Date: 2010-05-05
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 1157. to congratulate the National Urban League on its 100 year of service to the United States. The National Urban League can look back with great pride on its extraordinary accomplishments. as we mark the organizations centennial anniversary. Since its inception in 1910. the National Urban League has made tremendous gains in equality and economic empowerment in the AfricanAmerican community throughout the United States. Today. the League has become an essential tool in economic advancement. as it has expanded to 25 national programs. with more than 100 local affiliates in 36 states as well as the District of Columbia. The beginnings of this organization can be traced to two remarkable individuals. Mrs. Ruth Standish Baldwin and Dr. George Edmund Haynes. who founded the League as a multiracial and diverse grassroots campaign. Their efforts in forming the National League of Black Men and Women. later to be known as the National Urban League. began as a civil rights organization dedicated to elevating the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The fledgling organization counseled black migrants from the South. helped train black social workers. and worked in various other ways to bring educational and employment opportunities to African Americans. Under the leadership of Whitney M. Young. Jr.. the League substantially expanded its fundraising ability. and. most critically. made the League a fulltime partner in the Civil Rights Movement. Lending its resources to the pursuit of equality. it hosted at its New York headquarters the meetings of A. Philip Randolph. Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.. and other civil rights leaders to plan the 1963 March on Washington. Furthermore. Young was a forceful advocate for greater government and private sector efforts to eradicate poverty. His call for a domestic Marshall Program. a tenpoint program designed to close the huge social and economic gap between black and white Americans. significantly influenced the discussion of the Johnson Administrations War on Poverty legislation. My district of Dallas. Texas. has benefited greatly by the community oriented services provided by the Urban League of Greater Dallas. Under the leadership of chapter president. Dr. Beverly MitchellBrooks. the Urban Leagues facility provides an environment where education and training are chosen as paths to selfreliance. Dallas residents are prepared for the world of work. home ownership. and health education through classes and training seminars. In addition to job training. scholarship programs are in place to help students realize their dream of earning a college degree that may otherwise be blocked by a families limited income. As we stand in the aftermath of this economic downturn. the role of the National Urban League has become vital as entire communities seek guidance and relief from current economic conditions. Through the Leagues Housing and Community Development Division. programs such as "Foreclosure Prevention". "Homeownership Preparation." and through "Financial Literacy" were able to aid over 50.000 people in 2009. Furthermore. with assistance provided by the Leagues "Foreclosure Prevention" program. 3.000 people were able to avoid filing foreclosure in Mr. Speaker. if past is prologue. then the National Urban Leagues exemplarily 100year history of empowering the lives of millions of African Americans gives me great confidence in the organizations ability to address the challenges of the 21st century.