By Jeffrey Layne Blevins, www.stltoday.com

I returned home to Cincinnati after visiting family in St. Louis the evening of Aug. 10, 2014. Hell was breaking loose in Ferguson. As a St. Louis-area native, I was eager to know what was happening. Coverage on cable news networks was limited, and so I took to the internet and then social media to get first-hand accounts of what was taking place in the wake of the shooting of an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown Jr. by a white police officer, Darren Wilson.

Following #Ferguson as it trended on Twitter throughout the months that followed, I became more curious, as a journalism professor, about how social media might affect the relationship between traditional news media and the public. 

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Leaders in north Lafayette identified several priorities to help communities, including improving schools, increasing wages and decreasing crime.

Leaders met last week with the Urban League of Louisiana (New Orleans, LA) and members of the state's Legislative Black Caucus to discuss concerns with neighborhood leaders in north Lafayette.

Democratic State Rep. Vincent Pierre said improving area schools will help improve incomes, attract investment from businesses and lead to less crime. Pierre said connecting more parents to their child's school and encouraging more involvement will help. 

When parents can’t be involved, children start to slack in classwork and behavior, which can affect crime rates. And when businesses look to locate or expand, they look to invest in areas where schools aren’t failing.

Urban League of Palm Beach County (ULPBC - West Palm Beach, FL) has received a $7,000 grant from BankUnited in support of our Comprehensive Housing Counseling and Financial Capability Program.

The program improves the lives of low-moderate income individuals by offering affordable housing programs developed to assist them in obtaining or maintaining housing.

“This grant is vital to our work in the community,” said Patrick Franklin, President and CEO of ULPBC. “We are very grateful to BankUnited for their commitment to making Palm Beach County a better place for the many individuals who are in urgent need of affordable housing.”

ULPBC helps clients reach their housing goals through monthly our First Time Homebuyers workshops, one-on-one housing counseling, financial coaching and foreclosure mitigation assistance. We have been providing HUD certified housing counseling for more than 26 years and assisted more than 1,348 clients in the last fiscal year.

Where do we stand 5 years after Michael Brown was killed and his community erupted into a battle for justice? Our St. Louis affiliate president reflects. 

Officials are working to encourage African-Americans to apply for the Oklahoma City Police Department.

The Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City (Oklahoma City, OK) and the Oklahoma City Police Department have teamed up to encourage 100 or more African-Americans to apply for the police department by Oct. 1.

The first recruiting event will be held Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Metro Tech STEM Building, located at 1901 Springlake Dr. in Oklahoma City.

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Four Louisville-based entities are partnering to support a paid training program that will teach unemployed and underemployed members of the Louisville community high-demand IT skills.

The Louisville Skills program, which is being supported by the Louisville Urban League (Louisville, KY), Humana, the University of Louisville and Interapt, will teach 25 people skills needed to work in a high-tech, fast-paced environment.

“The Louisville Urban League is excited to partner on this venture that will provide life-altering career opportunities for members of our community,” said Sadiqa Reynolds, President and CEO of the Urban League, in a news release. “We believe this program will be a welcomed addition to the projects already underway in the West End and make an impact for generations.”