Message From Our President and CEO

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Urban League of Broward County! I am so proud to serve as the President and CEO of this amazing organization. This year marks a milestone for the Urban League – it is the year  that the National Urban League is celebrates 100 remarkable years of service to our youth, communities and nation.

Like the National Office, we too celebrate a milestone in our history – 2010 marks 35 years of community service for the Broward County Urban League. This is the year that we will increase our visibility as the “convening authority” on issues that affect urban areas of Broward; it is the year that we will break ground on a facility that will expand our programs and services in the key areas of: youth development/education, housing, workforce development and health; it is a year where we plan to exploit (in a good way) our core partnerships to  question, challenge, and innovate.

35 years brings a lot of history and we know at the Urban League that through the many programs, staff, and volunteers funded by your generous donations and grants that we have had a HISTORY OF IMPACT that changes lives every day. But like any person or entity – no one wants to be just recorded in HISTORY, we all desire to leave a LEGACY – we want to leave something significant behind to say we were here. For the Urban League we want to a leave behind with each family, youth or adult that we touch a LEGACY OF EMPOWERMENT. More than anything else the LEGACY is pronounced when we inspire the individuals, families and communities we serve to be conductors of their own orchestra.  We believe with your continued and growing support, building on our history and leaving a legacy is more than possible!

So one year from now, we will be closer to a facility that I don’t have to wonder if I can fit all the attendees in a room for a community meeting on the Census or rotate young people trying to study for GED with our tutors from one room to a next to accommodate other services. One year from now, we will be closer to community models and program innovations that can be replicated in the Southern and Northern areas of this County as we are doing now in Hallandale with the support of Commissioner Sanders and his colleagues. One year from now, more people will know who we are and what we do and why supporting the Urban League in this community is important. 

I know that we have to employ innovative strategies with a core value of collaboration. I know that we have to embrace the fierce urgency of now if we are to MEET AT THE MISSION. So today, I want you to strongly consider MEETING ME AT THE MISSION….

Best Wishes,

Germaine Smith-Baugh, Ed.D
President and CEO