Our Mission
Founded in 1939, the Urban League is a community-based, non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Its mission is the elimination of racial discrimination and segregation in the state, and the achievement of parity for Blacks, other minorities, and the poor in every phase of American life. This mission inherently involves the enabling of minorities and the poor to demonstrate their full potential and to exercise their human rights as American citizens. The Urban League of Rhode Island is an affiliate of the National Urban League, Inc.
The Urban League implements its mission through advocacy, program service delivery, bridge building among the races, and research. It assists members of its constituencies in developing strategies and technigues to bring about positive changes in policies and institutions that adversely affect their lives. Specifically, the carries out its mission by offering leadership inthe following areas:
- Programs of service for members of the black and other underserved communities. Training and leadership programs designed to empower the black community and enable individuals to become self-reliant and take responsibility for their own well-being and that of their families
- Advocacy and promotion on initiatives that support and promote economic empowerment of blacks, their communities and other communities of color seeking to mmaintain the economic well being of individuals and framilies, the stability of the black and other communities of color, the preservation of cohesive neighborhoods that serve and support blacks and other underserved minorities
- Public policy research regarding the status of black in Rhode Island and the nation and advocacy related to issues that significantly affect the health and welfare of blacks and other underserved populations
- Sponsoring coalition building networks and partnerships that study or monitor the conditions of blacks and the communities in which they live and engage in proactive strategies to improve the condition of individuals, families, and communities