The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio (Cincinnati, OH) has chosen a leader for its new Center for Social Justice.

Rickell Howard Smith was named executive director of the center, which was launched in June to focus on police reform in the municipalities and suburbs of Cincinnati and Dayton. Howard Smith comes to the role with 15 years of experience in law, policy, and nonprofit leadership. Most recently, she was the senior director of Community Strategies at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

The countdown is on. July 26 marks 100 days out from Election Day and the stakes are high for Black communities. Learn how to #ReclaimYourVote. | Restore the Voting Rights Act. John Lewis put his life on the line to end racial discrimination in voting. Here’s how Congress can help honor his legacy. | Party with us! Did you know the Census determines how many seats your state gets in the House of Representatives? Join us on Thursday for more gems. | Vote, vote, vote. We're proud to partner with Michelle Obama's initiative, When We All Vote, to increase voter participation. Join us! | New episode! Tune in to the Rickey Smiley Morning Show for The State of Black America with Marc Morial. Listen on Mondays at 8:30AM ET. | The latest. COVID-19 could be the thing that keeps people at home on Election Day, unless we get prepared. Get the inside scoop from our Policy team.

 It’s back to school but not back to class for Sacramento County.

A surge in coronavirus cases is forcing the Sacramento County Superintendent public health department to recommend all 13 school districts keep their campuses closed in the fall.

“I think distance-learning is really going to challenge the most vulnerable. It will take us years, decades, to make up this lost learning,” Cassandra Jennings, President and CEO of The Greater Sacramento Urban League (Sacramento, CA), said.

Jennings said some students are more at risk than others.

“Most of those from low-income communities and disproportionately black and brown students,” she said.

The impact of Henry Thomas III was not overlooked as the Springfield civic and education leader’s tenure with the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees came to an end.

Thomas and Maria Furman will be replaced by Robert Lewis, Jr., and Julie M. Ramon Gagliardi, according to an announcement by Governor Charlie Baker. The terms of Thomas and Furman expired after more than 10 years of service.

“As chairman, Henry was an ardent advocate for the university and the students it serves, and led our Board during a period of robust growth at UMass. The impact (of Thomas and Furman) will last for generations,” said Marty Meehan, president of the UMass system.

St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page announced $28 million in new distributions from the county’s $173.5 million in federal stimulus grant funding for COVID-19 relief at a press briefing at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ (St. Louis, MO) Ferguson Empowerment Center on Friday, July 17. Page said the pandemic is a public health, humanitarian and economic crisis. Humanitarian assistance for seniors, children, housing stabilization and technology are the focus of the latest distributions.

“For the humanitarian program, we are focusing on senior and homebound programs. This includes providing meals, cleaning supplies, protective equipment and medical transportation services,” Page said. Humanitarian grants are also focusing on housing stabilization, including rent and utility assistance, and legal services for foreclosure proceedings and domestic violence law.

On reopening schools. In the words of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, we must not "use our children as guinea pigs." Here's why we MUST prioritize safety. | State of Black America with Marc Morial. We've teamed up with the Rickey Smiley Morning Show to bring you updates! Listen on Mondays at 8:30AM ET. | Salary negotiation. Join us to learn the tools for salary negotiation, how to calculate your professional worth, and how to ask for a raise. | Make Black Count. Take 10 minutes to fill out the 10-question form online. It'll go a long way in securing money and representation for your community! | Advancing Black Entrepreneurs. We're partnering with Chase for Business to help Black businesses recover and move forward from the pandemic. Sign up! | New episode!  This week, the head of the Houston Area Urban League talks efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 in a largely Black city. Take a listen.