Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

"The images are just burned into people's minds and hearts and souls about what those days and weeks looked like with the city underwater. The thousands of people that were stranded at the Superdome − I mean, that was a catastrophe and a real failure of the local, state and federal government." – former Sen. Mary Landrieu

The images of desperate New Orleanians stranded on rooftops, sweltering in overcrowded shelters, floating on makeshift rafts, shocked and horrified Americans when Hurricane Katrina struck.

A greater horror lurked behind the images, one that was many decades in the making.

NEW YORK (August 26, 2015) — Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, issued the following statement today regarding President Trump’s attempt to remove Dr. Lisa D. Cook from her role as Governor on the Federal Reserve Board:

"Dr. Lisa D. Cook is not merely the first Black woman ever to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System—she is a distinguished economist whose career has been defined by rigorous scholarship, principled independence, and an unwavering commitment to economic inclusion. Since her confirmation and ongoing service, Dr. Cook has drawn on her expertise in banking systems, innovation, and macroeconomic policy to elevate the voices of communities too often excluded from policymaking.

The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (Seattle, WA) recently held its 4th Annual Summer Resource Festival at Jimi Hendrix Park, bringing together nearly 1,800 people for a day of food, entertainment, and community resources. Designed to support local families—especially school-aged youth preparing for a return to school—the festival has quickly become a signature event for the Central District.

“This event is about so much more than backpacks or meals—it’s about showing our young people that they belong to a community that will always show up for them,” said Ashley Pugh, Director of Communication & External Affairs for the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.

What began as a modest community gathering just four years ago has grown into one of the largest family resource events in the city. This year, the Urban League and its partners served nearly 1,800 hot meals throughout the day—more than triple the 500 meals served at last year’s festival.

Three months after the May 16 tornado ripped apart lives and structures in neighborhoods surrounding the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) headquarters, the historic building at 1408 North Kingshighway was a haven of happiness, health care and economic empowerment.

The organization’s annual Urban Expo moved from America’s Center this year and was held on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Urban League — closer to thousands of residents impacted by the tornado.

Mental health, health challenges in the Black community, wealth building and home buying were among the seminar topics at the daylong event. Community organizations and not-for-profits filled almost every space in the headquarters, offering resources and information.

“We are always proud to host the Urban Expo. To do it here at our headquarters is extremely special for us,” Michael P. McMillan, Urban League president and CEO, said as hallways buzzed with activity.

This year, the National Urban League (NUL) proudly joins the National Action Network (NAN) as a national partner for the March on Wall Street (MOWS). We invite you to stand with us on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 10:00 am ET in New York City as we march in solidarity for economic justice and fair opportunity for all.

This march holds a special significance as we commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington. Just as thousands marched for jobs and justice then, we are marching today against the command center of modern inequality: Wall Street. It is a system that keeps the cost of rent, groceries, and medicine soaring, while workers' wages remain low and American students remain buried in debt.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“The bottom line is that the NCAA and its member colleges are suppressing the pay of student athletes who collectively generate billions of dollars in revenues for colleges every year. Those enormous sums of money flow to seemingly everyone except the student athletes. College presidents, athletic directors, coaches, conference commissioners, and NCAA executives take in six- and seven-figure salaries. Colleges build lavish new facilities. But the student athletes who generate the revenues, many of whom are African American and from lower-income backgrounds, end up with little or nothing.”   -- Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

Throughout his life and esteemed career, John E. Jacob (BA ’57, MSW ’63), a former National Urban League president, Howard University alumnus, and Board of Trustees chairman emeritus, has found his greatest successes in building coalitions — and betting on himself.

That impulse animates his new memoir, “I Will F.E.A.R. No Evil,” a chronicle of his 90-year journey through segregation, service, and stewardship. Jacob says he wrote it to remind readers, especially Black readers, that the turbulence of the present is not unprecedented.

“We live in some dangerous times,” he reflected. “But we’ve been here before. In my lifetime, I’ve seen cruelty and insensitivity. Black people need to understand that while it is rough and tough, we fought our way through it, and we can do it again.”

Officials from Louisville Urban League (Louisville, KY) and Louisville Branch NAACP are calling for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to provide answers and launch an investigation into the forceful arrest of a Black girl at St. Joe’s Picnic for the Kids the evening of Aug. 9 that was captured in a widely-circulated video.

In an Aug. 12 letter to Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey, Louisville Urban League President and CEO, Lyndon Pryor requested several records from the office related to the incident, including body camera footage, incident reports and details related to the teen's charges. The letter also calls for "a completely transparent, thorough and impartial investigation" that results in disciplinary action, if warranted.

"These actions represent a serious breach of public trust and a profound violation of civil rights, prompting immediate and significant concern within the Louisville Urban League and the wider community," the letter states.

After 41 years in business, Flea Market Tallahassee on the city's southside permanently closed last month. But a number of its former vendors found a new home for their wares over the weekend.

Some of the exhibitors went to the Tool Library on Woodville Highway. Another refuge was the parking lot of the Tallahassee Urban League (Tallahassee, FL) in Frenchtown. That's where Urban League President and CEO, Curtis Taylor gave them and customers a warm welcome.

"We had a great time today and we had people coming through all day. This is all about Tallahassee supporting our local businesses," he explained.

One of those businesses is owned by Kiwanis White.

"Flea Market Tallahassee closed down, so it was nice that they offered this space so vendors and small businesses can move forward."

DeKalb County and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) are working together to make sure water stays within reach for our most vulnerable residents. The new Water Rate Assistance Program (W.R.A.P.) is designed to help eligible low-income households manage their water and sewer bills, even as a necessary 10% rate increase takes effect.

This year’s adjustment is part of a long-term plan to strengthen and modernize DeKalb’s aging water and sewer infrastructure, with a 10% rate increase scheduled each January for the next decade. These investments will help reduce water main breaks, prevent costly service disruptions, and ensure safe, clean water for decades to come.