Dec 22, 2010

"Opening ReMARCs"

Celebrating the Holidays With an End to Discrimination

I was overjoyed to see the nation enter this holiday season with two important victories in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and respect for human dignity. The U.S. government’s settlement of Pigford vs. Glickman acknowledges and denounces the Department of Agriculture’s many years of discrimination against tens of thousands of black farmers who were denied loans. While the cash payments to the plaintiffs in the case will help to put those farmers on a path to economic empowerment, just as important is the government’s firm position that discrimination in lending will not be tolerated. The nation continued on a forward path with the repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which barred gay and lesbian Americans from serving openly in our nation’s armed forces. This holiday season, it feels as if we are a step closer to realizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream of a nation where we are judged by the content of our character. I wish you Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad … and peace and health for 2011.
Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League

Dec 3, 2010

The State of Urban Jobs

Highlights of the November 2010 Employment Report:

The economy gained a net 39,000 jobs in November, well below the 150,000 that the market was expecting. Private employment increased by 50,000. November marks the 11th consecutive month of private sector job growth. The number of unemployed people in November grew to 15.1 million, highlighting the need to extend unemployment insurance benefits for at least another year.

The unemployment rate grew to 9.8% in November following three months at 9.6%. The labor force participation rate was unchanged at 64.5%. All major worker groups saw an increase in their rates of unemployment -- black unemployment rate was up to 16% (from 15.7%); unemployment rate for black men was up to 16.7% (from 16.3%); for black women 13.1% (from 12.7%); whites 8.9% (from 8.8%); and Latinos 13.2% (from 12.6%). Rates of teen unemployment were 20.9% for whites (from 23.6%), 46.5% for African-Americans (from 48%) and 30% for Latinos (from 31.6%). The rate of underemployment (including the unemployed, marginally attached and those working part-time for economic reasons) was unchanged at 17%.

The ranks of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) edged up slightly from October – now at 6.3 million or 41.9% of all unemployed.

Professional & business services (+53,000), health care (+19,000), and Leisure and hospitality (+11,000) displayed the most growth in November as retail trade (-28,000), local government (-14,000), manufacturing (-13,000), financial activities (-9,000) and construction (-5,000) sectors experienced losses.

Dec 1, 2010

ACLU Freedom Tour: Reform Cannot Wait

ACLU Freedom Tour: Reform Cannot Wait
Description: Ineffective. Fiscally irresponsible. Overcrowded.

Join the ACLU of Ohio and the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati for a call to change the criminal justice system.

Ohio’s criminal justice system employs policies that increase cost, reduce safety, and contribute to racial disparities. Prison officials, judges, and community advocates are calling for reform to lessen the number of people sentenced and to support those who leave prison. Come, learn, and take action!

This is the second stop of the ACLU 2010 Freedom Tour, bringing people together in three cities across the state, to highlight the disparities of the criminal justice system. This stop features Terry Collins, former director, Ohio Department of Correction and Rehabilitation; Donna Jones Baker, President/CEO, Urban League of Greater Cincinnati; Ed Little, Department of Justice Affairs, Office of Re-entry; and moderator Gary Daniels, associate director, ACLU of Ohio.

This event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available.
Date: 12.06.10 | Monday
Time: 6:30 pm
Type: ACLU event
Location: Urban League of Greater Cincinnati
Address: 3458 Reading Road, Cincinnati, OH 45229

RSVP: For more information or to RSVP, please call (216) 472-2200 or e-mail contact@acluohio.org.

Nov 17, 2010

Public School Financing - Broke, Busted and Disgusted

To Be Equal#45
November 17, 2010
Public School Financing – Broke, Busted and Disgusted


Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League

“Simply put, many states do not provide sufficient funding or distribute that funding to address the needs of their most disadvantaged students and schools.” David Sciarra, Executive Director, the Education Law Center


With all the talk about firing poor teachers, closing the achievement gap and adopting “common core standards” for students, one essential element of American education reform is too often overlooked – the inherently unequal and unfair system of state funding for public schools. A new study, co-authored by David Sciarra and Danielle Farrie of the Education Law Center and Dr. Bruce Baker of Rutgers University sheds new light on this problem. Their report, “Is Education Fair? A National Report Card,” reveals that most states are failing the test of fairness when it comes to public school financing. The authors state, and we agree, that “a fair funding system would be progressive in that funding would increase relative to the level of concentrated student poverty.” This would ensure that more funding would be available to students with greater needs and that all students would have the support necessary to achieve rigorous academic standards.

The study identified four “fairness indicators” – funding level, funding distribution relative to poverty, state fiscal effort and public school coverage. Based on those measures, only Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa, Wyoming and New Jersey qualify as doing “relatively well” on funding fairness. But even in those states, significant irregularities persist. According to David Sciarra, most states are failing. Instead of progressive funding, some states have a regressive system, meaning districts with higher poverty rates actually receive less funding than more affluent districts. And there are entire regions – the South and West – where public schools are chronically underfunded.

The National Urban League and many others in the civil rights community have long-noted the inequity in public school funding as a contributing factor to the achievement gap that finds half of African American and Latino students dropping out of high school. Because school funding relies so heavily on state and local taxes, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, speaking at the National Urban League centennial conference in August admitted that “America’s system of funding public education is inherently unequal.” He pointed out that “Over 40 states have faced legal challenges to their school funding system because they are so unfair.”

Secretary Duncan’s response was the establishment of an Equity and Excellence Commission, proposed by Congressmen Chakah Fattah and Mike Honda that is now working to “expose the inequities in funding, gather public input and issue policy recommendations on finance reform.” It is unconscionable that some public school students have access to computers and other state-of-the-art resources, while many of the most disadvantaged students barely have enough books and supplies in their classrooms.

This is an issue that will be decided largely outside of Washington at the local level. About 90 percent of public school funding comes from state coffers and funding decisions rest in the hands of local officials. If we believe that all our children deserve a quality education and that given the right support all of them can succeed, citizens must demand that their governors and state legislators end public school financing inequities now.

To read the full report, visit www.schoolfundingfairness.org


###

11/17/10 ▪ 120 Wall Street ▪ New York, NY 10005 ▪ (212) 558-5300 ▪ WWW.NUL.ORG

Nov 4, 2010

Black America to Construction Unions: Open Your Doors

To Be Equal#43
November 3, 2010

Black America to Construction Unions: Open Your Doors

Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League


If you live in America, you should be able to have bacon and eggs on Sunday morning. It means you can work. That you got a job.” Nate Smith, labor and civil rights leader who broke the color barrier in Pittsburgh’s construction industry


Harry Alford, President and CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce recently reminded us that African Americans face an added barrier to finding good jobs in this struggling economy -- discrimination by construction unions. In a National Newspaper Publisher’s Association (NNPA) column, Alford said that construction unions “have fought affirmative action and have excluded Black hiring in a criminal fashion. Today it is still close to Jim Crow.”

