FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lyndon Pryor | [email protected]
N E W S R E L E A S E
THE LOUISVILLE URBAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES $8 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN “A PATH FORWARD” WORK
December 11, 2020, Louisville, KY–On Friday, December 11, Sadiqa Reynolds announced that the work outlined in the Path Forward is now fueled by an $8 million dollar investment in the Louisville Urban League. The Path Forward document was released earlier this year by over 50 community leaders.
The funding will be applied towards the $50 million request the signers made to city leaders in July. The expectation is that local funders will step up to match and exceed this funding that has come from outside of our city and state.
“This is a wonderful beginning on what we know will be a long-term initiative as we carve our path forward. We are incredibly grateful for this investment in Louisville’s Black community,” said Sadiqa Reynolds, President and CEO of the Louisville Urban League. “We understand that an investment in us, is an investment for all of us. Now, it is up to local government, corporate, and philanthropic leaders to match this investment for those who have been systematically and structurally locked out.”
The investment is from Blue Meridian Partners, a New York-based philanthropic group which finds and funds scalable solutions across the US to the problems that limit economic mobility for young people and families. The Louisville Urban League will use the two-year investment to span multiple sectors, directly address stated goals in the Path document, and strategically focus on creating wealth-building pathways and resources for Black families in the West End and across the city. Specifically, this funding will support housing development, Black business development, and education.
“We are excited to be investing in the innovations happening in Louisville and were compelled by the vision outlined in “A Path Forward”, shared Tomeka Wigginton, Managing Director at Blue Meridian Partners. “We understand strong place-based partnerships are critical to disrupting the link between one’s zip code and one’s life chances. Louisville Urban League’s ability to convene and build strong partnerships in the community is a great asset for the work ahead. We look forward to supporting them.”
A global pandemic and the collective fight for justice for Breonna Taylor are what fused the original Path signers together. Those events exposed to the world, a community in pain一systematically neglected and mistreated across multiple intersections一policing, housing, education, business, and more. Healing wounds that deep will require more than the light of public awareness. It will require innovation and real investment一transformative investment.
Blue Meridian’s investment in this work is a wonderful start to transformational change in Louisville and the League is hopeful it will lay the groundwork for additional investments from other local funders and institutions in our community.
“To be clear, the Urban League is not a grant-making organization,” Ms. Reynolds said. “We want to support this work in our community, and we want to make sure it is strategically connected. We have to be intentional because we know these issues are all interrelated to one another and because we know there is power in our platform we will use it to lift the strong work of others.”
This nation, and more specifically, this city is at a critical inflection point in its history. This is Louisville’s “Reconstruction” opportunity一a time to finally do right by Black people and correct racial wrongs. A time when truly equitable policies, programs, and practices can be implemented. But this community has to be willing to fight for it, to strategically plan for it, and to sustain it.
“Money is important. It really is critical,” said Dave Christopher, Executive Director of Founder of
AMPED. “But it is only critical because of the impact it can have for real people, facing real problems, and who for generations have had their very humanity trampled by racist systems and structures. That’s why this matters. It is why all of us as signers of the Path are here.”
More information on the programs outlined will be made available as details are finalized. Please check the Path Forward website for updates: apathforward4lou.org
Housing Development
- Building and Rehabilitation: As a response to systemic redlining, REBOUND Inc will initially build twelve (12) single family housing units with a goal of building and/or rehabilitating up to 100 single family homes. 99% of REBOUND contractors are Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs), of which 40% are Black female owned companies. Nearly 100% of the homes created by REBOUND have been purchased by Black families!
- Black Homeownership: Interested families must first enroll in, and complete a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Program, like the one offered at the Louisville Urban League一the oldest and largest continuous HUD Approved Counseling Program in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. These programs help to ensure that prospective buyers are not only ready to purchase, but are also able to sustain homeownership for years to come.
