News

Across Broward County, Florida, minority-owned businesses are getting access to much-needed capital through the new Capital Access Fund (CAF) – a new lending initiative which provides capital and business education for minority entrepreneurs. It became available in November, 2017 through a partnership between Morgan Stanley, National Urban League Urban Empowerment Fund, National Development Council, and the Urban League of Broward County.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (March 8, 2018) – Broward College and the Urban League of Broward County are proud to announce they were awarded $3,187,500, the largest amount ever awarded for a single project, by the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for its Building the CORE (Critical Occupation Response through Education) program.

(Fort Lauderdale Florida – November 17, 2017) – On November 28, 2017, Morgan Stanley, National Urban League Urban Empowerment Fund (NUL-UEF), National Development Council (NDC), and the Urban League of Broward County (ULBC) will launch a historic initiative to provide minority-owned businesses in Florida with greater access to capital through the Capital Access Fund (CAF) – a lending initiative which provides access to capital and business education for minority entrepreneurs. Through the partnership, CAF and the ULBC’s Entrepreneurship Center will expand its efforts to promote sustainability, create jobs and build…

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL September 6, 2017 – Based on the severity of the impending storm (Hurricane Irma) and to ensure safety for all, the Urban League of Broward County offices will be closed on Thursday, September 7, 2017, until it can safely regain access.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – July 28, 2017 – Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh, president and CEO of Urban League of Broward County, was recognized in June for her community work in helping to uplift families out of economic hardship. She also celebrated co-founding a national organization that promotes the personal growth and development of African-American women.

As a teenager, Keel Russell still remembers looking around his low-income community in Broward County and realizing how tough it was to succeed financially. He wanted to avoid all the dreaded challenges holding back so many of his family friends and relatives. His ticket out: become an entrepreneur.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. (March 24, 2017) – The Urban League of Broward County has been selected to build affordable single-family homes as part of a new Board of County Commissioners project to construct more homes for qualifying very-low to moderate income households across Broward County.

The Urban League of Broward County proudly participated in drafting a new School Board of Broward County policy to provide fair and equitable distribution of procurement and contracting opportunities to our local diverse business community. Germaine Smith-Baugh, Ed.D., CEO and President of the Urban League of Broward County, was a key part of the 30-member Disparity Study Work Group that reviewed, prioritized and provided feedback to the District’s new Supplier Diversity Outreach Program, known as Policy 3330.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – November 21, 2016 – The Urban League of Broward County recently held its annual stakeholders meeting in which a panel of top Florida CEOs discussed the importance of hiring more small and minority-owned businesses for public and private projects in order to help diversify, innovate and strengthen local economies.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. (November 1, 2016) – The Urban League of Broward County, a nonprofit human services organization, raised more than $300,000 during its Sept. 24 Red Gala, presented by BankUnited, to support the agency’s education, jobs, housing, and health programs.

Fort Lauderdale, FL – October 27, 2016 – Urban League of Broward County welcomes three new board members to help the organization focus on its mission of securing economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights for families and individuals across the community. 

The Urban League of Broward County offers our condolences to the police officers killed and wounded in Dallas last night following a peaceful demonstration triggered by this week’s officer-involved fatal shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights.

More than 600 people attended an employment fair on June 15 organized by the Urban League of Broward County, indicating a need for good paying local jobs even though the unemployment rate in Broward County has dropped significantly in recent years. Job seekers, ages 16 and older, looked for career opportunities from close to 40 leading local employers, including Broward College, Walgreens, Walmart, MD NOW, Toyota, Macy’s, and many other companies.

Fort Lauderdale (May 17, 2016) – According to the 2016 State of Black America® report, the Miami Metropolitan area (which includes Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.) ranked 25th nationally in unemployment equality and 17th  in income equality. “These findings give us a gauge as to where we are and how far we have to go,” says Urban League of Broward County President and CEO, Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh

The Urban League of Broward County is hosting a forum on April 23 called “Operation Trust,” to bring attention to victims’ rights, offender rehabilitation, and crime prevention. The event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Urban League of Broward County headquarters in Fort Lauderdale is part of our agency’s efforts to improve resident’s understanding of the judicial process – how to interact with law enforcement, comprehend their rights, and be clear on what to do if they are victims of crime.

