III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 808 

Congratulating the National Urban League on 110 years of service empowering African Americans and other underserved communities while helping to foster a more just, equitable, and inclusive United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 18, 2020 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. BROWN, Mr. 

GRAHAM, Mr. JONES, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. 

SMITH, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; which was 

considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the National Urban League on 110 years 

of service empowering African Americans and other underserved communities while helping to foster a more 

just, equitable, and inclusive United States. 

Whereas the National Urban League— 

(1) was founded in 1910 by Mrs. Ruth Standish 

Baldwin and Dr. George Edmund Haynes as a multiracial, diverse, and grassroots campaign; 

(2) is a nonpartisan and historic social service and 

civil rights organization based in New York City; and 

(3) is dedicated to economic empowerment, equality, 

and social justice for African Americans and other historically underserved groups; 


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Whereas 8 leaders have been at the helm of the National 

Urban League during its 110-year history; 

Whereas the 8 leaders of the National Urban League were 

strengthened by an interracial board of trustees comprised of key figures from businesses in the United 

States, labor unions, community organizations, and religious and academic institutions; 

Whereas the National Urban League— 

(1) is the oldest and largest community-based organization of its kind in the United States; and 

(2) provides direct services in the areas of education, 

health care, housing, jobs, and justice that improve the 

lives of more than 2,000,000 individuals across the 

United States; 

Whereas the employees of the headquarters of the National 

Urban League in New York City and its Washington Bureau in Washington, D.C., spearhead the efforts of the 

local affiliates of the National Urban League through the 

development of signature programs, public policy research, and advocacy; 

Whereas, on its 110th anniversary, the National Urban 

League can look back with great pride on its extraordinary accomplishments; 

Whereas the research arm of the National Urban League— 

(1) was established in 1921 by renowned researcher 

Dr. Charles S. Johnson; and 

(2) has released numerous publications, including 

Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life between 1923 and 

1949, State of Black America since 1976, and other pertinent studies documenting and elevating social consciousness; 


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Whereas, in 1962, the Washington Bureau of the National 

Urban League was established, which serves as the research, policy, and advocacy arm of the National Urban 

League and gives voice to voiceless individuals on issues 

before Congress and the administration of the President; 

Whereas, during the 1960s, the National Urban League— 

(1) became a major force in the civil rights arena 

and worked closely with A. Phillip Randolph, Dr. Martin 

Luther King, Jr., and many other exceptional leaders to 

advance civil rights, voting rights, and fair housing legislation; and 

(2) saw tremendous growth in its partnership with 

the Federal Government to address race relations, deliver 

aid to urban areas, and improve housing, education, 

healthcare, and assistance to minority-owned businesses; 

Whereas, in 1964, the National Urban League, through its 

affiliate network, helped register more than 500,000 

Black voters; 

Whereas, in 1972, the Citizenship Education department of 

the National Urban League was established, which offers 

local citizenship education programs, voter registration 

drives, and get out the vote campaigns; 

Whereas the Citizenship Education department published the 

Power of the Ballot, registered 75,000 new Black voters 

as part of a 17-city voter registration drive, and, in 2020, 

has intensified efforts to register Black voters get out the 

vote and challenge voter suppression; 

Whereas the 90 local affiliates and 11,000 volunteers of the 

National Urban League, which are located in 36 States 

and the District of Columbia, provide services across 300 

communities; 


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Whereas the signature programs of the National Urban 

League— 

(1) are evidence-based, data-informed, and scalable; 

and 

(2) demonstrably enhance the economic and educational status of the communities the programs serve; 

Whereas, since 2004, the Entrepreneurship Center Program, 

which is a part of the Entrepreneurship and Business 

Services division of the National Urban League, has 

served approximately 185,000 minority-owned businesses, 

helped those businesses secure more than $1,000,000,000 

in financing, bonding capacity, and contracting opportunities, and created or saved more than 170,000 full-time 

and part-time jobs; 

Whereas, since 2008, more than 315,000 individuals have received assistance through the Comprehensive Housing 

Counseling and Financial Empowerment programs of the 

Housing and Community Development division of the 

National Urban League; 

Whereas Restore Our Homes, which is the foreclosure prevention initiative of the National Urban League, has 

helped more than 25,000 individuals avoid foreclosure, 

and the Home Purchase program of the National Urban 

League has assisted 7,200 individuals to become firsttime homeowners; 

Whereas, since 2008, Project Ready, which is the signature 

program of the Education and Youth Development division of the National Urban League, has helped 18,000 

students in grades 8 through 12 progress academically, 

benefit from cultural enrichment opportunities, and develop important skills, attitudes, and aptitudes that position them for success during and after high school; 


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Whereas, since 2010, the Equity and Excellence Project of 

the National Urban League has enabled the affiliates of 

the National Urban League to expand their education advocacy and engagement work in cities and States across 

the United States; 

Whereas, in 2013, the Rebuild America Initiative, which is a 

program of the Workforce Development division of the 

National Urban League, has helped more than 250,000 

unemployed and underemployed adults, including young 

adults, reentry adults, and mature adults, to secure fulltime employment or career advancement opportunities; 

Whereas the National Urban League— 

(1) has been a leader in the United States in the 

fight against unfair laws and economic and racial inequality; and 

(2) is dedicated to eradicating social and economic 

injustices through the development of programs, public 

policy research, and advocacy for policies and services 

that close equality and equity gaps; 

Whereas, through the work of the Equitable Justice and Democracy Program, the National Urban League advocates 

for justice and fairness for all individuals through the removal of unjust systemic barriers in the criminal justice 

system of the United States, the protection of voting 

rights, and the preservation of freedoms to fully participate in the democracy and civic processes of the United 

States; 

Whereas, throughout 110 years of service, the National 

Urban League has been pivotal in improving the lives of 

millions of African Americans and individuals who are 

members of other underserved communities by helping 


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those individuals to combat poverty, achieve civil rights, 

and gain economic prosperity; and 

Whereas the National Urban League remains an essential organization today: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates the National Urban League 

3 on 110 years of service empowering African Ameri4 cans and other underserved communities while help5 ing to foster a more just, equitable, and inclusive 

6 United States; 

7 (2) expresses deep gratitude for the hard8 working and dedicated men and women of the Na9 tional Urban League and the affiliates and auxil10 iaries of the National Urban League, who, for more 

11 than 110 years, have challenged unjust systems and 

12 broken down economic and social barriers; and 

13 (3) commends the ongoing and tireless efforts 

14 of the National Urban League to continue— 

15 (A) addressing racial and economic in16 equality; and 

17 (B) fighting for the rights of all people of 

18 the United States to live with freedom, dignity, 

19 and prosperity. 

Æ 


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