- Timing and Point of Contact: Work will begin on the twelve properties in Q1 2021. Families interested in home ownership should contact the Louisville Urban League’s Center for Housing and Financial Empowerment ([email protected] or 502-585-4622) to begin their journey by starting with housing counseling.
Educational Investments
- Early Childhood Development: Funds will support Play Cousins Collective, a Black-led community organization, with an intentional focus on increasing kindergarten readiness rates among Black and Brown youth. Funding will support kindergarten readiness community outreach efforts to include pediatric healthcare awareness initiatives.
- K-12 Support During COVID and Beyond: Support will be given to Community Learning Hubs being utilized as remote learning education sites supporting some of our most vulnerable children during the pandemic. The League investing in Black-led community-based organizations一Sowing Seeds With Faith, Decode Project, AMPED, Bridge Kids International, and The Hope Buss一that attack the achievement gap, providing supplemental educational opportunities for students. This work will be coordinated by Principled Pennix.
- Post-secondary Education: The League will continue to amplify the work of Evolve502 in efforts to support post-secondary education for students. Funding will be provided for college access/persistence support scholarships to ensure that Black and Brown youth gain college admission and are able to persist. Funding will also support scholar internships for Simmons College students to offer free tutoring services to students.
Black Business Development and Support
- Black Business Fund: The League will coordinate resources and support the creation of a fund that provides financial resources for start-up/early stage companies, stabilization, and scaling of Black businesses. Funds will be disbursed and serviced through a local financial institution.
- Black Back Office: Funding will support back office professional staffing for Black businesses to include pro bono/fee-reduced sessions with professional services providers. Coordinated by AMPED Russell Technology Business Incubator, partners are calling on all accountants, lawyers, marketing experts, insurance providers, HR specialists and more to volunteer these essential services to Black businesses.
- Investment in Buy Black Lou: The League will fund the continued development of the city’s largest platform of Black businesses. With 31,000 online followers and 250+ Black businesses in the Buy Black Lou app, this support will make it even easier for Black businesses to find resources to grow their businesses while consumers have an even better experience buying Black.
- Investment in #FeedTheWest: FeedTheWest is a community food justice initiative spearheaded by Shauntrice Martin and sponsored by Change Today, Change Tomorrow. This initiative will continue on until the West End has a Black-Owned and sustainable fresh food source for its residents. These funds provided to this initiative will be directed at staff support.
- Investment in High-Potential Black Inventor: The League is making a significant investment in BESK, a patented product developed by JoCari Beattie. This combination backpack and desk is ideal for students and remote workers, including so many COVID-related remote workers. With this investment, JoCari will begin the manufacturing process to bring this product to market in 2021.
- Timing and Point of Contact: The Black Business Fund and the Black Back Office will be fully launched in early 2021. To ensure that businesses are served most effectively, partners look forward to partnering with a number of organizations committed to Black wealth building to deliver these essential services.
In the interim, LHOME has loan dollars available for Black businesses and is poised to serve. Companies in need of loans can contact Marisa Tribble at LHOME at [email protected] or 502-882-8091. Companies in need of business financial coaching can contact Jamie Keith at LHOME at [email protected] or 502-882-8091.
If you are a professional services provider interested in volunteering for the Black Back Office, please contact Dave Christopher with AMPED Russell Tech Business Incubator at [email protected].
About the Louisville Urban League
The Louisville Urban League assists African Americans and those at the margins in attaining social and economic equality and stability through direct services and advocacy. For more information, go to lul.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@louisvilleUL), or Instagram (@louisville_ul).
About A Path forward for Louisville
In response to a global pandemic and social unrest locally and across the country, a group of Black non-profit leaders representing and/or providing service to large portions of Louisville’s Black community, came together to discuss innovative opportunities for the city to remedy the damage done by decades of redlining and systematic oppression. The resulting petition to the city and demands for investment has been signed by almost 100 partners and allies, representing more than 70 organizations across the city. Learn more at apathforward4lou.org.
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