NEW YORK (March 14, 2022) – The U.S. Department of Treasury has certified the National Urban League’s small business lending subsidiary, The Urban Empowerment Fund, as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), bolstering its ability to deliver vital capital to minority-owned small businesses in urban communities. As part of the transition, Oseremi H. Adekoye, former Assistant Director of the National Development Council, has joined the Fund as Vice President of Lending. 

Date: Wednesday, March 16th 12pm EST

Sponsored by: Nestlé

Event Description: Acquire skills for networking to help increase your professional tribe from two dynamic women, leadership and visibility coach and trainer Kandia Johnson and Elle Pierson RN, MBA.  In this session you will develop a mindset for networking, identify ways to break the ice to start a conversation, how to deliver an effective elevator pitch and more!

Event Registration Link here.

LORAIN COUNTY, OH - Congrats are in order for the Lorain County Urban League and President/CEO Parris Smith! They were recently honored by Leadership Lorain County in Ohio to celebrate their outstanding work and community activism. 

KNOXVILLE, TN – Students of color in Knoxville are getting help preparing for college.

In a partnership with the National Achievers Society, the Knoxville Area Urban League (Knoxville, TN) the program seeks to help students with the college application process, ACT prep, and getting necessary financial aid.

The program has NAS scholars and their parents participating in activities that enhance their cultural, academic and college prep experience from their sophomore to their senior years.

CLEVELAND, OH – Minority businesses in Northeastern Ohio, rejoice.

FirstEnergy Corp. has announced a $1 million dollar contribution to UBIZ Venture Capital, a small business lending program that is affiliated with the Urban League of Greater Cleveland (Cleveland, OH). UBIZ is a program that provides much needed technical assistance, loans, and counseling to African American and minority-owned businesses that have difficulty getting capital.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 14, 2022) – Today, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement after Congressional passage of the Omnibus Spending package late Thursday evening:

“We are pleased to see Congress pass the FY 2022 Omnibus Spending package to provide critical funding for federal government operations and community projects, including many of the National Urban League’s top priorities. We are grateful to our New York leaders, Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, for supporting the Urban League Empowerment Center (ULEC). We also thank our other allies in Congress for their advocacy and support of our Urban League movement and the programs we bring to communities across the country.

#SayHerName. As we celebrate the life of Breonna Taylor, let’s take a look back at memories of her upbringing shared by her family. | Happy 90th birthday, Ambassador Young! Andrew Young has lived a life that some of us only dream of. Here’s more on his legacy. | Ready for a boost? For many people, it’s the season to travel to new places. As you book your flight don’t forget to get boosted to stay safe. | The countdown is on! We are one month away from the release of the 2022 State of Black America® report. Subscribe now to stay in the loop. | One Million Black Women. We’ve partnered with Goldman Sachs to help Black women grow + expand their businesses. Find out more. | #ConfirmJackson. Tune in as we sit down with Kim Tignor to dive into the importance of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to SCOTUS. | Build your professional tribe! Register now to tap into our webinar on March 16th as we dive into ways to network to elevate your career.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 11, 2022) -- President Biden today announced his intent to nominate Susie Feliz, National Urban League Vice President for Policy and Legislative Affairs, to be Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Commerce.

The U.S. Department of Commerce promotes job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved standards of living for all Americans by working in partnership with businesses, universities, communities, and the nation's workers.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“The basis of democracy is the right to vote. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since I’ve been back South to Atlanta. In the last meeting Martin Luther King Jr. had with Harry Belafonte, John Conyers of Michigan, Dick Hatcher of Gary, Indiana, and myself, he was talking about, ‘How do we take the energy and vitality of the civil rights movement and move it into politics?’ That was the last order he gave me.” – Former United Nations Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young

On a hot, New Orleans summer day in 1947, Andrew Young was riding his bike along Esplanade Avenue with some other teenagers from the neighborhood when they decided to cool off in the shade of the elm trees nest to Delgado Museum of Art.  They had barely stepped onto the grass when a police officer shook his billy club and shouted, “You little n***ers get out of here!”

LAS VEGAS (March 11, 2022) — In an unprecedented move aimed at recruiting, training, and hiring more women and minorities in the auto retail industry, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and National Urban League (the League) today announced that the two organizations have partnered to create a workforce development initiative. This collaboration marks the first time NADA has teamed up with the League, a historic civil rights organization.

The NADA-National Urban League Workforce Development Plan will promote diversity and inclusion among the next generation of employees, including technicians, at franchised new-car and -truck dealerships through two strategic pilot programs: the Jumpstart! Technician Apprenticeship Program and a Dealership Internship Program.