Mission & History
Mission & History
Our Team
Board of Directors
Our Mission
The mission of the Urban League of the Upstate is to advance equity by empowering black and other underserved communities through advocacy, education and economic stability.
Our Vision
A thriving community where everyone has the opportunity to live, learn, and work.
Our Values
- Integrity
- People First
- Lessons Learned
- Civility
- Results
History
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The Urban League is the oldest and largest community-based organization of its kind in the nation.
Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are nearly 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.
In 1970, a small group of citizens from Greenville met in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church with one goal in mind. To create a community-based organization committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all citizens in housing, education, employment and economic development without regard to race or socioeconomic status.
From these meetings, the Greenville Urban League was established in 1972 with Theo Mitchell as its first President. In 1997, understanding the needs of the Upstate Region, the name was changed to reflect the population served to Urban League of the Upstate.
Today, under the leadership of the President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Gail Wilson Awan, the Urban League of the Upstate continues to support and advocate for the economic equality for African Americans by building strong and stable communities.