The National Urban League was founded 100 years ago to open the doors of opportunity to African Americans workers who migrated north from the Jim Crow south in search of good jobs and a better life for their families. It has been a cruel irony that labor unions, created to protect and empower the dispossessed, have historically fought to keep Blacks out - none more egregiously than construction unions. Despite this opposition, today one in every five Black workers belongs to a union. These workers earn about 40 percent more than non-union workers. They are also more likely to have health insurance, defined pension benefits and greater protections against discrimination on the job.

The National Urban League has been in the forefront of the fight to expand union access to more African Americans for decades. The great Lester Granger, who served as National Urban League President from 1941-1961, worked tirelessly to integrate racist trade unions. He teamed up with A. Philip Randolph in a successful campaign to persuade President Franklin Roosevelt to sign the 1941 Fair Employment Act, barring discrimination in defense industries.

Other African American leaders, including Coalition of Black Trade Unionist president, William “Bill” Lucy, have repeatedly called for the construction industry and other unions to open their doors to blacks. In the 1960’s Nate Smith an aspiring professional boxer and construction worker in Pittsburgh laid down in front of bulldozers, challenged established union authority and developed a training program called Operation Dig that helped raise minority union rates from 2 to 15 percent in that city.

Since the start of the recession in 2007, our economy has lost almost 2 million construction jobs. Another 21,000 disappeared in September. The Obama Administration’s stimulus plan recognized that the key to getting those jobs back and to fueling our economic recovery is a robust investment in rebuilding the nation’s roads, bridges and public works infrastructure. Construction unions, which stand to benefit greatly from that opportunity, have an obligation to open their doors to workers of color so that no one is left behind.



###

43TBE 11/3/10 ▪ 120 Wall Street ▪ New York, NY 10005 ▪ (212) 558-5300 ▪ WWW.NUL.ORG


Oct 4, 2010

News Release
PRESS OFFICE

Release Date: October 4, 2010 Contact: Hayley Matz (202) 205-6948
Release Number: 10-55 Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news


SBA Releases Final Women-Owned Small Business Rule to Expand Access to Federal Contracting Opportunities
---
New program will be available in early 2011 for small, women-owned firms

WASHINGTON – With the publication today of a final rule in the Federal Register, the U.S. Small Business Administration will begin implementation of its women-owned small business (WOSB) contracting program. The agency expects the program to be available for WOSBs in early 2011.

The rule is part of the Obama Administration’s overall commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses to compete for federal contracts, in particular those owned by women, socially and economically disadvantaged persons and veterans. This rule identifies 83 industries in which WOSBs are under-represented or substantially under-represented in the federal contract marketplace. In addition to opening up more opportunities for WOSBs, the rule is also another tool to help achieve the statutory goal that 5 percent of federal contracting dollars go to women-owned small businesses.

“Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of our nation’s economy, and even during the economic downturn of the last few years, have been one of the key job creation engines in communities across the country,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said.

“Federal contracts provide critical opportunities for owners of small firms to take their business to the next level and create good-paying jobs,” Mills added. “Despite their growth and the fact that women lead some of the strongest and most innovative companies, women-owned firms continue to be under-represented in the federal contracting marketplace. This rule will be a platform for changing that by providing greater opportunities for women-owned small businesses to compete for and win federal contracts.”

With the publication today of the final rule, SBA, in conjunction with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, will begin a 120-day implementation of the WOSB contracting program, including building the technology and program infrastructure to support the certification process and ongoing oversight. With implementation expected to take several months, the agency expects that federal agencies’ contracting officers will be able to start making contracts available to WOSBs under the program in early 2011.

The creation of a rule to increase federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs was authorized by Congress in 2000. Since that time, SBA took a number of steps to study and analyze the market, including looking at participation by women-owned small businesses across all industries.

Various draft rules were made available for public comment in prior years, but shortly after taking office the Obama Administration drafted a new, comprehensive rule, based on the analysis of the prior studies and on all the questions and comments previously received. The proposed rule was published for public comment on March 2, 2010 for 60 days. SBA received over 1,000 comments during that time.

Some of the components of the Women-Owned Small Business rule include:

  • To be eligible, a firm must be 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more women. The women must be U.S. citizens. The firm must be “small” in its primary industry in accordance with SBA’s size standards for that industry. In order for a WOSB to be deemed “economically disadvantaged,” its owners must demonstrate economic disadvantage in accordance with the requirements set forth in the final rule.
  • Based upon the analysis in a study commissioned by the SBA from the Kauffman-RAND Foundation, the final rule identifies 83 industries (identified by “NAICS” codes) in which women-owned small businesses are under-represented or substantially under-represented in federal procurements.
  • The SBA has identified eligible industries based upon the combination of both the “share of contracting dollars” analysis, as well as the “share of number of contracts awarded” analysis used in the RAND study. This differs from an earlier proposed version of the rule which identified only four industries in which women-owned small businesses were under-represented. This earlier version proposed to identify eligible industries based solely on the “share of contracting dollars” analysis used in the RAND study.
  • In accordance with the statute, the final rule authorizes a set-aside of federal contracts for WOSBs where the anticipated contract price does not exceed $5 million in the case of manufacturing contracts and $3 million in the case of other contracts. Contracts with values in excess of these limits are not subject to set-aside under this program.
  • The final rule removes the requirement, set forth in a prior proposed version, that each federal agency certify that it had engaged in discrimination against women-owned small businesses in order for the program to apply to contracting by that agency.
  • The proposed rule allows women-owned small businesses to self-certify as “WOSBs” or to be certified by third-party certifiers, including government entities and private certification groups.
  • The final rule requires WOSBs which self-certify to submit a robust certification verification, to complete the certifications at the federal Online Representation and Certification Application (“ORCA”) Web site, and also to submit a core set of eligibility-related documents to an online “document repository” to be maintained by the SBA. Each agency’s contracting officers will have full access to this repository.
  • The SBA intends to engage in a significant number of program examinations to confirm eligibility of individual WOSBs.
  • In the event of a contract protest or program review, the SBA has the authority to request substantial additional documentation from the WOSB to establish eligibility.
  • SBA intends to pursue vigorously punitive action against ineligible firms which seek to take advantage of this program and in so doing to deny its benefits to the intended legitimate WOSBs.
###

Oct 1, 2010

Important information from Hamilton County Board of Elections

Voting early by mail really is easy as 1-2-3!

And now, to make the voting process even easier, Vote by Mail application request forms will be available at Kroger stores throughout Hamilton County.

