How the Urban League of Middle Tennessee has served its community since 1968 | Opinion

On April 15, the Urban League of Middle Tennessee (ULMT) officially celebrates 55 years of service to this region.

Such a milestone holds great significance for our organization, as it represents more than a half-century of successfully serving thousands as we have worked to “empower communities and change lives.”

Established in 1968 as the Nashville Urban League by J.F. McClellan, Malcolm D. Williams, Hubert B. Crouch, Allen M. Steele, Jasper W. Patton, George Collins, David K. Wilson and Bernard Werthan, a group of passionate, forward-thinking, and diverse business and community leaders, we have continued in our stance as an organization committed to economic empowerment, social justice, and equality.

Guided by our mission “to enable African Americans, other minorities, and disenfranchised groups to secure economic self-reliance, power, parity, and civil rights,” the Urban League of Middle Tennessee has worked tirelessly toward the goal of improving the quality of life for those residing in underserved communities throughout our nine-county service area of Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, Sumner, Robertson, Rutherford, Williamson, and Wilson counties.

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Blueprint report shows reality of racial disparities

Providing access to a livable wage is at the heart of our work.  Our efforts are centered around programs and initiatives which address our five focus areas of Workforce and Economic Development; Youth & Education; Health & Quality of Life; Housing and Community Development; and Social Justice and Civic.

As we strive to improve the lives of those who have been economically challenged, we know that a great equalizer to economic advancement is in empowering underserved communities and in bridging the workforce disparity gaps within our region.

Data revealed through research conducted for our “Advancing Workforce Equity in Nashville: A Blueprint for Action” provides a realistic look at the racial inequities which have long permeated our local workforce.

The report also identified the need for a comprehensive approach to advancing workforce equity where everyone who wants to work has access to livable wage employment.

A blueprint for correcting these inequities and closing the gaps is a critical piece of the report and will help to guide the work of the Urban League and the  Middle Tennessee Workforce Equity Collective, comprised of organizations working together to promote workforce equity.

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These programs are creating a seat at the table

Over the last several years, we have experienced unprecedented growth and realized success across many of our initiatives.

Most recently, the tremendous impact of our Real Estate Developers (R.E.D.) Academy has brought local, regional, and national attention to the Urban League and this community.

Created as a vehicle to provide developers of color an equitable and diverse opportunity to “have a seat at the table” in this community’s residential and commercial development projects, the eight men and four women currently enrolled in the initial cohort have access to $2 billion in capital from the Amazon Housing Equity Fund to help capitalize their real estate projects for affordable housing in Nashville-Davidson County.

Additionally, initiatives such as our Summer Leadership Academy serve to elevate and expose youth to areas focused on ensuring their academic competence while successfully preparing them for life, leadership, and success in our global economy.

Programs offered through our Social Justice and Civic Engagement efforts focus on expanding families’ networks and connections, increasing the number of registered voters, and expanding voter education activities throughout Middle Tennessee.

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Time for less talk and more action

A particular highlight within our Community Engagement area is the “Keep Nashville Home” an initiative supported by the Tennessee Titans to promote the senior citizen tax freeze and help to keep our older homeowners in the home for which many make great sacrifices to purchase.

These examples represent just a few of the successes we have seen.  However, as we acknowledge and celebrate our successes and chart our path for the next 55 years and beyond, I ask that we remain mindful there is still work to be done as we continue to be challenged by disparity gaps in the areas of health, economic and workforce development opportunities, and educational attainment.

So rather than continue in our dialogue surrounding these issues, we must move from talk to action!

We invite you “to join us in the movement” as we work collectively in building communities that provide opportunities for all of our citizens.

Clifton Harris serves as president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, a position he has held since November 2016.  A native of Cary, North Carolina, Harris is a long-time community organizer and advocate, having successfully managed six different non-profit agencies during his career. Active within the local community, Harris currently serves on the board for NES and is a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Urban League of Middle Tennessee has served its community since 1968