At the annual Equal Opportunity Day (EOD) breakfast on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 a.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center, the Urban League will celebrate 32 years of empowerment in the Chattanooga community and present awards to individual and corporate leaders who have championed equal opportunity, civil rights, and social justice. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam will be the keynote speaker.
The theme of this year’s EOD breakfast - “Education: The Gateway to Opportunity” – recognizes the importance of education in expanding opportunities for youth, improving quality of life, and driving workforce and economic development. Last year, over 13,000 men, women, and children were empowered through the Urban League’s education, workforce development and economic empowerment initiatives, and health and wellness programs.
“Education is a cornerstone of the Urban League’s community vision, and is one of the few tools that can empower individuals, irrespective of their backgrounds, to reach their personal and professional goals,” said Warren Logan, Jr., president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. “Together, as a community, we can use education to stimulate economic development and create valuable growth opportunities for our youth and adult populations.”
Equal Opportunity Day is a community-wide celebration of inclusion. Proceeds from the EOD breakfast provide support for the Urban League’s local programs, which impacted over 13,000 people during the 2014 fiscal year. As part of the organization’s commitment to academic success, the Urban League served more than 895 youth in grades K-12 through the STEM Academy, the National Achievers Society, the Infinite Scholars Scholarship Fair, the Equity & Excellence Project, the Digital Connecters Computer Literacy Program, and the After School program.
The Urban League’s economic empowerment programs created $6.4 million in new wages in the Chattanooga area and provided volunteer income tax assistance to more than 8,400 individuals, homeownership counseling, job training, and business development training for both existing and budding entrepreneurs. Additionally, the Urban League helped over 1,525 people meet their health and wellness goals through the FIT for Life and Community Health Navigator programs.
“Equal Opportunity Day embodies the work the Urban League does on a daily basis to foster economic empowerment,” said Dana Perry, Urban League board chair and Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel shareholder. “It’s a day when we get the chance to inspire greater involvement, awareness, and support from the local community for the Urban League’s continued efforts in leveling the economic playing field and enabling community members to realize their full potential.”
To recognize corporate and individual leadership in the region, the Urban League will give out three awards at the event: the Inclusion by Design Award, the Community Impact Award, and the Whitney M. Young, Jr., Award.
Sponsors of the event include Volkswagen, SunTrust Bank, EPB, Allstate, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, and Waterhouse Public Relations.
Perry says partnering with the Urban League has been beneficial for Chambliss. “The Urban League helps us source quality candidates for our staff positions so we can ensure we have at least one well qualified minority candidate for each staff position opening. That’s made a big different for us.
“Our partnership with the Urban League has also helped us to bring awareness in the community about the importance of mindful inclusion practices, and how it can work for business. Society is becoming more diverse, and our work force needs to reflect that diversity. It’s the right thing to do, and it makes us a better business.”
The Urban League is offering several sponsorship levels for the event. Each sponsorship level offers additional recognition opportunities. Proceeds from the event will support the Urban League’s empowerment programs. For more information, visit www.ulchatt.net or call Keesha Marshall at (423) 756-1762.
Source: Some material provided by the Urban League