You can also obtain a Vote by Mail application by calling the Hamilton County Board of Elections at 632-7039 before Saturday, October 30, 2010 or you can download an application at www.votehamiltoncounty.org and follow the easy step-by-step instructions for completing the application.

Voters can also pick up a voter registration form at local Kroger stores. “Voter registration forms can be used to register to vote or to update your address and/or name with us” said Sally Krisel, Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections.

The deadline to register or to update your registration is Monday, October 4, 2010.

Beginning Tuesday, September 28, 2010 to Vote by Mail all you need to do is:

1. Request your ballot be mailed to you by completing a Vote by Mail application

2. VOTE your ballot

3. Drop your ballot in the mail! - and

Remember, to check the instructions for returning
your ballot through the mail.

Vote by Mail early and avoid long lines at the polls! “We are making voting easier,” said Amy Searcy, Deputy Director, of the Board of Elections. “Voters can simply Vote by Mail and they no longer need to provide a “reason” for not voting at the polls on Election Day.”

Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than November 1, 2010, the day before Election Day, and received no later than 10 days after Election Day. Joe Mallory, Administrator of Absentee Voting at Board of Elections says, “If voters have any questions about voting they should contact us at the Board of Elections Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. until noon at 632-7039. We want to make the voting experience convenient and as easy as 1-2-3”!

-End-

For
Immediate
Release

Contact:
Sally Krisel
Director
513-632-7011

Sep 23, 2010

Free Tutoring - After School League

The Urban League of Greater Cincinnati may be able to provide free after school tutoring to your child!

There are limited slots and your child must attend a school included in the program. Tutoring is offered by qualified, paid staff that work directly with your child's school to improve their performance.


If you are interested, please call 513-281-9955 ext. 307 right away - deadline is Friday, September 24, 2010. Please share with friends and family.

Sep 14, 2010

Urban League Prescription Drug Card

The National Urban League is proud to present the Prescription Savings Program. Simply present the National Urban League prescription card at a participating pharmacy and save on many of your prescription drugs.

You, your family, and your friends may use the savings card any time your prescription is not covered by insurance. It even works for many pet medications! Finding a pharmacy is easy: 8 out of 10 pharmacies nationwide accept your savings card.

Visit this link to sign up today! Available to anyone and everyone!

Sep 7, 2010

Is America Marching in Two Different Directions?

Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League


"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963


This past Saturday in Washington, DC, two groups of Americans gathered on the National Mall to express their vision of freedom 47 years after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Unfortunately, the two groups seemed to be marching in different directions. One rally, co-convened by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, the National Urban League and a coalition of civil rights organizations, marched from Washington's Dunbar High School to the site of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial under construction on the National Mall. That group marched to "Reclaim the Dream" that Dr. King so courageously and eloquently articulated at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963: "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back…We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

In the 21st century that means a national commitment to quality education for all. It means jobs and a living wage for all. It means affordable housing on fair terms for all. And it means quality and affordable health care that is accessible to all. Speaker after speaker, including myself, Rev. Sharpton, NAACP President, Ben Jealous; DC Delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton and Martin Luther King, III, echoed these themes, which are also the major empowerment goals of the National Urban League during this, our 100th year anniversary. It was fitting that the Reclaim the Dream rally began at a public high school. Education has always been the gateway to opportunity for African Americans and Education Secretary, Arne Duncan was on hand to once again call education the "civil rights issue of this generation." Underscoring that commitment was the presentation by Larry Handfield, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Bethune-Cookman College, of a $100,000 four-year scholarship to high school student, Leah Carr, of Northwest Washington.

Fox News talk show host, Glenn Beck, led the other rally, which took place at the Lincoln Memorial, the very spot where Dr. King rallied the nation to overcome its divisive past. Beck has made a living denouncing the concept of social justice, belittling the legitimate grievances of African Americans, using faith as a wedge issue, and claiming that President Obama is racist and his policies are reminiscent of Nazism. In short, Beck is a world-class divider, and his march was designed to take America in another direction - back to its roots of states' rights separatism. Unfortunately, Beck has amassed a large following. Many of them joined him and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin at their so-called "Restoring Honor" rally.

Their rally was not only about an outdated "us vs. them" vision of America, it was a cynical attempt to hijack the message and meaning of Dr. King and the civil rights movement. As I told the crowd at the Reclaim the Dream rally, "We will not stand silent as some seek to bamboozle Dr. King's dream. We reclaim the dream because we are here to say we must be one nation." At a time when Dr. King's message of unity is more important than ever, the question must be asked: Is America marching in two different directions?

###

Aug 25, 2010

Congressional Budget Office and Economic Recovery Act in the News

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release

August 24, 2010

Statement by the Vice President on New CBO Report on Employment and Economic Impact of the Recovery Act

Vice President Joe Biden today issued the following statement on a new report from the Congressional Budget Office on the employment and economic impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

“This new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is further confirmation of what we’ve been hearing from leading economists, the nation’s governors and families across the country: the Recovery Act is working to rescue the economy from eight years of failed economic policy and rebuild it even stronger than before. When the CBO, Congress’s top watchdog and an institution widely-respected on both sides of the aisle, says that because of the Recovery Act as many as 3.3 million Americans are on the job today and the unemployment rate is as much as 1.8 percent lower, it’s impossible for even the most cynical, bent-on-rooting-for-failure critics to deny. So while Republicans in Congress – the same party that got us into this mess in the first place - may want to turn back the clock and drive us back into the same ditch we’re making our way out of, it’s now clearer than ever before that we can’t afford to go backward; we have to keep moving forward and build on measures like the Recovery Act that are creating jobs and making us competitive in the 21st century economy.”

According to the CBO report, “Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output from April 2010 through June 2010,” in the second quarter of 2010, the Recovery Act:
• Raised the level of real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) by between 1.7 percent and 4.5 percent,
• Lowered the unemployment rate by between 0.7 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points,
• Increased the number of people employed by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million



###


Aug. 24, 2010, 3:24 p.m. EDT
Stimulus plan boosted GDP by as much as 4.5%, says CBO
By Steve Goldstein, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The oft-criticized stimulus plan boosted the economy in the second quarter by as much as 4.5%, the Congressional Budget Office said on Tuesday.

In a report published the same day as Minority Leader John Boehner's criticism of President Obama's economic policy, the CBO said the stimulus law boosted the economy by between 1.7% and 4.5%, lowered the unemployment rate by between 0.7 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points and increased the number of people employed by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million.

In practice, that means the stimulus plan is the main reason the U.S. economy grew during the second quarter. The Commerce Department estimates the economy grew 2.4% in the second quarter, a figure most economists expect to be sharply revised lower in a report due Friday.