Great news…Ten students participating in Urban League of Broward County’s National Achievers Society have won first and second places in the Florida Education Fund’s Annual State Brain Bowl Competition. The students took part in the competition on March 18 and 19 in Tampa to enhance their skills in mathematics, writing and reading. The team in the 9-10 grade Math Brain Bowl team placed first, and the team in the 11-12 Grade Math Brain Bowl placed second.

The Urban League of Broward County hosted the Spring Job Fair on March 16 featuring some of Broward County’s largest employers.  Organized with Broward College, the job fair at the Urban League’s Fort Lauderdale headquarters attracted hundreds of local residents seeking jobs with major companies such as Fed Ex, Hilton Hotels, Macy’s, and Broward Health. Recruiters conducted one-on-one interviews with job applicants.

Urban League launches new programs with funding from Humana and BankUnited Companies contribute over $1 million in support of new programs during Diabetes Awareness and Entrepreneurship Month

The Urban League of Broward County received a $500,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase during its annual Red Gala fundraiser held Saturday September 26 in Ft. Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk community The “Sistrunk under the Stars” event hosted over 600 guests including supermodel Beverly Johnson to raise funds for the Urban League’s programs and services.

The Urban League of Broward County (ULBC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering communities and changing lives in the areas of education, jobs, housing and health, is the recipient of this year’s $350,000 Humana Communities Benefit charitable grant in Fort Lauderdale, funded by the Humana Foundation.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. (August 28, 2015) – The Urban League of Broward County, a nonprofit human services organization, will recognize two community leaders at its Red Gala presented by JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Saturday, September 26 at 7:00 pm at Reverend Sam Delevoe Park in the heart of the Sistrunk community in Fort Lauderdale.

MIAMI LAKES, Fla.--(AUGUST 19, 2015)--BankUnited announced a $1 million equity-equivalent (EQ2) investment to fund the Urban League of Broward County Small Business Loan Fund, becoming the first financial institution to seed a new microlending pool that will improve access to capital for low-income entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state.

Fort Lauderdale, FL – August 3, 2015 – The Urban League of Broward County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau and TD Bank played host to top policy-makers, academicians and business leaders during the  2015 National Urban League Conference, July 29 – August 1.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – July 27, 2015 – The Urban League of Broward County Community Empowerment Center will be transformed  into a dynamic rotating Art Exhibition, showcasing work from both emerging and established artists. The Art Gallery will launch on Tues., July 28 at 6 p.m. during a reception sponsored by PNC Bank at the Urban League, where Cey Adams, founding creator of Def Jam and renowned graffiti artist, will unveil a special mural entitled “Save Our Cities.”

The National Urban League Youth Leadership Summit will be held July 28-August 2 on the campus of Nova Southeastern University (NSU), bringing more than 600 youth to the Fort Lauderdale area to learn about college preparedness and celebrate their successes.

The Urban League of Broward County has started its 10-week Summer Enrichment Camp that provides a safe and structured environment for children and youth of low-income families.  Camp activities for the more than 200 children feature cultural enrichment field trips, life-skills training, academic development programs, water safety and swimming instruction, and arts & crafts projects. 

With tourism booming, the industry is looking to the next generation for employees. The tri-county area recorded 35 million tourist last year and $42 billion in spending — performance that is leading to new hotels, stores and restaurants that need workers.

Fort Lauderdale, FL – April 23, 2015 – This spring, more than 75 youth in the Urban League of Broward County enhanced their education by touring colleges and participating in a Brain Bowl competition.

The Urban League of Broward County (ULBC) hosted a youth talent show on Feb. 7, entitled ,”Black Lives Matter,” as part of the Black History Month community showcase. Although the theme of the Urban League Youth Talent Show was titled, “Black Lives Matter,” judging by the display of talented performances put on by the students, the event was a showcase celebration of life and achievement.

Fort Lauderdale, FL – March 4, 2015 – The “Path to Enrichment Community Walkway” now connects two Broward County institutions that educate, empower and change lives. The new pathway links the campuses of Urban League of Broward County and  African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, which are next to each other in the heart of historic black communities along Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.