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Urban League of San Diego County |
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In the entire state of California, there are only three affiliates of the National Urban League, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of African-Americans and other minorities: one in Los Angeles, one in Sacramento and one in San Diego, where the group’s name may be deceiving, for it encompasses much more than just the urban environs of San Diego proper.
“We do advocacies in Fallbrook, Vista, Poway,” explains Cecil H. Steppe, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of San Diego County. “When I think of our mission, it’s primarily focused on providing assistance to African-Americans and other underserved persons in all of San Diego, in an effort to achieve social and economic success through programs, advocacy and education.”
In fact, education is one of the strongest areas of the organization’s focus—and one that Steppe says has been a “linchpin” throughout the Urban League’s 52-year-history.
“When you look at the education scene, you see that African-Americans and other minorities are on the bottom of every index: graduation rates, passing rates, S.A.T. scores and reading, math and language skills,” he says. “Through our advocacy, we help parents understand what their rights and responsibilities are with regard to their children’s education. We have developed a family support network in which we teach parents how to advocate for themselves.”
Giving parents and their children a voice is one way the Urban League is able to help them achieve future success. Programs like 21st Century Youth Leadership engage students from sixth through 12th grades in lively debates about social issues, introducing them to behavioral and leadership skills that will aid in their self-empowerment.
Once they graduate beyond high school, young professionals, age 21 to 40, are invited to join a mentoring, job shadowing and business development program—a second area to which the Urban League devotes much of its attention. In addition to providing employment training and business development, the Urban League also offers a diversity job bank on its Web site to pair job seekers with corporations that are eager to fill open positions with ethnic minorities—a partnership that Steppe says benefits both parties.
“Working with us is a great business investment,” he says. “I want to move from being a social service and civil rights organization to being an organization that provides business opportunities for social service and civil rights. I see us as an excellent opportunity for those interested in moving folks forward —not giving a handout but a hand up.”
For more information, contact the Urban League of San Diego County at 619-263-3660 or visit the organization on-line at sdul.org.
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