The CBO said the impact from the stimulus law on output and employment, however, will gradually diminish during the second half of 2010 and beyond.

The CBO also upwardly raised the cost of the stimulus plan to $814 billion from $787 billion.


Study: US stimulus package may have averted second recession

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/340855,stimulus-package-averted-recession.html

Washington - A massive government stimulus package approved last year may have helped the United States avert a double-dip recession in the second quarter, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found on Tuesday.

The CBO said the controversial two-year stimulus, President Barack Obama's signature economic plan that was enacted in March 2009, raised US economic output anywhere from 1.7 per cent to 4.5 per cent between April and June of this year.

An initial government estimate last month said gross domestic output (GDP) slowed to 2.4 per cent in the second quarter. Economists predict that number could be lowered as much as one percentage point in a revised estimate due out on Friday.

The slowdown in growth has stoked fears among some economists that the United States could be headed for a double-dip recession. The world's largest economy began growing again in the summer of last year after experiencing the worst downturn in decades.

The US unemployment rate has remained at 9.5 per cent despite the return to growth. But the CBO said the stimulus package, estimated to cost 814 billion dollars, helped create between 1.4 million and 3.3 million jobs.

Conservative Republicans have sharply criticized Obama's stimulus package as a wasteful and unnecessary spending measure that added to an already skyrocketing budget deficit.

They point to the sputtering US economic recovery as evidence of the stimulus' failure. The Obama administration insists the situation would have been far worse without the package and has pushed for more spending measures to ease pressures on small businesses.
Copyright DPA

OP-ED COLUMNIST Too Long Ignored : Black Boys and Men By BOB HERBERT

OP-ED COLUMNIST
Too Long Ignored : Black Boys and Men
By BOB HERBERT
Published: August 20, 2010


A tragic crisis of enormous magnitude is facing black boys and men in America.

Bob Herbert

Parental neglect, racial discrimination and an orgy of self-destructive behavior have left an extraordinary portion of the black male population in an ever-deepening pit of social and economic degradation.

The Schott Foundation for Public Education tells us in a new report that the on-time high school graduation rate for black males in 2008 was an abysmal 47 percent, and even worse in several major urban areas — for example, 28 percent in New York City.
The astronomical jobless rates for black men in inner-city neighborhoods are both mind-boggling and heartbreaking. There are many areas where virtually no one has a legitimate job.

More than 70 percent of black children are born to unwed mothers. And I’ve been hearing more and more lately from community leaders in poor areas that moms are absent for one reason or another and the children are being raised by a grandparent or some other relative — or they end up in foster care.
That the black community has not been mobilized en masse to turn this crisis around is a screaming shame. Black men, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, have nearly a one-third chance of being incarcerated at some point in their lives. By the time they hit their mid-30s, a solid majority of black men without a high school diploma have spent time in prison.

Homicide is the leading cause of death for young black men, with the murderous wounds in most cases inflicted by other young black men.

This is a cancer that has been allowed to metastasize for decades. Not only is it not being treated, most people don’t even want to talk about it. In virtually every facet of life in the United States, black people — and especially black boys and men — are coming up short. White families are typically five times as wealthy as black families. More than a third of all black children are growing up in poverty. In Ohio, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, the percentage is more than half.

There are myriad reasons for this awful state of affairs. As with so many other problems in American society, a lack of gainful employment has been a huge contributor to the problems faced by blacks. Chronic unemployment is hardly a plus-factor for marriage and family stability. And the absence of strong family units with mature parental guidance is at the very root of the chaotic environment that so many black youngsters grow up in.

The abominable incarceration rates among blacks are the result of two overwhelming factors: the persistence of criminal behavior by a significant percentage of the black population, and a criminal justice system that in many respects is racially discriminatory and out of control. Both of these factors need to be engaged head-on, and both will require a staggeringly heavy lift.

Education in the broadest sense is the key to stopping this socioeconomic slide that is taking such a horrific toll in the black community. People have to understand what is happening to them before they can really do much about it. Young blacks who have taken a wrong road, or are at risk of taking a wrong road, have to be shown a feasible legitimate alternative.

The aspect of this crisis that is probably the most important and simultaneously the most difficult to recognize is that the heroic efforts needed to alleviate it will not come from the government or the wider American society. This is a job that will require a campaign on the scale of the civil rights movement, and it will have to be initiated by the black community.

Whether this is fair or not is irrelevant. There is very little sentiment in the wider population for tackling the extensive problems faced by poor and poorly educated black Americans. What is needed is a dramatic mobilization of the black community to demand justice on a wide front — think employment, education and the criminal justice system — while establishing a new set of norms, higher standards, for struggling blacks to live by.

For many, this is a fight for survival. And it is an awesomely difficult fight. But the alternative is to continue the terrible devastation that has befallen so many families and communities: the premature and often violent deaths, the inadequate preparation for an increasingly competitive workplace, the widespread failure to exercise one’s intellectual capacity, the insecurity that becomes ingrained from being so long at the bottom of the heap.

Terrible injustices have been visited on black people in the United States, but there is never a good reason to collaborate in one’s own destruction. Blacks in America have a long and proud history of overcoming hardship and injustice. It’s time to do it again.

Dr. Laura Resigns

Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League


Here we go again. One more time, a clueless commentator with a microphone and an audience of millions, has brazenly insulted Black America and reacted as if we were the perpetrators. The latest incident involves Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the host of the Dr. Laura radio show. On August 10th, Dr. Laura made racially insensitive statements and repeatedly used the "n-word" in responding to Jade, a black woman caller, who complained that her white husband's friends and relatives use racial slurs and make racially demeaning comments in front of her. Instead of offering helpful advice, Dr. Laura scoffed, "some people are hypersensitive." She noted that "black guys" use the n-word "all the time," and repeated the word 11 times during the call for emphasis. But her most revealing comment was, "I don't get it. If anybody without enough melanin says it, it's a horrible thing, but when black people say it, it's affectionate. It's very confusing." As she admitted, Dr. Schlessinger most emphatically doesn't get it and she is very confused about what constitutes racism. It is beyond comprehension that she would consider Jade "hypersensitive" for being offended by the n-word.

Dr. Schlessinger's comments, which can be heard in their entirety at http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008120045, created a national uproar. Millions of people of all races were offended by her insensitive and highly offensive on-air rant. Her resignation on August 18th came just five days after the National Urban League urged the Talk Radio Network to drop the Dr. Laura Show from syndication; and it demonstrates the impact people of good conscience can have when they speak out against intolerance. Several days after the incident, Dr. Schlessinger did issue a written apology which said in part, "I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the "n" word all the way out - more than one time. And that was wrong. I'll say it again - that was wrong." That is an understatement. We cannot help but wonder, as did Nita Hanson (Jade's real name), how Dr. Schlessinger, who grew up during the height of the civil rights movement, and who once was a practicing marriage and family counselor, could not understand how hurtful the n-word is to most Americans. It is also disturbing that former vice presidential candidate, Sara Palin would publicly say to Dr. Schlessinger, "Don't retreat…reload." That kind of pandering to the basest element of the American electorate is highly offensive, inflammatory and counterproductive.

