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.

On June 30th, the Houston Area Urban League or HAUL (Houston, TX) announced that it will be the recipient of a $25,000 donation from NRG Energy, parent company to Reliant and part of a $1 million donation toward organizations and initiatives such as HAUL that combat racial inequalities, injustice and related violence.

“Today, our communities are overwhelmed with grief. We are heartsick over the inhumanity we have witnessed in the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor,” said Judson Robinson III, President and CEO.  “For more than half a century, the Houston Area Urban League has been a voice for the poor and disadvantaged, empowering this sector with economic development, leadership, humanitarianism, community service and a steadfast commitment to developing our youth. With the support of partners like NRG, we will continue to be successful in these endeavors,” added Robinson.

Atlanta’s Black Radio stations have teamed up with the common goals of voter registration, voter education and voter mobilization in advance of the November 2020 election.