National Urban League Young Professionals


The National Urban League Young Professionals, is a National Urban League volunteer, member, auxiliary that targets professionals ages 21–40 to empower their communities and change lives through the Urban League Movement. Its current president is Ray B. Shackelford.

History

In the late 1980s, several Urban League affiliates recognized the need to prepare a new generation of young leaders to take the mantle of leadership of the civil rights movement. Young African American men and women, between the ages of 20-40, were invited to participate in and take an active leadership role in their local Affiliate Urban League programs and activities.
These auxiliary groups actively supported the Urban League movement by educating other young professionals about the movement, recruiting new members, volunteering, sponsoring educational initiatives like youth mentoring and tutoring programs, coordinating fundraisers for scholarships, and delivering personal and professional development and networking opportunities to young professionals in their local communities.
As these auxiliaries began to grow, the Affiliate leadership took note of their success and began to ponder the power of a national movement of young professionals across the country. Hugh Price, then president and CEO of the National Urban League, realized the need to make this potential national movement into a reality. He held a historic "Young Professionals Dialog Session" with over 200 young professionals in the New York area in April 1998. This dialog session, in addition to a white paper submitted by Marcus Mitchell, ignited the spark that led to the formation of a working group, tasked with establishing the framework and foundation for the National Urban League Young Professionals.
Under the direction of Annelle Lewis, senior vice president of affiliate development and programs, the working group again convened in New York in September 1998.
The National Urban League Young Professionals was unveiled at the 1999 National Urban League Annual Conference in Houston, TX. Marcus Mitchell assumed the role of president and under his leadership, the organization began to define itself and to carve out its role in the National Urban League movement. The leadership team met on regularly to refine the structure of the organization as well as to develop its first draft of by-laws. Soon thereafter, a special election was held to fill the open positions on the newly established NULYP executive board.

Current status

Today, there are over 62 chapters and 5,500 members supporting Urban League affiliate offices located in 35 states and the District of Columbia.
In October 2014, the National Urban League Young Professionals announced a partnership with the Alabama Power Foundation to present the "LEAD " Conference, January 15–18, 2015 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center in Birmingham, Alabama. It was designed to equip today's diverse Millennials and Gen-Xers from across the nation with training and tools to be leaders in their communities.

Presidents

The Presidents of the National Urban League Young Professionals have been:
PresidentsFromTo
Marcus Mitchell19992000
Karla Ballard20002001
Ryan Myers20022003
B. Michael Young20032005
Nolan V. Rollins20052007
Cassye D. Cook20072009
Barton J. Taylor20092011
Brandi Richard20112015
Carlos J. Clanton20152019
Ray B. Shackelford2019Present

Local Chapters

Akron Urban League Young Professionals
http://www.akronurbanleague.org
Columbus Urban League Young Professionals
http://www.culyp.org
Detroit YP Blue Monday Network
http://www.deturbanleague.org
Grand Rapids Urban League Young Professionals
http://www.grurbanleague.org
Metropolitan Board of the Chicago Urban League
http://.metroboard.org
Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
http://www.tmulyp.org
The Exchange at the Indianapolis Urban League
http://www.indplsul.org/the-exchange-iulyp/
Urban League of Greater Madison Young Professionals
http://www.ulgm.org
Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio Young Professionals
http://www.ulypgso.org
Urban League of Nebraska Young Professionals
http://www.urbanleagueneb.org/
Urban League Young Professionals of Metropolitan St. Louis
http://www.ulypstl.wildapricot.org/
Eastern Region
http://www.bulypny.org
Greater Baltimore Leadership Association
http://www.gblaimpact.org
Greater Washington Urban League Thursday Network
http://www.thursdaynetwork.org
New York Urban League Young Professionals
https://www.nyul.org/meet-the-league/young-professionals
NExT Philadelphia-an affinity group of the Urban League of Philadelphia
http://www.urbanleaguephila.org
Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals Network
http://www.nvulypn.org
Rhode Island Young Professionals
Website: http://www.riyp.org
Urban League of Bergen County Young Professionals
Website: http://ulbcnj.org/young-professionals/
Urban League of Greater Hartford Young Professionals
Website:
Urban League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals Network
Website: http://www.empowerrichmond.org
Urban League of Hampton Roads Young Professionals
Website: http://www.ulhryp.org
Website: https://www.ulpdxyp.org
Urban League of Long Island Young Professionals
Website: http://www.urbanleaguelongisland.org/
Urban League of Union County Young Professionals
Website: https://presidentulucyp.wixsite.com/ulucyp
Urban League of Essex County Young Professionals
Website:
Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Pittsburgh
Website: http://www.ulyppgh.org
Young Professionals Network of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts
Website: http://www.ypnulem.org/
Austin Area Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.aaulyp.org
Birmingham Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.bulyp.org
Central Florida Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.cful.org/
Dallas Fort Worth Urban League Young Professionals
Website:
Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.haulyp.org
Jacksonville Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.jaxul.org/yp.html
Knoxville Area Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.kaulyp.org
Las Vegas Urban League Young Professionals
Website: https://www.lvulyp.org/
Lexington Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.ypinlex.org/
Louisville Urban League Young Professionals
Website: www.lul.org/membership/yp
Memphis Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://ul-memphis.iamempowered.com/content/mulyp
Pinellas County Urban League Young Professionals
Website: www.pculyp.org
Urban League of Broward County Young Professionals
Website: www.ulbcypn.org
Urban League of Central Carolinas Young Professionals
Website: www.urbanleaguecc.org/page.asp?urh=YoungProfessionals/
Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals
Website: www.ulga-yp.org
Urban League of Greater Columbus Young Professionals
Website: www.ulgcyp.org
Urban League of Greater New Orleans Young Professionals
Website: www.urbanleaguela.org
Urban League of the Upstate Young Professionals
Website: www.urbanleagueupstate.org
Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee
Website: www.theulypmt.org
Urban League Young Professional of Palm Beach County
Website: www.ulpbc.org
Winston-Salem Urban League Young Professionals
Website: www.wsurban.org
Western Region
Website: www.bayareaulyp.org
Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals
Website: www.gphxulyp.com
Greater Sacramento Urban League Young Professionals
Website: http://www.joinyp.org
Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals
Website: www.laulyp.com
Urban League of San Diego County Young Professionals
Website: www.sdulyp.org
Seattle Urban League Young Professionals
Website: www.ulmsyp.org
Tacoma Urban League Young Professionals
Tucson Urban League Young Professionals
Website: www.tucsonurbanleague.org
Urban League of Metropolitan Denver Young Professionals
Website: www.dulyp.wildapricot.org