Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“Rather than divide and discriminate, let us come together and create one nation. We are all one people. We all live in the American house. We are all the American family. Let us recognize that the gay people living in our house share the same hopes, troubles, and dreams. It's time we treated them as equals, as family.” – Rep. John Lewis

This week marks the beginning of Pride Month, which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a turning point in the movement for LGBTQ rights.

It’s a time for those of us in the racial justice movement to affirm our solidarity and acknowledge – as the late Congressman John Lewis said – “You cannot have equality for some in America and not equality for all.”

NEW YORK (May 31, 2021) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to the death of longtime Board of Trustees member and former Chair John D. Hofmeister:

A Century Later, Tulsa Massacre Exemplifies America's Reluctance To Confront Its Legacy Of White Supremacism 

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams,” she said. “I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history but I cannot.” – 107-year-old Viola Fletcher, survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre

They killed an estimated 300 people.  They inflicted serious injury on more than 800 people. They burned more than 1,250 homes to the ground, along with every church, school and business. They left 10,000 people homeless, and wreaked about $200 million in property damage in today’s dollars.

NEW YORK (May 27, 2021) -- The leaders of the National Urban League, Urban League of Louisiana and other civil rights and social justice organizations today demanded the immediate termination and arrest of every state trooper present during the 2019 fatal assault of Ronald Greene and anyone who participated in the two-year-long coverup of their crimes.

The National Urban League further has urged the U.S. Department of Justice to initiate an investigation of the Louisiana State Police to determine whether Greene’s death and the coverup are part of a pattern of excessive force, biased policing or other unconstitutional practices.

#RememberingGeorge. Tuesday, May 25 is the 1-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. Honor his memory by taking 9:29 of action for police reform. | Saluting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Here’s how the NBA is honoring one of its best players for his transformative work on social justice and racial equality. | Get the facts. Is getting the COVID-19 vaccine part of your summer plan? Here’s information you may need prior to getting the vaccine. | Legislative Policy Conference. Don’t miss Cory Booker, April Ryan, LaTosha Brown + many other leaders at this year’s 2-day event. RSVP today. | Your seat at the table. We’ve partnered with Ben’s Original to create a scholarship for food science and culinary arts students. Apply now. | Calling all entrepreneurs! Join our free webinar on May 27th for resources to help you expand your small business. Register today. | Emergency Broadband Benefit. Need a new laptop? Your household could be eligible to receive a $100 discount + other benefits. Find out how.

We’ve partnered with Ben’s Original to create a scholarship for food science and culinary arts students.

Find out more about the scholarship here.

The Urban League of Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach, FL) honored the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings and a pair of other men for community contributions during a luncheon celebrating the 47th year of its founding.

Hastings, who died at age 84 on April 6 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, represented parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties for nearly three decades in Congress, where he earned a reputation as a fierce defender of racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and the poor.

He was the first Black Floridian to serve as a federal judge, a position he was appointed to after a long career as a civil rights attorney.

To read the full article, click here. 

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and the City Council have proposed and passed two significant changes to the city’s police department in order to better help and serve residents.

Lucas introduced two ordinances Thursday (May 20th) that were passed hours later. One significantly cuts the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) budget and the other creates a new community fund. The city council passed the measure by a 9-4 vote Thursday.

Kansas City must allocate at least 20% of the city’s general revenue (about $154 million) to the KCPD, although the city typically allocates more to the department. Last year’s KCPD budget was $238 million.