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.

“It is time for those with power and privilege to develop some backbone,” said Sadiqa Reynolds, President & CEO of Louisville Urban League (Louisville, KY). “The people in the streets have theirs."

Reynolds gave her keynote speech at the nonprofit’s annual impact report luncheon on Friday (December 4), which was virtual this year and highlighted the league’s biggest accomplishments for the fiscal year. While the organization’s successes were worthy of celebration, it was Reynolds' speech that left the most impact.

“I know for many of you, this is not the speech you wanted, it was my intention to inspire you, but instead I have decided I wanted to provoke you to action," she said.

The Urban League CEO began her speech by discussing the difficulties she faced in trying to serve the community amid the pandemic, while also learning of the multiple instances of police brutality right in her backyard.

In November, the economy generated 245,000 jobs; the unemployment rate edged down to 6.7 percent. The economy is slowly pulling out of the deep hole it fell into when the coronavirus struck in the first quarter.

Gross domestic product (GDP) increased strongly in the third quarter as more businesses reopened, lockdowns eased, and some schools reopened. But when the Fall season arrived, and the flu threat returned, the virus surged throughout the country. Social distancing restrictions were reintroduced, limiting in-store service in bars, restaurants, and other businesses, reducing revenue.

Concerned that America is currently ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deliver any of the COVID-19 vaccines to Black communities, Black leaders today announced the creation of a task force in New York to both ensure the vaccine is readily accessible to Black New Yorkers and address concerns in Black communities about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Black Voters Matter partnered with the Urban League of Greater Columbus (Columbus, GA) and Metropolitan Baptist Church to host a Thanksgiving food drive-thru giveaway Tuesday all while reminding residents to vote.

Families were given a free box filled with items for a full Thanksgiving dinner, including a turkey or ham. The event took place at Metropolitan Baptist Church.

The organization said this was one way to thank residents and give back for all they do.

“We wanted to be able to give back to the community,” said Susan Cooper, CEO of the Urban League of Greater Columbus. “We just want to say thanks in giving back to the community because we know that right now during COVID-19, people are struggling.”

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Nextep Founder and CEO Brian Fayak announced the Nextep Charitable Foundation would be donating $50,000 to local organizations supporting the Black community. Through this initiative, the Nextep Charitable Foundation is donating $10,000 to five nonprofits to further the impact each organization is making and create awareness around the work they’re doing in the community.

The Nextep Charitable Foundation is thrilled to announce that one of these $10,000 donations is going to the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City (Oklahoma City, OK). 

Nextep Charitable Foundation’s $10,000 donation will go directly toward the “Real Talk, Brother” initiative, which aims to support Black men and boys with mental health conditions. Through this program, licensed mental health professionals train local barbers to become mental health advocates for their clients, so they can identify and find support for those struggling.