[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E350-E351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCING A RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                         NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 2010

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a 
resolution congratulating the National Urban League on its 100th 
anniversary.
  From humble beginnings, the National Urban League has become the 
famed organization that it is today. Founded by Dr. George E. Haynes 
and Ruth S. Baldwin in 1910, the National Urban League created its 
first department in the area of housing in 1913.
  Today, the League has expanded its operations to include over 25 
national programs in 36 states, as well as in the District of Columbia. 
The League does extraordinary work aiding African American communities 
on a range of critical issues affecting the nation. Through programs 
designed to empower African Americans in areas of education, civil 
rights, civic engagement and health, the League combats inequality 
while improving the lives of countless people.
  I am immensely proud of my own affiliation with the Urban League, 
going back over 35 years. In 1974, I was one of the founding members of 
the National Urban League of Broward County, the 104th affiliate 
chapter in the United States. Our goal then was to help alleviate some 
of the racial tensions felt throughout the community during 
desegregation. I went on to serve on the original board of directors 
for the local chapter, where we worked to empower the community, 
increase educational opportunities for our children, and change lives 
through strong advocacy for essential public services. I am pleased to 
add that we enjoyed numerous successes.
  Over the past century, the League has made great strides in education 
and youth leadership and played a pivotal role in the civil rights 
movement. Working closely with leaders such as A. Philip Randolph and 
Martin Luther King, Jr., the League assisted in planning the 1963 March 
on Washington, and carried on the hard work of advocating for equality 
and

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opportunity in the tumultuous decades of that era. The magnitude of 
these accomplishments, and countless others, cannot be understated. The 
League's efforts have played an integral role in shaping local 
communities throughout the United States, advancing many of the rights 
that Americans today take for granted.
  The National Urban League continues to improve American society 
through programs that positively impact education and youth, health and 
quality of life, entrepreneurship and business development, workforce 
development, and housing. Through workshops, summer programs, hands-on-
learning opportunities, and other endeavors, the League enriches the 
quality of life of African Americans of all ages.
  Although we can take great pride in the many outstanding 
accomplishments of the National Urban League, its work is far from 
over. As part of its effort to galvanize greater action, the League 
recently began an initiative called ``I AM EMPOWERED,'' a social 
mobilization campaign of volunteers to increase awareness of the 
League's efforts to achieve further progress in education, jobs, 
housing, and health care. With 100 years of experience behind them, the 
hard working and dedicated men and women of the National Urban League 
are well poised to carry forth its important mission through the next 
century of progress.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
resolution congratulating the National Urban League for its 100 
outstanding years of service to our great nation.

                          ____________________