By Elizabeth Crisp, Newsweek

Several prominent civil rights leaders are urging President-elect Joe Biden to nominate a Black person to be his attorney general, citing pressing issues like voting rights, police violence and prison concerns that disproportionately have affected the Black community.

"My preference is to have a Black attorney general," the Rev. Al Sharpton, president and founder of the National Action Network, told reporters Tuesday evening after he and other leaders held a virtual meeting with Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. "The least we can have is someone with a proven civil rights background."

We need YOU. On December 14th, we want all the action at the polls. Georgia residents, rally your friends + family and VOTE EARLY. | Let’s clear the air. We know that Black Americans are far more skeptical than whites about a COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s how we're addressing those concerns. | We’ve got answers! Thursday’s townhall dropped gems on unanswered questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Did you miss it? Catch the replay NOW. | Cash Rules Everything Around Me. Rep. Ro Khanna discusses the economy’s shift towards cashless and contactless payments due to COVID-19. Tune in!

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEOeague
National Urban League

“We affirm that Black Lives Matter. And as Black health professionals, we have a higher calling to stand for racial justice and to fight for health equity. In the spirit of unconditional love for every single Black American, we have locked arms in an initiative to place the health and safety of our community at the heart of the national conversation about COVID-19. Respect for our Black bodies and our Black lives must be a core value for those who are working to find the vaccine for this virus that has already taken so many of our loved ones.” – A Love Letter to Black America from America’s Black Doctors and Nurses

Is the coronavirus vaccine safe? How many of the trial participants are Black? How much will it cost?

Congratulations to the five recipients of the Courvoisier® Cognac Grant! Courvoisier and the National Urban League have seen the enormous and disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on Black business owners first-hand, and we are excited for the opportunity to help these entrepreneurs grow and scale at this critical time.

NEW YORK (December 9, 2020) – The National Urban League has received a $7 million donation from AbbVie, a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, to support underserved Black communities across the United States. AbbVie’s commitment will support the organization’s efforts to prepare Black and other historically underserved youth for college and careers, helping them achieve post-secondary success with increased progress in math, reading, and writing through the National Urban League’s Project Ready: Mentor mentorship program.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that COVID-19 vaccines may be available to thousands of frontline workers in the coming weeks. Once it became widely accessible, health officials and local groups said it could be a tough fight for everyone to take a shot.

Pfizer and Modern, who have produced test vaccines that have shown approximately 95% effectiveness, are still pending federal approval. After being approved, they will ship to Ohio in December. Those working in the drug directly treating COVID-19 patients must first receive those doses, followed by a second booster dose.

Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio (Cincinnati, OH) COO Cinnamon Pelley said that a little transparency would go a long way. African American communities have been hit hard by COVID-19. Nevertheless, as a new Pew Research Survey Shows that confidence is growing across the country, with some saying that they will not get shots for months if they are accessible.

The Columbus Urban League (Columbus, OH) President and CEO was voted by peers as one of the region’s top chief executives at large nonprofits.

Metropolitan Ministries and Pinellas County Urban League (St. Petersburg, FL) have been named as the 2020 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for Tampa Bay. The nonprofits were selected for their work in the Tampa Bay community addressing issues fundamental to economic mobility, specifically basic needs and workforce development.

As an awardee, each organization receives a $200,000 grant, a year of leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader, a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact. Metropolitan Ministries has selected Christine Long, chief programs officer, and Pinellas County Urban League has selected Charlotte Anderson, vice president of housing and community economic development, as their respective emerging leaders.