Cameron Bernard, 24, was trying to plan for his future with few high-paying opportunities for work when he heard about the cybersecurity apprenticeship program run by the Urban League of Louisiana (New Orleans, LA).

Through the Urban League's Career Pathways Program, within a year, Bernard, of Jefferson Parish, will have the training and certifications he needs to qualify for full-time work in that field. He'll earn at least $45,000 annually. 

"We're on the first certification," Bernard said. "I'm doing this because I was looking for opportunities to have a career in cybersecurity and have a full-time job."

The National Urban League on Saturday (July 6) honored and recognized the accomplishments of four Black women who have made significant marks in the community. 

Held amid the backdrop of the 30th Anniversary of the Essence Festival of Culture, the Women in Harmony Awards Luncheon paid tribute to Faith Jenkins, an attorney, legal commentator and media personality who presided over the TV show “Divorce Court”; Tracey Edmonds, a TV producer and President and CEO of Edmonds Entertainment Group; Bevy Smith, a radio and TV personality, author and actress; and Lisa Price, the founder and creator of hair products empire Carol’s Daughter.

Never underestimate Black women. See how Essence Fest has become the nation’s premiere celebration of the creativity and power of Black women. | Give your immune system a boost. Set your appointment today to get your FREE COVID-19 vaccine via the Bridge Access Program. Learn more. | Live from Essence Fest. The iconic annual gathering is underway! See how then-New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial brought the event to life 30 years ago. | Calling all biz owners + future entrepreneurs! Sign up now for our FREE one-day Entrepreneurship Summit on July 27 during #NULConf24. | Ready to land your new job? Register now to attend our Career & Networking Fair in New Orleans on July 24 to connect with recruiters + more. | What do the numbers tell us? Check out an in-depth look at the state of the economy from Dr. Bernard E. Anderson, our Chief Economics Adviser.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
  

If there is a moral to the story of the Essence Festival, it is this: underestimate Black women at your own peril.

In 1995, many in New Orleans did underestimate. They had a narrow, reductive view of Black women. Essence magazine and its sophisticated and cultivated readership simply were not within their scope of perception.

Thirty years later, the Essence Festival is as much a New Orleans institution as Mardi Gras, gumbo, and jazz, and a primary driver of the local economy. It is the nation’s premiere celebration of the creativity and power of Black women.

The U.S. added 206,000 jobs in June, reflecting steady modest growth in the economy boosted by consumer spending.

The modest growth rate, coupled with slowing wage growth is consistent with slowly declining inflation. The data suggests that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to reduce interest rates before September’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

It’s steady as we go in the midst of a heated presidential campaign.

Concerningly, Black employment declined by 73,000 while white employment grew by 173,000. At the same time, Black unemployment rose by 29,000 while white unemployment dipped only slightly by 7,000. The racial disparity in the labor market raised the Black/white unemployment gap to 1.80, drifting back to the previously persistent 2:1 ratio.

The overall unemployment rate edged up slightly to 4.1% percent.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“Project 25 is a radical, extreme, pro-authoritarianism plan pushed by conservatives who are desperate to take our country backwards. It is a movement led by far-right extremists that attacks our nation’s founding principles, such as our system of checks and balances, freedom of speech and of the press, and separation of church and state. These are the very principles that keep our country strong and make America the best nation on earth.” – U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu

Eliminating safe, legal abortion and effective contraception. Obliterating of the very mention of sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, reproductive health, and reproductive rights from every federal rule, regulation, contract, grant, or piece of legislation.  Replacing skilled civil servants with extremist partisan hacks.

Cincinnati has seen big wins in its pursuit for equity over the last decade. But the city still has much further to go, according to a newly released report from the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio (Cincinnati, OH). 

The nonprofit held a press conference with city leaders Juneteenth morning to go over its findings from "The State of Black Cincinnati: Journey to Parity," an update to a similar report conducted in 2015 that evaluated inclusivity and equity among the city's economics, employment, COVID-19 outcomes, health, education, housing, criminal justice and civic engagement. The data-driven work paints a picture of how things stand for Black Cincinnatians, and includes guidance on action steps to make the city better.

Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the global financial technology platform that makes  Intuit Turbo Tax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, in partnership with the Los Angeles Urban League (Los Angeles, CA) announced the expansion of the Intuit IDEAS (Invest, Develop, Empower, Accelerate, and Scale) Program. The program, which began as a pilot in Los Angeles, will now expand to a total of 100 small business owners; applications for the three cities are now open in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.