for residents in Knox, Sevier, Anderson, Jefferson and Blount counties. This is a grant, so it won’t have to be paid back.

The money comes from the CARES Act passed earlier this year to provide support to communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state set aside $150,000,000 for Tennessee nonprofits to help support to the communities they serve.

There are several criteria you have to meet to qualify, including:

During the height of the protests following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, the leadership at the Urban League of Rochester  (Rochester, NY) recognized that it was time to act. 

"People were protesting because they wanted their voices heard," said Seanelle Hawkins, President and CEO of the Urban League of Rochester. She holds a doctorate in leadership from St. John Fisher College, and took the reigns of the civil rights organization in June 2019.

They set to work planning its first Interrupt Racism Summit, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 20 and 21. The virtual event promises to build common language, educate the community and help people understand the work they have to do, Hawkins said.

The 2020 general election is just over two weeks away, but the push to get voters to the polls is not slowing down.

Members of Louisville's Urban League (Louisville, KY), Until Freedom, and the Louisville branch of the NAACP met at Petersburg Park on Saturday to encourage Newburg residents to get out and vote.

The event, which kicked off on Tuesday when early voting opened, is called "Protest to Power" and includes a pep rally and caravan to different polling locations. 

The caravan made it's way to the Kentucky Expo Center on Saturday so people who may not have a ride or can't make it during the week could take advantage of early voting.

The Wisconsin Partnership Program announced last week it will award six community health equity initiatives with a total of $6 million in grants over the next five years.

Each year, the program awards the Community Impact Grant to various initiatives that intend to facilitate community-academic partnerships established to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities across the state.

Black Men’s Mental Health and Well-Being

The Rebalanced Life Wellness Association and the Urban League of Greater Madison (Madison, WI) are addressing the mental health of Black men in Southeastern Wisconsin through the Black Men’s Mental Health and Well-Being initiative. This initiative, created by and for Black men, hopes to promote the mental and emotional health of Black men across the region. 

Voter ID requirements. Do you know the proper kind of identification you may need to bring to vote? Check the rules here. | Supreme Court update. Here's why we call on Senate leadership to reject the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the highest court in the land. | Equal Opportunity Dinner. Did you miss this year’s outstanding lineup of stars and entertainment? Catch it here. | Save the date. Join us for our virtual series, Reclaim Your Vote: What’s at Stake for Black America on October 22nd at 2:00 PM ET. RSVP today! | New episode. Rebecca “Becky” Pringle discusses the challenges of navigating education alongside COVID-19 and racial inequity. Listen here. | Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This month, we are dedicated to increasing awareness in Black and Brown communities. Here are the stats.

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