Nearly seven months into her tenure as President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Miami (Miami, FL), Dr. Makeda Johnson’s mission is clear: restore the organization’s visibility while expanding its impact on education, housing, and economic empowerment.

Johnson, who took the helm on Aug. 25, 2025, is the first woman to lead the affiliate in its 80-year history. Her appointment marked a new chapter for one of Miami’s longest-standing civil rights and community development organizations following the six-decade tenure of T. Willard Fair.

While Fair guided the organization through segregation, integration, and decades of advocacy, the Urban League has recently maintained a quieter approach to public engagement. Last year, Fair told The Miami Times that the group preferred to focus on its work rather than promote it, rarely issuing press releases or digital updates.

Johnson, however, is ushering in a season of vocal advocacy.

Although there's beauty in our city's Black history, it is also mired by harmful redlining policies and urban renewal projects that forced Black residents out of north and northeast Portland.

Today, those neighborhoods are the site of a growing movement to help every Black community member thrive in this area again.

“I think that this building, one day, by the time my grandchildren get grown, this will be historical,” said Leor Beverly.

Named after the prominent Oregon suffragist, the Hattie Redmond Apartments sit along North Interstate Avenue in the historically Black Kenton Neighborhood.

From 1990 to 2010, African Americans were pushed out by the thousands as the area was redeveloped and prices rose.

The building is part of a broader effort to help Black Portlanders find a place in this neighborhood again, by starting with the most vulnerable members of the community.

Nearly 2,000 high-achieving high school seniors from across the Midlands were celebrated Sunday afternoon as the Columbia Urban League (Columbia, SC) marked a major milestone, both for students and for Black history.

More than 1,800 students were recognized during the organization’s 40th Annual “Young and Gifted” Black History Month Program, held at Brookland Baptist Church. Family members, friends, educators and community leaders filled the sanctuary, cheering as honorees were acknowledged for their excellence.

Students were recognized for achievements in academics, athletics, the arts, leadership and a range of extracurricular activities. Organizers say the program remains the largest recognition of African-American student achievement in South Carolina.

This year’s event also carried added significance, commemorating 100 years of Black history while spotlighting the next generation of leaders.

“At a time when it’s easy to take a step back, the Urban League is stepping up.”

Those were the words of Springfield Urban League (Springfield, IL) President and CEO Dr. Marcus Johnson during a Dec. 2 Springfield City Council meeting. Johnson was trying to convince the alderpersons to sell eight city-owned parcels of land on Springfield’s east side for $4,000 to the Urban League for future revitalization.

The City Council tabled the matter that night because the request took many by surprise, including two of the aldermen who represent the area. But the land purchase was approved unanimously by the City Council several weeks later, and now the Urban League is moving forward with an ambitious plan to determine what the community wants to happen with those eight lots plus other Urban League-owned properties in the area. Once those desires are determined, Johnson said work will begin to make things happen.        

Women’s History Month. See how Black women remain the driving force for social change amid attempts to strip them of political power and influence. His legacy lives on. This week, Marc H. Morial delivered the eulogy for the late transformational leader Dr. Norman C. Francis. See how he paid his respects. 61 years later. The Bloody Sunday anniversary honors courageous leaders like John Lewis, who risked their lives for voting rights. Dive deeper on Substack. We're heading to Nashville! Get a sneak peek of what to expect this summer on a special episode of Urban League Live featuring Marc Morial & Clifton Harris. Understanding social dynamics. Sign up for our free webinar for tips on how to make intentional choices about where to invest your energy in the workplace

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
— Shirley Chisholm

It’s no secret that women, specifically Black women, have been a driving force for freedom in this country since its inception. 

From the words of Phillis Wheatley condemning the evils of slavery on the eve of the American Revolution, and Sojourner Truth’s indelible Ain't I a Woman?” speech at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, Black women have been the heartbeat of this movement. 

What troubles me in a modern context is how little Black women are recognized for their contributions to this country and the sordid attempts to strip them of political power and influence today. 

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