In the midst of a record-breaking number of people filing for unemployment, one Louisiana organization is hosting a series of virtual job fairs to connect people looking for work with potential employers.

The Urban League of Louisiana’s (New Orleans, LA) Office of Workforce Development is scheduled to host at least seven virtual job fairs over the next few months to connect job-seekers to essential-industry jobs during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The potential jobs include positions in:

Teenagers and young adults in Louisville have daily chances to win cash from the Louisville Urban League (Louisville, KY).

The organization launched a new social media challenge aimed at promoting social interaction during COVID-19 stay-home orders.

It’s called “Louisville versus Da Rona.”

Anyone can participate, but young adults in the Louisville Metro are eligible for the daily prizes.

To participate, young adults have to follow the Louisville Urban League on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Then, they need to tag the urban league in a post where they showcase what they’re doing to beat the coronavirus. Users also must use the hashtag #LouisvilleVsDaRona.

Jae Bennett began coughing last Saturday afternoon after visiting some Kansas City homeless camps as part of his job with a nonprofit.

By that evening, his dry cough had worsened and his temperature climbed to 104 degrees.

For the next 48 hours, he frantically searched for a place to get tested for the new coronavirus. He eventually found a clinic and was tested Monday, but it wasn’t easy.

“You have to do your due diligence,” Bennett said. He suspects many people in his shoes, especially other black Kansas Citians, might give up and not get tested at all.

Hundreds of cars snaked slowly through city streets Friday (April 10)  to collect donated groceries and supplies as health officials across the region tallied more victims of the coronavirus and urged people to remain home for weekend religious celebrations.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) held a second food and supply giveaway that drew hundreds to the city’s Fountain Park neighborhood, where volunteers dropped more than 1,500 care packages of donated fruit, milk, produce, canned and dry goods, Easter candy and toiletries into the trunks of vehicles.

Cars started lining up more than six hours before the giveaway’s noon start time. Volunteers at last week’s Urban League giveaway in Jennings distributed more than 1,000 care packages. A third event is planned for Friday in East St. Louis.

By Tana Weingartner, Cincinnati Public Radio

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine isn't requiring Ohioans to wear masks when in public, but says he will wear one and he strongly encourages everyone else do the same. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend wearing a face covering to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

That idea is making some African Americans, especially black men, uncomfortable.

To read the full article Click Here.

The latest. The Urban League is here for you during this crisis. Watch Marc Morial's Facebook Live for local resources and visit our COVID-19 hub online. | Farewell to a pioneer. With the passing of Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves, Sr., we lost a champion and role model. More on his legacy. | Make Black Count! You will soon receive a paper form in your mailbox from the U.S. Census Bureau. Fill it out and mail it back or complete it online right now! | Rest in peace, Aaron Thomas. We are saddened by the passing of a longtime Urban Leaguer, brother, friend, and much more. Join us in reflection of his legacy. | Help for residents. See how the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh is working to provide much-needed household essentials to underserved neighborhoods. | COVID-19 news. Our D.C. office has rounded up the latest numbers, resources, and policies you should know about. Check it out! 

No, the coronavirus is not an “equalizer.” Black people are being infected and dying at higher rates. Here’s what Milwaukee is doing about it — and why governments need to start releasing data on the race of COVID-19 patients.

The coronavirus entered Milwaukee from a white, affluent suburb. Then it took root in the city’s black community and erupted.

As public health officials watched cases rise in March, too many in the community shrugged off warnings. Rumors and conspiracy theories proliferated on social media, pushing the bogus idea that black people are somehow immune to the disease. And much of the initial focus was on international travel, so those who knew no one returning from Asia or Europe were quick to dismiss the risk.

The back up of cars spilled out far beyond the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis' (St. Louis, MO) parking lot and onto Jennings Station Road. 

"Right now, we're trying to feed 1,000 families," Jamie Dennis with the Urban League told 5 On Your Side, "We're giving them fresh produce, dry goods, toiletries, napkins. Everything that makes a household into a home."

The giveaway came at a time when some families found themselves suddenly out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tamara Wiggins and her husband were in Thursday's pick-up line.

"It helps out a lot because my husband and I are temporarily unemployed and we need all the help that we can get," Wiggins said.

Help is exactly what the Wiggins and hundreds of others received from the Urban League and all their community partners, but from a safe distance. 

Hundreds of thousands of small business owners, many of whom already operate on very narrow margins, are struggling with questions about how their businesses will survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only do these businesses provide necessary services in communities all over the country; they provide employment, job training, and other benefits. Their survival is essential to strong neighborhoods.

To support these small businesses, Lawyers for Good Government Foundation is building a nationwide coalition of law firms and non-profit organizations.

To register for the legal clinic, click here.