Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“Starting when I was 15, my life was not my own. For years, I had no control over what happened to me. Being in the spotlight makes me wary and self-conscious again. I am overwhelmed with fear that an overzealous Trump supporter might take matters into his or her hands. Doing something simple like picking up dinner for the family or going to the aquarium now fills me with dread. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder, keeping an eye out for people who stare too long. Like a soldier always on high alert, I can never enjoy myself fully, with all the adrenaline that comes with that. It’s a scary feeling.” -- Yusef Salaam

Matias Reyes violently raped a 28-year-old woman who was jogging in Central Park on April 19, 1989.  He beat her so badly she remained in a coma for 12 days.

Listen as Khalil Thompson, Executive Director of Win With Black Men, discusses key issues Black men are prioritizing in this election.

This week, we visited the cradle of the civil rights movement to discuss what’s at stake in the upcoming election. Read more.

The Austin Area Urban League (Austin, TX) is hosting the 3rd annual HBCU Basketball Classic on November 8th and 9th at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. This year’s HBCU Basketball Classic has partnered with HBCU+ to stream the event on its platform. Highlights of this year’s classic include the Conference Challenge and the Battle of the Border.

In the Conference Challenge, teams from the Red River Athletic Conference will face off in a fierce battle on the court. HBCUs Huston-Tillotson University Men & Women, Jarvis Christian University, and Paul Quinn College will go against the newly added HBCU Athletic Conference teams, including Wiley University and Philander Smith University.

Patricia A. Coulter, former president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA), passed away on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 78.

She was raised in Cleveland and moved to Philadelphia in the early 1980s.

She received a bachelor's degree in music from Knoxville College and a master's in education from the University of Louisville.

In 2002, she became the first woman to lead the Philadelphia affiliate of the National Urban League in its 90-year history.

One of just a few of the organization's 92 affiliates to be singled out for the quality of its programming and economic foundation, the Urban League of Philadelphia was recognized as a five-star affiliate three years in a row under Coulter's leadership.

The Community Foundation of Greenville recently awarded a $25,000 grant to the Urban League of the Upstate (Greenville, SC).

The local nonprofit organization focuses on advancing equity and creating opportunities for underserved communities in Upstate South Carolina. Gail Wilson Awan, President and CEO of Urban League of the Upstate, said they are grateful to The Community Foundation of Greenville for their ongoing support of their mission. 

“This gift helps us continue the work we do every day while also moving forward with the development of the McClaren Institute,” Awan said. 

Half of the grant funding will go towards Urban League’s McClaren Institute for Health and Quality of Life. The nonprofit is currently transforming downtown Greenville’s historic McClaren Medical Shelter into a wellness, education, and outreach center for underserved communities.

How Black men can win. From jobs and entrepreneurship to housing and healthcare, see where both presidential candidates stand on the issues. | Dear Black men. Read more about how the Black male vote can change the trajectory of the upcoming election. | Now's the time to prep! Election Day is almost here, and it’s time to do your research on the candidates and get your voting plan together. Learn more. | The future is bright. Our President & CEO Marc H. Morial spent time with young men at Morehouse College and the B.E.S.T. Academy in Atlanta, witnessing their brilliance and imparting wisdom. See how it went. | What’s your reason for voting?  Watch as Black voters share some of the many reasons to #ReclaimYourVote and make a difference in this election. | Your vote matters. Listen as Khalil Thompson, Executive Director of Win With Black Men, discusses key issues Black men are prioritizing in this election.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“The history of the United States is a story about the disenfranchisement of millions based on their Blackness. More than a hundred years of violent voter suppression, poll taxes, literacy tests, and gerrymandering have created a climate that is nothing shy of hostile towards Black men that choose to stand up and be a part of the electoral process.” – The Black Male Voter Project

In a presidential campaign that has been overwhelmingly centered on the issues of women’s reproductive rights, immigration, and taxation of the ultra-wealthy, it would be understandable if we – especially the younger ones among us -- didn’t feel the same sense of urgency about voting as other groups.