The City of Chicago has launched a new website to promote Black-owned businesses this holiday season.

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.”

To read the full article, click here.

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. 

“Ours will be a civic forum, an open democracy that hears diverse views and voices before it decides..."

NEW YORK (November 24, 2020) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today issued the following statement in response to the passing of former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins:

The Chicago Urban League (Chicago, IL) is promoting the idea of patronizing Black-owned business on Black Friday.

The day after Thanksgiving is often called Black Friday, and an occasion for big sales. This year, the city of Chicago, the Chicago Urban League and a local advertising agency have christened it "Black Shop Friday”— a campaign that encourages people to buy from African-American businesses.

“We believe that this campaign will really provide a global education to folks in the Black community to people in the larger community,” Chicago Urban League President Karen Freeman-Wilson tells WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

Starting Tuesday Nov. 24, the website BlackShopFriday.com will have information about more than 500 black-owned business eager for new customers.

The Urban League of St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) is teaming up with Schnucks and TIAA Bank to give away food for Thanksgiving to more than 5,000 families this holiday season.

The first of the giveaway events was held Saturday (November 21st) at the Urban League's headquarters at 1408 North Kingshighway.

The Urban League said they will also provide PPE masks.

The devastating and lingering impact of the coronavirus pandemic is creating even more need in the community,” said Michael P. McMillan, President and CEO of the Urban League. “We are fortunate to have the support of Schnucks and TIAA Bank to help put food on the table giving families one less thing to worry about during this trying time.”

The Urban League is holding two other food giveaway events on November 24th.

To read the full article, click here. 

For 15 years, Princess Anne High School (PAHS) in Virginia Beach has coordinated a program with the Foodbank to provide holiday food baskets to local families needing some extra support. A new partnership in 2020 with the Urban League of Hampton Roads (Norfolk, VA) enabled the longtime PAHS program to help more families than ever before by giving away more than 300 holiday baskets that included turkeys and all the trimmings for a complete Thanksgiving feast.

Volunteers from PAHS, the Foodbank and the Urban League assembled the baskets on Nov. 19 and distributed them at a drive-thru pickup event called “Operation Pack a Car” on Saturday, Nov. 21. The baskets were delivered to recipients in their cars to comply with social distancing guidelines. 

More than 235 nonprofit and community organizations on Wednesday sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, urging them to "use executive authority to cancel federal student debt on day one of their administration."