The Urban League of Louisiana is pleased to share that it has been selected to serve as the New Orleans lead for the Southern Communities Initiative launched by Boston Consulting Group, PayPal, and Vista Equity Partners.
The Southern Communities Initiative is a catalytic program designed to establish a self-governing network of corporate, civic and community organizations focused on achieving racial equity across six southern communities that represent approximately 50% of the Black population in the U.S.
The initiative seeks to address challenges impeding current racial equity ecosystems from delivering outcomes. Southern Communities Initiative is actively prioritizing four racial equity pillars:
Wealth Creation
Education and Workforce Development
Housing
Health Equity
It also seeks to enable these efforts by increasing digital access and adoption of affordable hi-speed internet solutions for low-income and minority households and by enabling physical infrastructure to support minority families and businesses.
In addition to New Orleans, the Southern Communities Initiative includes the cities of Atlanta, GA, Memphis, TN, Birmingham, AL, Houston, TX, and Charlotte, NC.
The Urban League of Louisiana was selected to serve as the lead community organization for New Orleans because of our role in supporting the local racial equity ecosystem, our strong partnerships, and because of our commitment to the racial equity pillars the Southern Communities Initiative has defined.
“We are excited to be a part of this initiative that aligns so closely with our mission and priorities, and which we believe will provide great opportunities for our communities as this network moves forward,” said Judy Reese Morse, Urban League of Louisiana President and CEO.
To stay up to date on the Southern Communities Initiative, visit our website or sign up to receive Policy and Social Justice updates: https://urbanleaguela.org/socialjustice/#signup