NEW YORK and MINNEAPOLIS (June 17, 2023) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial and Urban League of the Twin Cities Interim President and CEO Marquita Stephens issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Justice Department's scathing report on the Minneapolis Police Department:

"The Justice Department‘s report on the racism, violent abuse, and habitual misconduct that pervades the Minneapolis Police Department is not a revelation. People of color across the country, in communities large and small, have borne this brutality for generations.

 NEW YORK (June 16, 2023) – The federal conviction of the anti-Semitic gunman who murdered 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 is a step toward justice, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said today, but the lax gun policies and racist conspiracy theories that fueled the massacre rage on. 

“Our hearts are with the families who suffered imaginable loss and the community that was torn apart by a monstrous crime,” Morial said. “Our gratitude is with the Department of Justice and the determined prosecutors who mustered the full force of federal law and the highest standard of American ideals.” 

To our unsung heroes. This Father’s Day is dedicated to all dads + father figures whose love, strength, and guidance help sustain our communities. | Honoring the history of Juneteenth. The significance of Juneteenth is not only a moment for liberation but also an ongoing journey of hope. Learn more. | It’s time to get vaxxed. Summer is officially here, and we want you to remain COVID-19 free. Here are some tips on how to protect your health. | Check out the lineup! Get ready for four epic days in Houston for #NULConf23 featuring over 50 phenomenal speakers and changemakers. | Greetings from Canada! Our President & CEO, Marc H. Morial, spent a few days in Canada at the invitation of U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, to commemorate Juneteenth and connect with community leaders, civil rights champions, entrepreneurs, and more. Check it out. | Advancing our economy. Take a look at the White House’s new website highlighting the historic economic recovery President Biden has overseen.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
   

“The slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery.” -- W.E.B. Du Bois 

Just a dozen years after Major General Gordon Granger’s Order Number 3 declared “an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves,” the last federal troops withdrew from former Confederate states. Their withdrawal ushered in a near-century of legally-enforced racial segregation, white supremacist terrorism, and second-class citizenship for Black Americans. 

Still, the celebration of Granger’s order, the holiday we celebrate on Monday as Juneteenth, endured. 

MADISON (June 12, 2023) – The Urban League of Greater Madison (Madison, WI) is asking the community to help them fight sickle cell disease.

This coming Saturday, June 17th, the Urban League is partnering with the Red Cross to host a blood drive to help fight the disease. They are specifically asking for Black blood donors, as the majority of those with sickle cell are of African ancestry.

The disease affects over 100,000 people in the country, which can lead to stroke and organ failure.

SAN DIEGO (June 12, 2023) – The Urban League of San Diego (San Diego, CA) is seeking to help Black and other people of color into buying their first home.

According to reports by the California Association of Realtors, homeownership is at its lowest within the Black and Latino communities. The peak of Black and Latino homeownership came in 2004, with Black homeowners coming in at 50%, with Latinos being around 56%.

For Al Abdallah, interim president and CEO of the Urban League, there is a flaw within the system. “These are systemic racial issues that we must tackle in this country,” he said.

ROCHESTER (June 12, 2023) – The Urban League of Rochester (Rochester, NY) rolled out the red carpet for hundreds of students at a recent event.

Last Monday, June 5th, the Urban League celebrated the excellence of area Black students, as they held their Annual Black Scholars Ceremony, in its 44th year.

The event honored hundreds of Black high school seniors, all earning a “B” average or higher, awarding them the distinction of being chosen as an Urban League Black Scholar.