BUFFALO (Oct. 3, 2022) – The Black community in Buffalo received a national outpouring of support after the tragic shooting in Topps supermarket back in May.

But after a shooting that police said was racially motivated, many members of the Black community didn’t feel comfortable speaking to white counselors.

“They completely rejected it,” President and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League (Buffalo, NY), Thomas Beauford Jr., said. “The immediate reaction to the counselors was, ‘We need to see counselors that look like us.’”

In the days that followed, the issue was addressed and handled. Erie County’s director of health equity Kelly Wofford reached out to her network for Black counselors.

Racial double standards. Read more about Brett Favre’s role in Mississippi’s $94 million welfare scandal and how it impacts underserved families. | CBCF week in D.C. We're glad to shape convos on Black America, including sessions on ensuring Black businesses benefit from federal contracts. | Greetings from Rochester! Last week on our 21 Pillars tour, we talked to community members about police brutality, structural injustice + much more. | Mark your calendars. Join the Urban League movement on October 8th & 9th for the National Urban League’s Weekend of Action! Click to volunteer for canvassing and voter registration. | Still not vaxxed? Vaccines are our first line of defense in protecting ourselves from prominent viruses, especially COVID-19. Here are the stats. | Don’t miss the gems. Tune in for a convo with Karine Jean-Pierre, the first Black White House Press Secretary, to unpack the upcoming election + more. | Let’s get down to business. Tap into our free webinar on Wednesday for tips on how to start and manage a small business. RSVP now.

By Sam Peña, News Channel 9 

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — After the controversy of a viral video of a Hamilton County SRO arresting an East Ridge High student, community members gathered for a discussion about the place of SROs in schools.

A private community forum at the Urban League of Chattanooga featured an intense discussion about the presence of SROs in Hamilton County Schools.

Outrage is the feeling of many Hamilton County parents, students, and teachers, after the release of body camera video showing an East Ridge SRO tackling a student, pulling his hair, and pepper-spraying him.

To read the full article Click Here.

KNOXVILLE – As Phyllis Nichols, the retiring President and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League (Knoxville, TN) thinks back on her years at the Urban League, she is reluctant to speak about herself.

In a recent interview, Nichols was asked how she felt about her legacy at the Urban League, which is a term she doesn’t much like to think about.

“I don’t think about legacy,” she said.

An advocate for equity in schools, Nichols was passionate about the ways to better close the academic achievement gap.

ELYRIA – The Lorain County Urban League (Elyria, OH) held its annual Diversity and Inclusion Conference, already in it’s eighth year.

The event took place on Thursday, Sept. 22nd at the Spitzer Center at Lorain County Community College.

One of the focuses of the conference was, unsurprisingly, voting rights.

Parris M. Smith, President of the Urban League, said, “While the tactics have changed, our hard fought rights are again under attack.”

This year’s conference included Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley, himself a partner of the Urban League for several years.