Dr. Schlessinger claims she resigned to "regain her Constitutional right to free speech." That is ludicrous on its face. Nobody has prevented her or her supporters from speaking their minds. But nobody is also preventing the public from reacting. It should be noted that following her remarks, several of her affiliates and major sponsors dropped her show. That was their Constitutional right.

As the nation works toward racial reconciliation and a celebration of diversity, we find it necessary to make it clear once again that this kind of divisiveness and casual use of racial slurs have no place among the public discourse.

8/25/10 ▪ 120 Wall Street ▪ New York, NY 10005 ▪ (212) 558-5300

Aug 18, 2010

Senate Again Denies Justice to Black Farmers

Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League


"Justice delayed is justice denied"


For more than 10 years, tens of thousands of black farmers have been denied justice and a share of a $1.25 billion government settlement as compensation for decades of discrimination in federal farm loan programs. Many have lost their farms waiting. Some have died waiting. And on August 5th, before going on its summer recess, the Senate prolonged the wait by failing to once again appropriate the funds to right this egregious wrong.

Consistent with an unfortunate pattern that has stalled Congressional action on everything from health care reform to unemployment benefits, the Senate is stuck in a stalemate over the black farmers' settlement due to partisan bickering over how it will be financed. But, as noted in a recent Reuters news story, "The measure brought to the floor included offsets required under congressional 'pay-as-you-go' rules mandating new spending be offset with cuts elsewhere so as not to add to the deficit."

This is a clear case of political obstructionism and a violation of civil rights. Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the settlement in February. President Obama included money for it in his current budget. The House of Representatives approved the funds in July. But the Senate has repeatedly refused to add its final stamp of approval. According to John Boyd, Jr., President of the National Black Farmers Association, "It shows that some of the same treatment that happened to the black farmers at the Department of Agriculture is transpiring with the Senate's inaction to help black farmers."

The original class-action lawsuit, Pigford v. Glickman, filed in 1997 and settled in 1999, awarded $50,000 to black farmers who were denied Department of Agriculture farm loans due to racial discrimination from 1983-1997. The government has already paid out more than $1 billion to 16,000 farmers. The new funding is for payments to as many as 70,000 farmers who were denied previous payouts because they missed the deadline for filing.

The black farmers settlement bill has the support of the White House, the Agriculture Department, Senators and House members of both parties, the Congressional Black Caucus and the major civil rights organizations, including the National Urban League. The National Black Farmers Association has taken the fight to Capitol Hill on numerous occasions and has appealed to the White House for help.

When the February settlement was announced, CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee and many others thought that justice had finally arrived. In a statement then she said, "I am encouraged that today's settlement is an opportunity for black farmers who were denied the benefit of USDA loans and programs to begin to be made whole."

But justice continues to be denied. This is a travesty. The federal government has spent trillions on bailouts to banks, corporations and investment firms, but struggling black farmers have been left out in the cold. As John Boyd said, "It seems like the trains leaving the station in the Senate manage not to have the black farmers on them."



###

8/18/10 ▪ National Urban League 120 Wall Street ▪ New York, NY 10005 ▪ (212) 558-5300 ▪ WWW.NUL.ORG

Aug 17, 2010

Sickle Cell Luncheon - September 1, 2010

2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of sickle cell disease. To celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of two of Cincinnati’s very own sickle cell pioneers, the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati Sickle Cell Awareness Group is cordially inviting you to a luncheon that will honor Dr. Marilyn H. Gaston and Mrs. Cathryn Buford.

The event will be held on September 1, 2010 from 11-1, at the Crowne Plaza Cincinnati North Hotel, 11320 Chester Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45246. Tickets are $30.00 per person.


Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disease in the United States. The disease primarily affects Africans and African Americans. Locally, there are more than 700 children and adults in the Greater Cincinnati area that have sickle cell disease, and one out of 10 African Americans carry the trait, meaning they do not have the disease but can pass it to their offspring.

An estimated 20,000 – 30,000 people in Cincinnati are carriers. We must know the facts if we’re going to fight the disease. Normal red blood cells are soft and round and flow through the body carrying oxygen to vital organs. But if you have sickle cell disease, your red blood cells can become hard and sickle shaped. They have trouble traveling through blood vessels and may even clog the vessel.

As a result, organs and tissue can be deprived of their oxygen, leading to damage to the organs and even stroke. Also, the sickle cells can rupture more quickly and lead to anemia (low red blood cell count), making you feel tired, weak and can lead to an early death.

Your support helps provide coping support groups, community outreach and education and our advocacy efforts. Please consider attending this luncheon. For more information please contact Pamela King at 513-487-6506 Thank you.

Aug 11, 2010

State of Urban Jobs - August 2010


What You Need to Know About the State of Urban Jobs! Click here for full report

Urban unemployment continues to plague our communities and hamper our progress. Our State of Urban Jobs site at iamempowered.com gives you everything you need to know about jobs including the monthly employment report with job stats for Blacks, Whites and Latinos, the facts about how investing in job creation is the best strategy for reducing the deficit, resume writing tips, job listings and the National Urban League's response to the current crisis. Stay abreast of the latest developments and join NUL economist, Dr. Valerie Rawlston Wilson, today at State of Urban Jobs (under the Interactive tab) from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm for a live chat on the July 2010 Employment report. Click here to view.


Highlights of the July 2010 Employment Report:

  • The economy lost a net 131,000 jobs in July, as large numbers of temporary Census jobs (-143,000) continue to wind down. Private employment increased by a modest 71,000.
  • The unemployment rate in July remained at 9.5% as labor force participation remained stable. The black unemployment rate edged up slightly to 15.6% (from 15.4%) as the participation rate fell to 61.5% (from 61.9%). The unemployment rate for black men decreased slightly (from 17.4% to 16.7%), as the rate for black women increased (from 11.8% to 12.9%). The unemployment rates for whites (steady at 8.6%) and Latinos (12.1% from 12.4%) also showed little change in July. Rates of teen unemployment (23.5%), particularly among African-American (40.6%) and Latino (35%) youth, also remain elevated as the Senate failed to pass summer jobs legislation. The rate of underemployment (including the unemployed, marginally attached and those working part-time for economic reasons) was also unchanged at 16.5%.
  • The ranks of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 6.6 million (from 6.8 million) or 44.9% of all unemployed (from 45.5%). This persistently high rate of long-term unemployed along with the weak growth in private employment, and slowed economic growth over the last quarter indicates the tenuous state of the economy.
  • Manufacturing (+36,000), education and health services (+30,000) and transportation and warehousing (+12,200) all displayed modest growth in July as financial activities (-17,000), construction (-11,000), and state (-10,000) and local (-38,000) governments continued to shed jobs. To read more about the crisis in state and local government employment click here. Professional and business services also experienced negative net job growth for the first time since September 2009.

