National Urban League
The National Urban League is an American civil rights organization. Founded in New York City in 1910 as the National League on Urban Conditions among Negroes, its original mission was to aid southern black migrants' resettlement in northern cities through social work. Under the exhuberant leadership of Whitney M. Young, the Urban League became one of the "big six" organizations of the 1960s civil rights movement. Today, the organization remains active in its research and advocacy on behalf of black socioeconomic empowerment.
Historical development
Founding
The founding of the National Urban League grew out of the confluence of two larger developments that were underway in the United States during the Progressive Era: the "great migration" of southern blacks to northern cities and the new emphasis on scientific social work as a means for easing individuals' transition to industrial democracy.
Organizational structure
Contemporary activities
Since 2003, the League has maintained a five-point "Empowerment Agenda," which aims to promote progress in several broad policy domains: education and youth, economic empowerment, health and quality of life, civic engagement, and civil rights and racial justice.