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The program is part of the League’s COVID-19 Community Help Center, launched in April. Business owners will be able to apply for the program through the Help Center website beginning August 17.

Thanks to a generous donation of $50,000 from Barilla, 10 Urban League youth received $5,000 scholarships. On Aug. 7, representatives from Barilla stopped by our office to meet some of the recipients while gifting them with college supplies, branded gear and, of course, pasta products.

Karen Freeman-Wilson of the Chicago Urban League said the state program amounts to the difference between a business getting through the pandemic and a business shutting down. Read more

Black Chicago Matters: Inequity Unmasked will be a tribute to this year’s growing movement for racial justice.

The inaugural Golden Fellowship Exchange (GFE) is a FREE virtual event that will explore our 2020 theme, Black Chicago Matters: Inequity Unmasked, through three intergenerational conversations focused on dismantling structural racism.

ADMISSION IS FREE, BUT SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

July 13, 2020

Recently, Chicago Urban League President & CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson connected with Pastor Kent Munsey of City Church Chicago for a conversation on race and faith. Watch the entire interview here.

Black Chicago Matters: Inequity Unmasked will be a tribute to this year’s growing movement for racial justice.

The inaugural Golden Fellowship Exchange (GFE) is a FREE virtual event that will explore our 2020 theme, Black Chicago Matters: Inequity Unmasked, through three intergenerational conversations focused on dismantling structural racism.

ADMISSION IS FREE, BUT SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

Visit our Summit 2020 webpage for the full agenda, including additional speakers.

June 29, 2020

“This scholarship is making my dream of no college debt all the more possible and helping make my dream of becoming a Cardio-thoracic Surgeon become even more of a reality each day," said scholarship recipient Asharia Smith. "We need more representation, and because of the Chicago Urban League, I can inspire Black girls to reach for their dreams too.”

Special thanks to the sponsors of the scholarship program which include the Chicago Urban League’s Women’s Board, MetroBoard and Leaguers, ComEd and Jack & Jill. View the presentation from ComEd below.

July 6, 2020

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has launched the first round of Business Interruption Grants (BIG), providing $60 million to businesses experiencing losses or business interruption as a result of COVID-19 and the recent civil unrest. This is part of the $376B business relief from federal CARES. The first round closes tomorrow COB and is specifically for bars/restaurants, barber shops/salons, gyms/fitness centers, and businesses located in disproportionately impacted or low-income areas.

Facebook is excited to announce that the company will be hosting another virtual events at the end of this summer to encourage students to apply to an early technical internship program at Facebook called Facebook University for Engineers (FBU).

The virtual event is Facebook University Gear Up Part 2. This program is intended for rising college freshmen and sophomores (high school 2019 and 2020 grads) who are interested in learning about careers and internships in computer science or engineering at Facebook. During the event, students will hear from Facebook Recruiters and Engineers about internship application requirements and college readiness. More details below.

Part 2: Engineering: Facebook Engineering Panel Q&A

Registration is required via the SplashThat page linked here which also includes more details about the events. Once registered, more information will be sent out via email leading up to the events.

is being extended to Tuesday, May 26th. 

 For further information, access the IMPACT web page here

Porshay Lloyd at plloyd@chiul.org or

Executive Director Mavis Laing at mlaing@chiul.org.

·       We created the COVID-19 Community Help Center to address the needs of Black families and communities amid a pandemic that has taken too many lives and caused an even greater economic and social divide. 

·       Our Research & Policy Center published An Epidemic of Inequities: Structural Racism and COVID 19 in the Black Community with recommendations to address health disparities and the social determinants underlying the disease.

·       Our Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has partnered with the city, state and corporate entities to distribute more than $6.2 million in emergency grants to more than 1,000 small business owners affected by Covid-19. 

·       More than 2,200 people have attended virtual job fairs and hiring events hosted by our Workforce Development Center. Working with dozens of employers, we’ve placed hundreds of people in jobs. And we continue to provide job training through our renewable energy and urban tech programs.

·       Our Housing & Financial Empowerment Center has counseled more than 200 people in need of rental assistance due to COVID-19.

·       Our Youth Services Center has supported more than 900 youth through our summer STEAM camp, college scholarships, school and dorm supplies, and our new Black Youth Conversation series.

·       Our IMPACT Leadership Development Program had one of its most competitive application periods and selected 38 bright and ambitious young leaders for its Class of 2021.

In November, we transformed our annual gala into a two-day virtual event that featured important conversations on dismantling structural racism during our first Golden Fellowship Exchange. We tapped local Black-owned businesses to cater our virtual 59th Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner, delivering nearly 500 meals across Chicagoland – including to essential workers and first responders. We produced a full broadcast experience celebrating our heroes, world-class entertainers with Chicago roots, and our invaluable partnerships.

The Chicago Urban League is currently working in partnership with Advance Illinois and other advocacy organizations throughout the state, to advocate for more federal funding to support our education system. Currently, a package in the making has $150B allotted for education and of that only $70B will go to elementary and secondary schools. Please advocate with us by CLICKING HERE  to sign a letter to ask that more funding to support our students, especially our black and brown students who are impacted by this the most. To learn more information please feel free to look at this toolbox and share with your networks if you''d like to find more ways to make your voice heard! For more information, email sspearman@chiul.org.

May 11, 2020

is being extended to Tuesday, May 26th. 

For more information, access the IMPACT home web page here.

Feel free to send questions to IMPACT Program Manager Porshay Lloyd at plloyd@chiul.org or Executive Director Mavis Laing at mlaing@chiul.org.

This week, we have heard voices all over our community signal frustration, anger, and despair, but also optimism and hope. I have shared that full range of sentiments—whether it was upset over the damage that our businesses sustained from civil unrest or the optimism expressed by my new friends, Imani, Tiffany and Ed, whom I met while moving through the community.

Photo Caption: (left) Karen Freeman-Wilson joined other community and faith leaders in a peaceful protest in Chicago''s Bronzeville neighborhood on June 2, in remembrance of George Floyd and others who died due to police brutality. (right) Freeman-Wilson joined community volunteers in cleaning up debris along 79th and Cottage Grove on June 3, after many South Side businesses were vandalized amid protests.