FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
Thank you for visiting us online!
As you browse our website and learn more about the Chicago Urban League, I ask that you take a moment to consider the possibilities of a greater Chicago. What could happen in our city if we believe in our collective power to make a difference?
We are launching the next phase of projectNEXT and our next down payment on what’s possible for Black Chicago. These programs and initiatives focus on workforce success, the African American male crisis, our connection to the African American church – the heart of the community, and positive cultural images of Black people.
Increasingly, African American men and boys are becoming lost in a cycle of hopelessness and underachievement. We must restore their hope and give them tools for economic and social success. Through our Initiative for African American Males, I AM, the League will partner with African American business leaders, clergy and other stakeholders to create pathways to personal success for Black men and boys.
That pathway must include opportunities to good paying jobs. The Chicago Urban League has, for more than 90 years, successfully prepared African Americans for the workforce. That tradition continues with the launch of nextMOVE.jobs, a jobs portal and programs that help experienced professionals and those entering the workforce successfully manage their careers.
Then there’s the power of images and the media, which help to shed light on pathways—especially for young people. nextMEDIA, our new multi-media platform will focus on the aspirations and potential of African Americans in ways that will inspire us all. We are pleased to announce several new partners to help us launch future shows on FOX Chicago and WVON, run a weekly column in the Chicago Defender, and enhance our Internet presence.
Some may call our plans ambitious, but I know they can be achieved, especially when you believe: That there will be more Black men in college than in prison. That Chicago will be the next Black Wall Street. That every Black child will graduate high school with a top education, no matter their zip code. And that by working together, a change will come.
Yours in the movement,
