January Jobs Report: Dr. Bernard Anderson Breaks Down Black Unemployment and Other Numbers

The economy is in the 11th year of continuous uninterrupted growth, the longest expansion in American history.   Economic activity, measured by GDP, is rising at a steady, balanced pace, the labor market is fully employed, and inflation is effectively under controlPayroll employment rose by 225,000 jobs, an

Submitted byiamempowered onFri, 02/14/2020 - 16:09

ReMarcs Newsletter - February 8, 2020

National Gun Violence Survivors Week. A shocking 58% of American adults have experienced gun violence or are close to someone who has. Here are their stories. | Who won? This week’s Iowa caucuses didn’t go as planned. See where the candidates stand and check the date for your state’s primary. | 2020 Census. Write the Census Bureau director to make immediate changes so Black communities are fully and fairly counted. The letter is ready to go, just press send! | Free at last! February 11th marks the day Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in prison for fighting South Africa's racist apartheid system. Relive that momentous day. | Digital Career Success Series. Are you in tech and looking for a change? Explore opportunities with technology and lifestyle expert Stephanie Humphrey on Feb. 12!

Submitted byrwilliams@nul.org onMon, 02/10/2020 - 13:47

Spectrum Awards Digital Education Grant to Milwaukee Urban League

Spectrum recently awarded the Milwaukee Urban League (Milwaukee, WI) with a $25,000 Spectrum Digital Education Grant for its Digital S.O.S. program, as part of the company’s $5 million national commitment to digital education across the country.

The funding creates a mobile computer lab to support the Milwaukee Urban League’s efforts to offer employment and education services at churches, schools and community engagement events. With the grant, the organization will showcase program offerings at off-site education workshops, senior living facilities, employment fairs and conferences and utilize the mobile lab during its annual Youth Summit.

Submitted byihall_11 onMon, 02/10/2020 - 13:24

Rochester School District Awarded $136k in State Funding for After School Programs

The Rochester City School District (RCSD) will receive $136,000 in state funding through the $10 million Empire State After School Program Award.

The funds will be provided through the Urban League of Rochester (Rochester, NY), which serves the RCSD, for after school programs. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the award money Wednesday.

“After-school programs help students stay on track and offer a positive and productive place for students to spend their after-school hours, giving parents peace of mind,” Gov. Cuomo said in a press release. “By increasing the availability of after-school program slots, we can guide even more students to find the right path to success.”

Submitted byihall_11 onMon, 02/10/2020 - 13:24

Urban League Opens Digital Learning Lab in time for Census 2020

Applying for a job or for school, doing homework or making sure you’re counted in the upcoming census is difficult, if not impossible, with no internet access.

And in low-income neighborhoods, only 40% of residents have reliable internet access.

“The black and brown communities, low-income communities, have historically not been able to enjoy the internet and all the opportunities it provides,” said Henry M. Thomas III, President and CEO of the Urban League Springfield (Springfield, MA). 

The Urban League hosted a ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday for its Digital Learning Lab, which features 28 computers, a podcast studio and a smartboard-equipped classroom. It’s in the Springfield Technology Park at the corner of State and Federal streets. The $95,000 center is in the same building as the Urban League’s offices.

Submitted byihall_11 onMon, 02/10/2020 - 13:23

Urban League Honors Community Change Makers in Cincy

Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio or ULGSO (Cincinnati, OH) is hosting its 71st luncheon, where it will pay tribute to the community changemakers in Cincinnati.

ULGSO calls them lions.

in Anderson, Rev. Donald Jones, Susan Noonan and Kathy Wade are the 2020 honorees.

Newly hired ULGSO President and CEO Eddie Koen said giving well-deserved recognition to community change agents and working to provide new training and programming is important.

"It is special because years ago we started to honor lions in our community, folks who have gone out of their way to advocate and to make Cincinnati a better place," Koen said. "It's always important to honor people before they are gone, you know, we praise folks when they leave this Earth, but we really want to make sure that we're saying thank you and that we appreciate them while they are still here."

Koen said ULGSO is getting ready to step into a new era.

Submitted byihall_11 onMon, 02/10/2020 - 13:22