The July 2010 Employment report, along with other timely reports on unemployment insurance, how job creation reduces the deficit and NUL's 6-point Job Creation Plan are available at the new State of Urban Jobs page.


1101 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 810
Washington, DC 20036 Ph: (202) 898-1604
Fax: (202) 408-1965
www.nul.org




Jul 21, 2010

A Policy Brief from the National Urban League Policy Institute

Wall Street Reform: A Victory for Consumers and Urban Communities

On July 15, 2010, Congress finally completed its work on a comprehensive Wall Street and Bank Reform bill. This landmark legislation represents nearly two years of intense debate on how to respond to the failures of our financial system that led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The positive impact of this new law, while beneficial to all American consumers, will be especially welcomed by African-Americans and at-risk urban communities. The new law will also serve as an antidote to future abuses so as not to repeat the financial crisis that emerged in 2008.

Three years ago, in 2007, the National Urban League sounded the alarm – like canaries in a cold mine – on the devastating impact of abusive and unfair predatory lending practices and the need to reform the lending industry when it first released its “Homeowner’s Bill of Rights” that included the following key rights:
  • The Right to be Free from Predatory Lending (Elimination of incentives for lenders to make predatory loans; a fair, competitive market that responsibly provides credit to consumers; access to justice for families caught in abusive loans; and the preservation of essential federal and state consumer safeguards)
  • The Right to Truth and Transparency in Credit Reporting (Demystify the credit reporting system through education and awareness and establishment of a penalty structure for credit reporting bureaus that maintain inaccurate client files)
  • The Right to High-Quality Home-ownership Education (Redesign of an industry-wide system that integrates pre- and post-purchase homeownership education and counseling; and expansion of HUD’s budget for housing counseling)
  • The Right to Fairness in Lending (Require lenders to gauge ability to repay and offer borrowers the most affordable and well-suited products for which they qualify)
The newly enacted Wall Street reform law will go a long way in enforcing these rights!

How Will Wall Street Reform Affect Main Street?

Whether you are a consumer buying a home, using credit cards, caught up in the home foreclosure crisis, trying to establish a small business, looking for a job, or participating in other financial transactions, the new Wall Street reform law will bring long overdue protections, transparency and accountability to our nation’s financial system through the following key provisions:

  • Consumer Protection – Creates a new independent watchdog with the authority to ensure American consumers get the clear, accurate information they need to shop for mortgages, credit cards, and other financial products, and protect them from hidden fees, abusive terms, and deceptive practices.
  • Credit Score Protection – Allows consumers free access to their credit score if their score negatively affects them in a financial transaction or a hiring decision. Gives consumers access to credit score disclosures as part of an adverse action and risk-based pricing notice.
  • Mortgage Reform – Provides comprehensive and fair lending protections such as: requiring lenders to ensure a borrower’s ability to repay the loans they are sold; prohibits unfair lending practices; establishes penalties for irresponsible lending; expands consumer protections for high-cost mortgages; requires additional disclosures for consumers on mortgages; and establishes an Office of Housing Counseling within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to boost homeownership and rental housing counseling.
  • New Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion – Establishes an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at federal banking and securities regulatory agencies that will, among other things, address employment and contracting diversity matters. The offices will coordinate technical assistance to minority-owned and women-owned businesses and seek diversity in the workforce of the regulators.
Tackling the Effects of the Mortgage Crisis –

  • $1 billion will be provided to States and localities through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to combat the devastating impact of foreclosures on neighborhoods – such as falling property values and increased crime – by rehabilitating, redeveloping, and reusing abandoned and foreclosed properties.
  • The new law will provide Emergency Mortgage Relief by building on a successful Pennsylvania program. $1 billion will be provided for bridge loans to qualified unemployed homeowners with reasonable prospects for reemployment to help cover mortgage payments until they are reemployed.
  • Foreclosure Legal Assistance – authorizes a HUD-administered program for making grants to provide foreclosure legal assistance to low- and moderate-income homeowners and tenants related to home ownership preservation, home foreclosure prevention, and tenancy associated with home foreclosure.

For a comprehensive summary of the Wall Street reform legislation, click on the following link to the House Financial Services Committee website: http://financialservices.house.gov/FinancialSvcsDemMedia/file/key_issues/Financial_Regulatory_Reform/comprehensive_summary_FinalV5.pdf

Jun 7, 2010

Celebrate Black Music Saturday, June 19, 2010

A Celebration of Black Music featuring BeBe and CeCe Winans on Saturday, June 19, 2010 – 7:00 PM at The City of Destiny located at 11450 Sebring Drive in Forest Park.This Celebration will pay tribute to Black Music Month with live performances by some of our region’s most talented musical artists and a special performance by national recording artist, BeBe and CeCe Winans!

For ticket information call(513) 733-1555 or visit www.celebrateblackmusic.com.

May 20, 2010

Cincinnati Urban League To Receive Award May 30

The Urban League of Greater been selected to be one of this years' recipients of "The I Hear Music In The Air Ministry Award".

In its letter to Urban League President/CEO Donna Jones Baker, Tracey Artis, the CEO of I Hear Music Inc. noted:

"You are being honored for your work performed in excellence and generosity to the Greater Cincinnati community... You are an advocate for those who are at risk of racial and economic disadvantages through programs that promote economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship through effective leadership in the areas of comprehensive employment, youth and family development."

The League will be honored and receive its award at the annual "I Hear Music in the Air Legends Banquet" to be held on Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 5:00 pm in the Main Ballroom of The Westin Hotel located at 21 E,. 5th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Information about I Hear Music is available at http://www.ihearmusicintheair.com.

Action Alert - National Urban League President: "Save Summer Jobs."

Dear Friend,

We must ACT NOW to save Summer Youth Employment in America!

Last week $600 million to fund 300,000 summer jobs for youth was stripped from the Senate FY 2010 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill.  This same bill provides $33.45 billion for the Department of Defense.

The Appropriations Committee has turned its back on America's youth.  WE ARE OUTRAGED and determined to push for restoration of funding for a crucial pipeline to empowerment. 

