Who We Are
Urban League of FlintThe Urban League of Flint is an affiliate of the National Urban League, a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. 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, the National Urban League has 95 affiliates serving 300 communities, in 35 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.
The Urban League of Flint has a rich history of empowering and supporting underserved communities in the Greater Flint area through various educational and economic development programs. One of the Urban League of Flint's signature programs is the Salute to Black Scholars Tribute. |
"Empowering Communities. Changing Lives." |
Salute to Black Scholars HistoryThe first Salute to Black Scholars was held at the Urban League of Flint Annual Dinner meeting in 1982. The Urban League of Flint wanted to recognize and reward African American high school students who demonstrated academic excellence during high school and to motivate the community at-large to demonstrate moral and financial support through recognition and scholarships.
There were 80 scholars recognized at the inaugural Salute to Black Scholars tribute. Since then, over 6,000 students have been honored, with a number of graduates receiving financial assistance and scholarships to pursue their college education. Black Scholars have attended some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country; among them are Hampton University, Tuskeegee University, Spelman College, Florida A&M, Morehouse College, Harvard University, Yale University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan. Black Scholar alumni are currently engaged in diverse careers such as Education, Law, Medicine, Backing & Finance, Public & Private Administration, Information Technology, Journalism, and Entrepreneurship. A notable trend in recent years has been the increase in the number of Black Scholar alumni studying abroad. Many are pursuing doctoral degrees and several have obtained their degrees before the age of 30. The support for this initiative continues to grow. Because of the generosity of the Flint & Genesee County community, we are able to offer an increased number of scholarships. This year marks the 38th “Salute to Black Scholars” Tribute and welcomes a new and reinvigorated Black Scholars tribute. Our theme: "All Students Trained And Ready for Success" emphasizes the Urban League of Flint's long-term commitment to empowering the youth of our community to change lives through educational opportunity. We are proud to celebrate our 36th Annual Salute to Black Scholars tribute paying homage to all of Genesee County's All S.T.A.R.S! |