[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 215 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7809-S7810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

[[Page S7810]]

  


                              S. Res. 808

       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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