It’s a good bet the knife-carrying suspect and his buddy who challenged racial justice protesters outside a Hertel Avenue bar never attended the Buffalo Urban League’s (Buffalo, NY) annual gala.

Neither, I suspect, did the Tonawanda store manager who called police on a Black man trying to cash his winning lottery ticket, or the cops who arrested and strip-searched the man for no good reason.

If they had, they would have been educated by the stories of African Americans who’ve defied all of the stereotypes and overcome all of the obstacles this society stacks against them.

On the other hand, if they were enlightened enough to attend, they probably wouldn’t have held such racist views in the first place.

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issues the following statement regarding the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement regarding the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
 

“Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote. And we have come too far together to ever turn back. So we must not be silent. We must stand up, speak up and speak out. We must march to the polls like never before. We must come together and exercise our sacred right.” – Congressman John Lewis

In April of 2019, the Associated Press released an analysis of census data and exit polling that reached a remarkable conclusion: the Black voter turnout rate in the 2012 presidential election exceeded the white rate for the first time in history.  A census report in May confirmed the AP’s findings.

Some researchers disputed the findings, contending that the milestone actually had occurred in 2008.

LOUISVILLE, KY (September 16, 2020) -- Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, and Sadiqa N. Reynolds, Esq., President & CEO of the Louisville Urban League, issued the following joint statement in response to the unprecedented settlement agreement between Louisville Metro Government and the family of Breonna Taylor.

The FedEx Racing team will use its sponsorship to provide a platform for creating more diverse and equitable communities. The No. 11 FedEx Cares Toyota, driven by Denny Hamlin, will highlight the National Urban League and its Project Ready program for the Sept. 12 NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.  Project Ready prepares Black Americans and other historically underserved youth for college and careers, offering support, services, and opportunities not always found in the classroom. The newly unveiled paint scheme for Hamlin’s No. 11 represents the goals of the program with images of graduation caps being tossed in the air.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. (St. Louis, MO) has been given a $1 million grant to expand their crime de-escalation program.

“For over a year, my administration has been working with community groups, civic leaders, clergies, law enforcement, and mayors across the state to find solutions to violent crime,” Governor Mike Parson said. “We know we have a serious issue with violent crime in Missouri, and the Serving Our Streets Initiatives is a very valuable tool in addressing these issues at the local level. We are excited to see the initiative expand, which is another great step in our overall efforts to combat violent crime and make our communities safer.”

The Serving Our Streets Initiative focuses on community outreach and direct engagement with citizens in high crime and poverty areas. The program focuses on gun violence de-escalation and providing resources to crime victims.

The Kentucky Department of Income Support was awarded $942,294 for fiscal year 2021.

Eight states, including Kentucky, were selected by the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families to develop nine programs to educate teens and young adults who do not yet have children about the financial, legal and emotional responsibilities of parenthood.

The agencies will collaborate with youth job development programs, foster care transition services, juvenile justice agencies, teen pregnancy prevention programs, community colleges and public schools to integrate child support and responsible parenting education into youth-centered systems.

The Urban League of Northwest Indiana (Gary, IN) took its annual Diversity & Inclusion Awards event online last Wednesday, recognizing nine organizations for their efforts during the local organization's 75th anniversary year.

The awards were presented by Vanessa Allen-McCloud, president and CEO of the Urban League of NWI, and Thomas Keon, chancellor of Purdue University Northwest and chairman of the Urban League of NWI board of directors. 

U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st, congratulated the organization and award winners via video, noting the events of this year that have prompted protests and a reckoning with the state of race relations in the United States.

"This past year has highlighted just how urgent it is to have these conversations, and act," Visclosky said. 

Pinellas County health workers are making it easier for residents in underserved neighborhoods to get tested for COVID-19. They're operating pop-up testing sites in areas like the North Greenwood section of Clearwater and South St. Petersburg.

These communities have a lot of Black residents who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.

On a recent Saturday morning, the parking lot of Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in South St. Petersburg was home to ones of these sites. Every few minutes, a couple cars rolled up to tents where nurses in protective gear screened drivers and used nasal swabs to test them for COVID-19.

It was around 10 a.m., and Rebecca Watson with the Pinellas County Urban League (St. Petersburg, FL) which is leading the initiative, said things were quieting down since dozens of cars lined up ahead of opening.