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The mission of the Urban League of Essex County is to promote the economic self-sufficiency of African Americans and other disadvantaged minority groups. It would be great if there was no need for an Urban League. But our community is facing an enormous crisis. It will take all of our institutions working to turn the tide.
We work to achieve our mission through programs, services, and advocacy that address the needs of the residents we are privileged to serve. It will take more to empower communities and change lives than administering programs and providing services. Communities are ultimately strengthened when people come together, donate their resources, and volunteer their time to important and worthwhile causes. It is not a cliché. There is strength in numbers, but only when people use their collective strength to effect change. Our collective future will depend on us being able to pull together.
At the Urban League, we believe that it will take hard work and tremendous sacrifice, but we can make great progress by committing ourselves to each other and a movement for change. It must be a movement built, not on fancy rhetoric, but one built on quiet and consistent action. In this time of uncertainty, the Urban League believes it is uniquely positioned to be an important agent for social, economic, and community change.
For 88 years, we have been the voice of the voiceless. With your support and more importantly participation, we can continue to serve those in our communities that are in need. We must re-energize this movement, re-engage in civic life, re-new our commitment to those who come behind us, and reaffirm our commitment to provide access and opportunity for those who have been shut out.
We all want the same thing for our community – better jobs, better schools, and an overall better quality of life. We can have all of these things and more by working together and supporting each other’s efforts - one team, one voice - one movement! So in the coming months let us all renew our commitment by recommitting ourselves to strengthening our community and providing opportunity for all.
Yours in the struggle,
Vivian Cox Fraser
President / CEO
Urban League of Essex County
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