Hundreds of people who had their hours cut or were furloughed because of the pandemic will have some relief after receiving a one-time $1,000 grant. 

Pastor Ricky Floyd of Pursuit of God Transformation Center says his church provided the spot for the Memphis Urban League (Memphis, TN) to give out more than $2 million in aid to those in the hotel or restaurant industry affected by the pandemic.

All they had to bring was an ID and a pay stub. In a few days, they will receive a one time $1,000 grant to their account.

“People were here as early as 5 a.m. this morning, waiting,” Floyd said. “They have the resources, we have the relationships.”

For mom Brittni Turner, who works in the hotel industry, the money is a huge relief.

“This is God sent, I’m just going to be honest with you,” Turner said.

Turner says she was furloughed for several months. Even just within the last few days she didn’t know how she was going to pay her rent.

Presented by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, National CROWN Day, also known as Black Hair Independence Day, is back!  National CROWN Day is a special holiday commemorating the inaugural signing of the first CROWN Act legislation in the United States in 2019 to "Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair." The July 3rd celebration will feature a full day of virtual events, including the inaugural CROWN AWARDS at 7:00 p.m. ET honoring Black women paving the way with contributions to culture, community, entrepreneurship, entertainment and the advancement of Black beauty.

On average, professionals change jobs every 4 years but are you prepared to re-enter the job market? Professional narratives are becoming increasingly more important as the landscape of the workforce is changing and career pivots are becoming increasingly more common. Learn how to craft your unique professional narrative and take your career to the next level with career expert John Shipp!

Date: Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

Time: 12 PM - 1 PM EST

To register for this event, click here

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) is partnering with local organizations to make new investments in low and moderate income neighborhoods. 

Urban League continues its mission to improve neighborhoods throughout St. Louis, announcing Saturday, not only new partnerships with Connections To Success and St. Louis Community Credit Union, but $1 million for infrastructure improvements from the federal government for Head Start facilities across the region.

"When you look at low to moderate income communities where individuals do not have the money for WIFI every month, do not have the capability to buy laptops and other devices and there are students who are trying to learn virtually but don't have the capability to do so, this is an evening of the playing field," says McMillan.

Urban League President and CEO Michael McMillan says part of the funds will also be directed toward playground restorations.

DC statehood. This week, our President + CEO Marc Morial testified on why the goals of our movement will not be realized until D.C. statehood is achieved. | Mark your calendars! Don’t miss the action on July 15th as we launch the highly anticipated report + host a virtual event with powerful voices. | We’re all in this together. This National HIV Testing Day, we encourage everyone to get tested for HIV + share resources with those in need. | Relive the moments. At #LPC2021, we discussed building back our communities, creating generational wealth + more. Catch the replay! | Ready to travel? Summer is here and we want to ensure you are vaccinated + safe. Get the facts on testing requirements, quarantining, and much more. | Audacy Inc. Fellowship. Looking to begin a career in the audio entertainment industry? We’ve partnered with Audacy to get you started. Learn more. | Selling Your Story. On June 30th, career expert John Shipp leads our webinar on how to curate your own professional narrative. RSVP today.

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE AND URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER ATLANTA APPLAUD DOJ LAWSUIT AGAINST GEORGIA’S SUPPRESSIVE ELECTION LAWS

Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, and Nancy Flake Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, issued the following statement in response to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s announcement of a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s election laws:

Washington, DC (June 23, 2021) - Yesterday, the Senate failed to advance S. 1. The For the People Act to a full floor debate. By doing so, it failed to protect the most fundamental tenet of our democracy—the right to vote. This legislation is not a partisan issue—it is an American issue. The For the People Act would protect the coveted right of this nation’s citizens to have a voice in our democracy.

Independant Staff Report, The Independant

The Stark County Diaper Bank has formed a partnership with Towpath Trail YMCA and Fairless Salvation Army to bring a distribution center to the Fairless community.

Free diapers provided by the non-profit organization will be available at the Towpath Trail YMCA, 1226 Market St. NE, Navarre, by appointment from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays; 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays.

The all-volunteer organization provides diapers to families with newborns to 3-year-old children experiencing diaper needs.

Each child receives 50 diapers a month sizes newborn to 5 and 30 diapers sizes 6 and pull-ups.

To read the full story Click Here.

By Chris Oberholtz, KCTV

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The City of Kansas City has filed its response to the Board of Police Commissioners’ lawsuit against the city pending in Jackson County Circuit Court.

The response argues that the Board’s complaints against the city are both legally and factually false.

Mayor Quinton Lucas issued the following statement:

"One month ago, I worked alongside a supermajority of the City Council to craft legislation with a clear and simple goal of making Kansas City safer after generations of violent crime in our neighborhoods and to break the status quo in crime prevention and rising homicide numbers. I wanted to finally see a substantial, sustained decrease in homicides and shootings in our city. To ensure every child returns home safely to their loved ones at the end of each day."