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

 In June, the economy produced 209,000 jobs as the unemployment rate edged down to 3.7 percent. Employment growth was concentrated in government, health care, social services, and construction.

While the employment/population rate remained unchanged at 60.3 percent, Black women were the only group that showed a decline in labor force participation. This contributing to the Black unemployment rate 0.6 increase to 6.1 percent since last month compared to the 0.2 percent decline seen in White unemployment to 3.1 percent.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

A major setback. The Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action sets the nation on a path to greater inequality. More on that. | Another devastating blow. The much-needed student loan relief that over 40 million people yearned for has been snatched away by SCOTUS. Learn more. | Police reform. Take a look at Marc H. Morial's latest piece in the Chicago Sun-Times as he unpacks ways to usher in meaningful, lasting change.| The countdown is on! We’re less than ONE month away from #NULConf23 in Houston. Check out our phenomenal lineup of speakers. | Calling all biz owners! For the first time since 2019, the Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship Summit is back during #NULConf23. Register now. | Let’s talk Long COVID. After contracting COVID-19, some people live with prolonged symptoms for months. Here’s how to avoid it.

NEW YORK (June 30, 20202) -- National Urban League President Marc H. Morial issued the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court's decision on student loan relief:

“In striking down President Biden’s student loan relief plan, the Supreme Court has delivered a second devastating blow in as many days to the movement for racial justice and set the stage for further destabilization of the nation’s economy. 

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League


“With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life. And having so detached itself from this country’s actual past and present experiences, the Court has now been lured into interfering with the crucial work that UNC and other institutions of higher learning are doing to solve America’s real-world problems.” Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissent, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina  

Affirmative action in college admissions has never given applicants of color an advantage over white applicants. It merely diminished, however slightly, the vast advantage white applicants have had over applicants of color. 

In a devastating blow, the Supreme Court has ruled to end affirmative action in college admissions. 

ALTON (June 26, 2023) – The Madison County Urban League (Alton, IL) teamed up with AT&T last week to help combat the digital divide.

AT&T, in its commitment to bridge that divide of those with reliable internet and without, gave out 100 laptops to students and families in need.

They, along with Human I-T, were able to provide Urban League students and their families with laptops and other resources.

The event took place on Tuesday, June 20th at the Urban League offices in Alton.

For more information, please read the original article here.

LOUISVILLE (June 26, 2023) – This past Saturday, June 24th, the Louisville Urban League (Louisville, KY) hosted the Healing Block Party.

The event, in its second year, seeks to expand mental health support and fight the stigma against mental health, specifically for Black people in Louisville.

The Urban League partnered with a local Black female therapist, Elishia Durrett-Johnson, along with their very own Mental Health Advisory Board, to advocate for mental wellness.

One of the goals of the event was to bring more awareness to mental health to underserved communities in the city.

LOS ANGELES (June 26, 2023) - Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, in partnership with the Los Angeles Urban League (Los Angeles, CA) launched a new initiative today called the Intuit IDEAS (Invest, Develop, Empower, Accelerate, and Scale) program. The pilot program will leverage Intuit’s AI -driven platform and human experts with the know-how and advocacy of the Los Angeles Urban League to support Los Angeles-area Black and Latino small business owners to help them grow, scale and accelerate their businesses.

ALTANTA (June 26, 2023) – This past weekend, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) hosted an event to assist prospective homebuyers navigate the housing market.

The annual event, named “Super Saturday,” had workshops and services, along with experts, to help prospective homebuyers wade through the home buying process. Once completed, participants receive a certificate that enables them to apply for down payment assistance programs.

Nancy Flake Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League, said, “To buy a home, there are a lot of players. It’s really important as a first-time homebuyer that you take advantage of this free education so that you can learn the process, get prepared.”