The Louisville Urban League (Louisville, KY) hosted its eighth Derby Gala Wednesday night. The Norton Sports and Learning Complex transformed into a space of celebrating and investing in West Louisville.

“All programs benefit from what happens here tonight,” Lyndon Pryor, Louisville Urban League President, CEO said.

Hundreds of community leaders, philanthropists and Derby week fans came together to raise money for the Urban League’s mission and various programs.

“This is our community,” Carolyn Tandy, Humana Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Equity Inclusion Officer said. “For us to have another opportunity to lay roots and be where we should always be, we should be intentional about uplifting the communities we serve.”

The Chicago Urban League will unveil its 2025 State of Black Chicago report and host a May 6 summit aimed at addressing economic disparities and empowering Black families with actionable solutions.

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By Bernard E. Anderson, Ph.D.

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

The U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April, underscoring the ongoing resilience of the labor market even as new economic threats loom on the horizon. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent, reflecting continued labor market stability. Labor force participation edged up slightly to 62.6 percent, while the employment-population ratio remained at 60.0 percent.

However, long-term unemployment rose by 200,000 to 1.674 million people, now accounting for 23.5 percent of all unemployed workers. The broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and marginally attached workers, ticked between 7 and 8 percent—an indicator of lingering slack in the labor market.

See how our affiliates are working hard nationwide to give individuals a fresh start through our Urban Youth Reentry Program.

The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg is investing $1 million to address health disparities in South St. Petersburg.

The funding comes as a direct response to a recent health equity profile study conducted by the foundation, which revealed stark contrasts in health outcomes between South St. Pete and the broader Pinellas County. Dr. Kanika Tomalin, President and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, emphasized the urgent need for action.

“This grant is in response to a study that highlighted the inequities in health outcomes for our community,” she stated. The study reported alarming statistics, including significantly higher rates of deaths from violent crime and drug poisoning, as well as chronic diseases, in South St. Petersburg compared to the county averages.

A job training program for people who want to start a career in “weatherization” has launched in Essex County.

The Urban League of Essex County or ULEC (Newark, NJ) and net.America recently announced the expansion of their partnership to support the U.S. Department of Labor's initiative to broaden access to registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs).

The partnership aims to create equitable opportunities for ULEC clients and surrounding communities across high-demand industries, including cybersecurity, health IT, health care and energy. At least 50 percent of the program participants will come from underrepresented and underserved communities, according to the nonprofit.

In March, the ULEC launched a “weatherization” technician program for people who want to start a career in the industry.