The Greater Stark County Urban League (Canton, OH)  is calling for a “reimagined” Canton City Police Department.

Thomas West, President and CEO of the Greater Stark County Urban League, said a Canton police officer's use of a police dog  to bite a city resident who already was lying face down with his arms crossed behind his back demonstrates a need for changes within the department. In a June 3 letter to city leaders, West wrote the reimagined department would be where “integrity and respect for fellow citizens and our city are paramount.”

Separately, the Urban League and the Stark County NAACP also are working together to create the framework for a new police oversight commission that would have subpoena powers and be independent of city government. The agencies’ recommendations are expected to be given to city leaders within the next couple of weeks.

Celebrating dads! This Father’s Day, we honor all fathers + father figures who are the protectors of their loved ones. Thank you for all that you do. | Freedom Day. Juneteenth represents a day of freedom that our ancestors fought tirelessly for. Take a look back at the history and cultural legacy. | Give your immune system a boost. Free COVID-19 vaccines are available for you and your loved ones in one click. Set your appointment today. | Ready to level up your business? Join us on July 27 for our FREE one-day Entrepreneurship Summit during #NULConf24. Sign up now. | SB-17 must go! Help give Texas' diverse students the freedom to succeed by signing our petition to repeal a law that bans campus DEI programs. | Relive the moments. Take a look at scenes from our Urban Expungement Program Cleveland event, where we celebrated second chances & opportunities.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

Many St. Louisans lament the fact that residents of underserved neighborhoods often must travel miles to find services, stores and dining opportunities.

Among them is Michael P. McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) President and CEO.

“Why do people have to shop all over the region for things we should be able to buy right here?” McMillan asked during a May 31, 2024, press conference with Congresswoman Cori Bush.

“If we do more of that, we can also create more Black-owned businesses.”

Bush announced a $750,000 federal outlay for the renovations of capital improvements of the Urban League Plaza, just east of the Urban League headquarters at 1408 N. Kingshighway and saluted the work of the organization.

“The Urban League has been a pillar of strength and support for the St. Louis community,” she said.

The playoffs are over for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that means one thing: it’s time for some community service.

“Urban League has been a great partner of ours for a number of years, the teachers are really phenomenal, and the kids are really eager to learn,” said Erin Oldfield  with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

One of The Urban League’s initiatives is to offer after-school and summer classes as well as tutoring programs for kids in northeast Oklahoma City.

However, there was one problem, at least from the Thunder’s perspective. “But we couldn’t help but notice that this space has needed a little bit of love,” said Oldfield.

After seeing the kids and the work being done in the room, the Thunder organization made the call.

“Can we come out and do some work on it? And of course, we didn’t say no,” said Dr. Valerie Thompson, President and CEO of The Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City (Oklahoma City, OK).

Join us for a powerful rally hosted by the National Urban League and National Action Network. Stand in solidarity with the fight for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across the nation! 

This rally takes on special significance as it will be held directly in front of the New York headquarters of billionaire hedge fund manager, Bill Ackman. Ackman is waging war against DEI. He is relentlessly working to turn back the clock on progress, most recently targeting Harvard's first Black president, Claudine Gay, with baseless allegations which contributed to her unjust termination. Let's use our voices to show that we won't tolerate such attacks on progress! 

Two Urban League Affiliate CEOs made a powerful impression on Capitol Hill this week! Dr. Seanelle Hawkins, Urban League of Rochester (Rochester, NY) and William Barnes, Birmingham Urban League (Birmingham, AL) traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in a panel discussion titled "Building a Community Safety Agenda: What Does the Evidence Say?" The event, co-hosted by the National Urban League, the Center for Policing Equity, The Futures Institute, and the Community Safety Working Group, focused on alternative approaches to community safety that prioritize investment in youth, violence intervention, and crisis response.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
  
 
“This new law is solely vengeance and lacks any evidence of effectiveness and is aimed at a despised and powerless population that already is subject to dozens of draconian post-conviction collateral consequences. There is virtually no evidence that increasing punishments will have any impact on sexual recidivism.” – St. Francis College sociology professor Emily Horowitz

Not to be outdone by other southern states trying to regress to the Jim Crow era, my home state of Louisiana is trying to regress to the Medieval era.

A barbaric proposal to allow judges to sentence certain convicted sex offenders to surgical castration passed the legislature and awaits Gov. Landry’s signature. Louisiana would become the first state with such a law, joining the ranks of nations like Pakistan and Nigeria.