There is an opportunity to restore at least $600 million for Summer Jobs funding by including it in another bill.  Summer Jobs provide a foundation for a solid work ethic and invaluable experience that gives young people a clear advantage that lasts throughout their working life. A year without them will have devastating consequences for millions of American youth and their families.  In 2009, the unemployment rate for all teens was 24.8% and 33.6% for Black teens.

Many of you will feel the impact personally as your own children and those in your community face the threat of a summer without earnings and essential job training.  I am calling on you to join a nationwide effort to compel the Senate to amend the legislation to Make Jobs Not War.

I'm asking each of you to do the following: (Visit http://iamempowered.com for full details)
CALL, FAX and EMAIL your U.S. Senators

CALL the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 an operator will direct you to your Senator's office. Simply say "I am outraged and want Senator________ to vote to immediately restore at least $600 million for Summer Youth Employment BEFORE the Senate leaves for Memorial Day recess."

FAX: Download our template at http://bit.ly/NUL_fax.  Numbers can be
found at http://www.contactingthecongress.org

Click here to use our automated system to EMAIL your Senators
http://bit.ly/nul_email

SIGN our petition to restore funding for summer youth employment
http://bit.ly/NUL_pet

View a special message from me http://bit.ly/mm_vid and then Tell us YOUR story!  How has summer youth employment enhanced your life?  What impact will a summer without youth jobs have on you and your family/community?

Respond via YouTube or send us an email message or video to iamempoweredstory@gmail.com.

I know I can count on you ACT.  We must do it now BEFORE the holiday recess.  Tell the Senate that we will not stand for them to fund wars and neglect our youth!

BE Empowered!

Marc H. Morial
President and CEO

May 18, 2010

Vote for the National Urban League

Dear Friend,

We need your Vote!

We were selected to participate in the Members Project- an initiative of American Express and the Take Part Foundation that allows users to share information about their charity, volunteer and donate. Every three months American Express tallies the votes and determines five winning charities that share $1,000,000 in funding. We need your votes to continue our participation and potentially win the American Express Members Project competition!

I'm asking each of you to do the following:

•    Please click the below link and vote for the National Urban League:

    http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote

•    Forward the link via email to your friends and family, asking them to vote (You can vote every 7 days.)

•    Post the link on your Facebook wall and Tweet the vote link to your followers (http://bit.ly/voteNUL)

Members of our I Am Empowered community can earn points for these actions

We need your support and your influence to secure votes!!!  The current round of voting ends on May 23, 2010 so we must mobilize everyone we know to vote. A gift from American Express will greatly enhance our ability to enhance the phenomenal work you do as we transform America together. Let's show Amex and the world that our supporters are passionate about our mission and proud of our legacy.

VOTE Here!

http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote

BE Empowered

Marc H. Morial

May 17, 2010

June 5th 9 AM Help Build Cincinnati's Citizen's Budget

CUT POLICE 20%, RAISE TAXES!

Or close health clinics and rec centers! So say some Cincinnatians when asked how to eliminate a $51 million City deficit in 2010.

Afraid that a service important to YOU will be cut? City Council wants to know what you value most, so show up at 9 a.m. on Saturday June 5th at the Cintas Center to help save the programs you need. Because you'll talk in small groups of citizens, everyone has a voice, everyone will be heard--and Council members have promised to listen.

Remember--a $51 million deficit will affect everyone. If you want a say in the future of our City, come on June 5th to deliberate with other citizens what City services we can't live without.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP using the link below. Also, take a moment to review the "budget choices" and "budget scorecard" files on the site so that you understand how the options are framed and will be discussed.

And please forward this link to others who value the power of people to offer actionable insight to City Council.   If you have questions, contact Steve Johns, Executive Director, Citizens for Civic Renewal at 458-6736.


Link to details and to RSVP for All-City Event at the Cintas Center

May 12, 2010

New Orleans - The Oil This Time

By Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League

Five years after Hurricane Katrina's swift but devastating assault on the Gulf Coast and my hometown of New Orleans, a slow moving but massive oil spill in the Gulf could have an even more devastating impact on the region's shoreline, wildlife, economy and people.   While the BP oil company has accepted full responsibility and moved quickly to coordinate containment and clean up of the spill, the company's efforts thus far have not resulted in capping the flow of more than 200,000 gallons of oil into the Gulf each day.  With the spill spreading, fear mounting and the region's multi-billion dollar fishing industry shutting down, the Obama Administration has mobilized all appropriate government resources to assist BP in tackling what may well be an unprecedented environmental disaster.

Last week, the President and members of his response team, including Coast Guard Commandant, Thad Allen; Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano; Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar and EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson toured the region and pledged to spare no effort to fix the problem.

Lisa Jackson, the nation's first African American EPA Administrator, grew up in New Orleans.  While in the region, she met with members of the local shrimping and fishing industries to assess the spill's potential economic impact.  During meetings in Saint Barnard Parish and at a church in New Orleans's Ninth Ward she made it clear that BP must train and hire local fishermen and boaters to help with the clean-up. Nobody knows the marshes and waterways better than the local fishermen, many of whom are out of work as the region's huge seafood industry grinds to a halt.

Administrator Jackson has also deployed a specially designed aircraft to assist in the collection of air samples and to provide photo documentation of the spill's environmental impact.  She has directed EPA personnel on the ground to support the Coast Guard's efforts.  All told, the Obama Administration has committed 10,000 personnel, more than 270 vessels and dozens of aircraft to assist in containment and clean-up efforts.

New Orleans is a city on the mend.  A dynamic new Mayor, Mitch Landrieu, has just taken office.  The New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl champions.  And the city continues to rebuild and rebound in the aftermath of Katrina.  Now an oil spill the size of Rhode Island threatens to make landfall.  One wonders how much the people of the region can take.  The oil recovery effort is a complex operation that must be led by BP and the federal government.  But, once again, the spirit of community, self-help, and empowerment that makes New Orleans and the Gulf Coast so great is making its presence known.  Citizens are stepping up to do their share - as volunteers, as workers, and as protectors of the environment.

We join all Americans in continuing to pray that a disaster can be averted.  And we applaud the Obama Administration and leaders like EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, for doing all they can to protect the region's environment, jobs and people.


###

19TBE 5/12/10 ? 120 Wall Street ? New York, NY 10005 ? (212) 558-5300 ? WWW.NUL.ORG

Apr 29, 2010

Avondale Youth Council videos promote the 2010 Census

The Avondale Youth Council recorded a series of public service announcements to promote the 2010 Census. They deserve to be seen - and the message needs to be heard. The first of these messages follows - with links to the others in the set.




Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

Apr 19, 2010

Teachers Wanted - Urban League/Winton Woods City School District Job Fair May 5

Winton Woods City School District and Urban League of Greater Cincinnati will offer a Teacher Job Fair on Wednesday May 5, 2010, from 6:00 - 8:30 P.M. at the Urban League Headquarters, 3458 Reading Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.

Registration is by resume only. Individuals interested in participating should email their resumes and RSVP by Wednesday, April 28 2010 to rshabazz@gcul.org. For more information call (513) 487-6516.

More information about Winton Woods City School District: visit www.wintonwoods.org.

Visit http://www.gcul.org/programs1/jobs/winton-woods/ to download a flyer for the May 5 event.

Apr 16, 2010

2010 Gillette Civil Rights Game Tickets Available Now

Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, May 15, 2010, 7:10 PM. Tickets are $20 each (Section 414). Follow this link to purchase tickets online. More information at www.gcul.org/reds.

2010 Gillette Civil Rights Game Weekend

MLB Beacon Awards Luncheon. Willie Mays, Billie Jean King and Harry Belafonte will receive MLB Beacon Awards, former congressman and U.S. ambassador Andrew Young will deliver the luncheon keynote address, and the Cardinals will visit the Reds on May 15 as Major League Baseball's Gillette Civil Rights Weekend returns to Cincinnati. The Beacon Awards Luncheon will be held at Duke Energy Convention Center.

Singer Lena Horne and Rachel Robinson -- the widow of Jackie Robinson -- will also be honored at the luncheon. There will also be a special tribute to the surviving members from a pivotal 1960 sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., where African-Americans were once denied service at a "whites only" establishment.

There will be other events leading up to the Saturday night game, which will be carried live by MLB Network. The Baseball and the Civil Rights Movement roundtable discussion will return on May 14 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which is adjacent to the ballpark. Led by Harvard law professor and race-relations expert Charles Ogletree, the panel will include Reds great and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, Reds former star Barry Larkin, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, actor Mark Curry and tennis legend Zina Garrison.

There will be a youth summit and the MLB "Wanna Play?" interactive area on Saturday in Fountain Square. It will include an open Q&A forum with Larkin and MLB Network colleague Harold Reynolds, actor Josh Hutcherson and members of the Reds and Cardinals. Last year, more than 2,500 children participated at the summit.

Hall of Famer Ernie Banks will throw out the ceremonial first pitch while Grammy Award winning recording artists Roberta Flack and Jeffrey Osbourne are scheduled to perform prior to the Civil Rights Game.

Complete event details at http://www.mlb.com/civilrightsgame.

Follow this link to purchase tickets online. More information at www.gcul.org/reds.

Apr 9, 2010

Construction Connection Class begins April 26

This program helps workers build skills needed to find jobs in the construction industry. Attendees to this class must be preregistered and have completed the prerequisite SOAR Class. Interested parties may contact The Construction Outreach Coordinator Reggie Brazzile 513 487-6525.

Class meets at Cincinnati Arts & Technology Center, Longworth Hall, 700 W.Pete Rose Way,  Cincinnati Ohio 45203

Apr 7, 2010

Urban League Honors Employers, Workforce Program Graduates

On Wednesday April 7, 2010, the Urban League celebrated the achievements of its workforce program graduates, and honored members of Cincinnati’s employer community who have supported its training programs.

Clark Handy, Sr. Vice President, Human Resources, Convergys for providing Webinars, Mock Interviews, access to web based tools that enhance our program and hiring 8 of our graduates. Clark is also a member of the Urban League’s Board of Trustees.

Ken Varda, Store Manager, Wal-Mart (Milford, Ohio) for participating in our Career Fairs, Mock Interviews and hiring 3 of our graduates.

Tracey Shouse, Quality Associates, Hired 5 Urban League Graduates in 2010

Paul Aragon, Restaurant Depot, Hired 5 Urban League Graduates in 2010: 2 enrolled into management training programs.

This twice-yearly event celebrates the success and personal achievement of 200 Greater Cincinnati residents who completed Urban League job training programs from October 2009 to March 2010. Many graduates have overcome significant personal challenges to complete programs and find jobs.

Mar 30, 2010

Sickle Cell Awareness Coping Group Begins April 6

The Urban League of Greater Cincinnati is offering a new resource for people living with Sickle Cell disorder – a  “coping group” series that will meet every other Tuesday for 10 weeks beginning April 6, 2010, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM at the Buford Gaston Sickle Cell Building, 3770 Reading Road, Cincinnati, OH 45229.

The April 6 and April 20 topic will be “Psychological Aspects of Pain Management” presented by Pamela King, Health Initiatives Coordinator, The Urban League of Greater Cincinnati and Pamela Jenkins, Social Worker, University Hospital Sickle Cell Center.

The session is free and open to the public. For more information about this group, please contact one of the group’s co-leaders: Pamela King (513 487-6506) of The Urban League, or Pamela Jenkins (513 584-2189) of University Hospital Sickle Cell Center.

Mar 25, 2010

Help us recruit AALDP Class XVIII

We are looking for people like you! We will match our alumni against the alumni of any other program in the country and know that we have in our midst some of the finest minds in Cincinnati. Therefore, we have set an ambitious goal for Class XVIII. We believe we can have 45 achieving African Americans in the next class ... but we need your help to recruit these new leaders.

Please recommend your candidates for the next class no later than April 19. 2010. Send us the names and email addresses for persons you think might be interested in AALDP and we will do the rest.

For additional information please contact Jenny Laster at (513) 487-6530. Candidate materials can be downloaded from the Urban League website .

Feb 16, 2010

'Designing Our Future’ Neighborhood Summit Feb. 26-27

The City of Cincinnati is inviting residents to help shape the City's future by attending the 2010 Neighborhood Summit on February 26 – 27 in the Cintas Center at Xavier University. Be among the residents from 52 communities throughout Greater Cincinnati who will come together to discuss and help create PLAN CINCINNATI, our City's first comprehensive plan in nearly 30 years.

Download Media Release and Full Details.

TEACHERS WANTED! Mason City Schools Employer Information Session Feb. 24

Mason City Schools are seeking individuals who presently have teaching certifications and experience working with students grades K thru 12.

The Urban League is excited to announce that we have once again been afforded the opportunity to partner with Mason City Schools for a Career Insight. This partnership offers certified teachers the chance to apply for employment with Mason City Schools and hear first-hand from teachers & administrators.

Please notify or recommend individuals you know who will be awesome candidates. The career insight will be held on February 24, 2010 from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at The Urban League of Greater Cincinnati.

Please send all resumes to Rocky Shabazz (rshabazz@gcul.org) by February 19 for early registration.

Jan 31, 2010

New Website Under Construction

Be on the lookout for Urban League of Greater Cincinnati's new website.