[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 808 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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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;
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;
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;
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 first-time 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;
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 full-time
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
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
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) congratulates 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;
(2) expresses deep gratitude for the hardworking and
dedicated men and women of the National Urban League and the
affiliates and auxiliaries of the National Urban League, who,
for more than 110 years, have challenged unjust systems and
broken down economic and social barriers; and
(3) commends the ongoing and tireless efforts of the
National Urban League to continue--
(A) addressing racial and economic inequality; and
(B) fighting for the rights of all people of the
United States to live with freedom, dignity, and
prosperity.
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