Officials with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) are encouraging seniors in north St. Louis County to register for a special vaccination event at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park in a couple of weeks.

But vaccine reluctance in people of color is not based on hearsay. It has historical precedence.

“We're going to give mayors 25 slots that they can utilize each week moving forward," Urban League Vice President James Clark said. "Because we really believe that we've got to have a pipeline where we can get the seniors vaccinated.”

Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones got the vaccine in January. Now she’s encouraging other people of color to do the same.

Dr. Erin Houston might be used to getting compliments, but the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Shenango Valley Urban League (Farrell, PA) didn't believe the praise she received Monday (March 15).

"Did you really say I created a miracle?'' she asked Rev. Terry Harrison, Pastor of Valley Baptist Church in Farrell.

"You bet I did,'' Harrison responded. 

That miracle came in the form Monday of a drive-thru vaccination clinic for high-risk minority patients at the church. AHN Grove City hospital was set to hold the clinic but had to withdraw when it couldn't provide enough staff.

"That's when Dr. Houston hit the phones last week and called everyone she could think of to make it happen,'' Harrison said.

Walberg Family Pharmacies came through with its own staff, along with more than 200 vaccine doses. Recently retired nurses also offered their services.

We must protect our nation. Eight Asian Americans were murdered this week in an attacked fueled by misogyny and racism. Read more. | Five days away! We are SO excited to celebrate the achievements of our #WomenOfPower honorees on Thursday. Don’t miss the celebration, RSVP now. | Your safety is our concern. Tune in on Tuesday for tips to ensure the safety of your employees as businesses begin to migrate back into the office. | We want equal pay now! The wage gap between men + women must end. RSVP to join the discussion with our new Washington Bureau Executive Director. | We’ve got a new home. Governor Cuomo has officially announced groundbreaking for our new headquarters in Harlem. Read more.

To commemorate The Jim Moran Foundation’s 20th anniversary of improving the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida, the Urban League of Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF) have each received a $500,000 grant to advance racial equity in Broward County. This $1 million investment will build the capacity for both organizations to work effectively with stakeholders to lead critical conversations about racial equity and to propose transformative solutions that address them.

To commemorate The Jim Moran Foundation’s 20th anniversary of improving the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida, the Urban League of Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF) have each received a $500,000 grant to advance racial equity in Broward County. This $1 million investment will build the capacity for both organizations to work effectively with stakeholders to lead critical conversations about racial equity and to propose transformative solutions that address them.

On average, women make roughly 88% of what men make in the workplace. Join us for an engaging discussion on the fight for pay equity and learn the strategies on how to advocate for equal pay!

Event Date: Wednesday, March 24th, 2021 

Event Time: 12 PM EST – 1 PM EST

To register, click here.

Written By:

Michael Lawson

President and CEO, Los Angeles Urban League