NEW YORK (January 29, 2025) — National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today condemned the Trump administration’s illegal order denying essential federal funds, risking the nation’s economic stability in a misguided effort to stifle diversity, equity and inclusion.

"The administration’s directive calling for a 'pause' on all federal financial assistance is a cold, callous, and unprecedented action that will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans," Morial said. "It demonstrates a blatant disregard for the well-being of families, students, small business owners, farmers, veterans and other everyday Americans who depend on the federal funding to survive and thrive."

Community leaders are once again putting pressure on Jefferson County Public Schools leaders to restore bus routes for magnet schools, which are already seeing a sizeable drop in applications, according to data obtained by The Courier Journal.

JCPS leaders committed to restoring magnet transportation for some schools this year back in June, thanks to a partnership with the city's public transit system. However, that has yet to happen due to delays in onboarding new drivers.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we remember the impact the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had on our country and people in our state, including one man who wanted a better future for the Black men and women in Hartford.

At the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History is a pair of brown leather shoes - a piece of United States history worn by William J. Brown.

"Bill Brown was so instrumental and so poignant in advocating for the community and really being a champion for economic empowerment," said David Hopkins, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Hartford (Hartford, CT).

After spending time in the Urban League Movement around the country, in places such as Detroit, Michigan and Southbend, Indiana, Brown settled in Connecticut.

In 1964, he became the first person to lead the Urban League of Greater Hartford.

Brown wanted to see Black people treated equally and given the same economic opportunities.

Not on our watch. Catch the replay of our Demand Diversity Roundtable as we strategize and curate actionable steps to protect the future of DEI. | Biden's legacy on racial justice. See how President Biden's historic commutations cement his legacy as a champion of justice and civil rights. | In the studio. Watch Marc H. Morial's Morning Joe segment on MSNBC as he discusses the new President's DEI ban and how we resist. | We’re all in this together. You and your loved ones can protect your immune system by setting appointments to get vaxxed together. Find out more. | National Mentoring Month. See how our Project Ready mentors foster confidence and inspire a love for education while empowering student success. | The clock is ticking. Just a few days left to register at our lowest price to attend #NULConf25. Secure the discounted rate before Feb. 1st. | Let's set the record straight. You’ve got questions, and we’ve got answers! Here are the key things you need to know about DEI and how it impacts you. | How will AI impact jobs? Sign up for our FREE webinar on Wednesday for tips on preparing for emerging careers in tech, artificial intelligence + more. | New year, new job. Our FREE virtual career fair is less than a month away! Register now for an opportunity to meet with hiring managers.

Devoting time on MLK Day to clean up in this historically black community.

Following Tallahassee's college students on a service day in Frenchtown and learning how this could continue past the holiday.

For the seventh year, the Tallahassee Urban League (Tallahassee, FL) held an MLK service day in Frenchtown.

"We want to do everything we can to bring about a transformation to our neighbors."

And the majority of hands working on that transformation — about 200 of Tallahassee's college students.

Chaudia Adams is a FAMU social work student and an intern at the Urban League.

She says the turnout for Monday's service day was much better than expected.

It's great for one day, but she hopes to improve the Urban League's social media presence to connect with students where they tend to live.

The Fort Wayne Urban League (Ft. Wayne, IN) announced earlier this month their partnership with “The Race Card Project”; created by journalist Michele Norris in 2010. Aisha Arrington, President & CEO of the Fort Wayne Urban League shared in a press release that over 100 community members have shared their six-word race or identity story.

Arrington said in a release, “This project provides an opportunity for us all to be a little vulnerable during Black History Month, dig a little deeper, and learn from each other. Everyone has a race story and everyone’s story matters. I believe this quote from Nelson Mandela says it perfectly: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Examples of six-word race stories the Urban League has received so far:

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“American communities, disproportionately Black and Brown, have long borne the scars of the Drug War. Extreme and racist sentences for crack cocaine offenses tore apart families. Children grew up visiting their parents behind bars. Those parents are now elders, yearning to hold their grandchildren. Justice is served by allowing these individuals to return home. Their debt to society was long ago paid.” — Kara Gotsch, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project

Chief Justice John Marshall described a presidential grant of clemency as an "act of grace."  The President's Constitutional power to grant pardons and reprieves descends from the “prerogative of mercy” of English law.

Few acts of clemency exemplify the ideals of grace and mercy more fully than President Biden's historic commutation of the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.