ULGP
NEWS

From the earliest days of the National Urban League’s founding in 1910, women helped shape the organization’s mission of economic empowerment and opportunity for Black Americans migrating to northern cities during the Great Migration. Women served as organizers, educators, and advocates, working to ensure that Black families had access to housing, employment, and education in communities that were often hostile to their presence.

Through career readiness training, digital skills development, professional coaching, and direct connections to employers, Ready2Work creates pathways to employment and continued education for participants across the region.

Over the past several decades, the number of incarcerated women in the United States has grown at a staggering pace. Nationwide, the incarceration rate for women increased by more than 560% between 1978 and 2007, far outpacing the growth of men’s incarceration. In Pennsylvania, the number of women in jails has risen by more than 1,000% since 1980, making women one of the fastest-growing segments of the incarcerated population in the Commonwealth.

Across the United States, women are launching businesses at historic rates, redefining industries and creating solutions that respond to real needs within their communities. What was once framed as perseverance has now evolved into measurable economic impact.

This month’s edition of Momentum explores the powerful intersections of Women, Work, and Education in honor of Women’s History Month. Across Greater Philadelphia and throughout history, women have played a transformative role in building businesses, strengthening communities, advancing civil rights, and expanding access to opportunity.

Today, the Urban League of Greater Philadelphia honors the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. (1941–2026), a servant-leader whose voice, organizing, and moral imagination helped move this nation closer to justice.

Philadelphia’s Black business presence stretches back to the 1800s, when communities near institutions like Mother Bethel AME nurtured early clusters of Black-owned shops, services, and mutual aid societies, and by the early 20th century corridors like South Street had become centers of Black restaurants, entertainment venues, and small businesses serving a growing Black population.

During their first year, when many students from under-resourced communities struggle most, they are not alone. They have guidance. They have access. They have people to call when things feel overwhelming.

ULGP UPDATES & NEWS

This series is for community members, students, leaders, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how housing, policing, labor, and economic policy continue to influence life in Philadelphia today. It is both instructional and reflective, grounding Black culture not in trend or aesthetics, but in lived history shaped by exclusion, adaptation, and collective care.

Black communities have always been innovators, builders, and problem-solvers, advancing industries, technologies, and ideas even when access to capital, education, and opportunity was restricted. From early inventors and industrial pioneers to today’s technologists, engineers, and digital creators, Black innovation has shaped the American economy in profound and lasting ways.

Black entrepreneurs are not only building wealth, they are building wellness ecosystems. From plant-based culinary innovators to fitness facilities reimagining traditional standards for healthy movement, our business community is expanding access to nutritious, culturally relevant food and wellness options. These ventures are proof that economic empowerment and health equity can move together.

Immigration enforcement does not exist in isolation. Its impacts extend beyond individuals to families, workplaces, schools, and entire neighborhoods. When enforcement practices lack transparency, accountability, or constitutional safeguards, they erode trust, deepen trauma, and undermine community safety for everyone.

Renting a home is often seen as temporary, but the rights that come with it are anything but. For many people, renting is a long-term reality, yet too many renters sign agreements or accept conditions without fully understanding the protections the law provides. Knowing your basic renters’ rights can help you avoid disputes, protect your finances, and ensure your home remains safe and livable.

Each January, communities honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a “Day of Service.” Volunteers paint classrooms, distribute food, and clean up neighborhoods – all acts that meet immediate needs

A business plan is an essential tool for every entrepreneur, whether it’s a detailed document or a simple one-pager. Most importantly, it is a living document that should be updated as the business grows and evolves. A one-page business plan helps turn ideas into action by clearly outlining goals, priorities, revenue streams, potential pivots, and next steps. The start of a new year is an ideal time to create or revisit your plan and gain clarity on where your business is hea

A new year is a moment to pause, reflect, and recommit to what matters. For jobseekers and career up-skillers across Greater Philadelphia, it is also a time to think intentionally about how we show up for our communities and ourselves.

As we begin January, we want to help you start the year strong. One of the most important steps in a successful reentry journey is having the right identification and personal documents. These documents are often required for employment, housing, healthcare, benefits, and education.

Service changes the pace of progress. It turns a question into a plan, a plan into action, and action into outcomes families can feel. That’s the work ahead in 2026, clear paths to jobs and income, credit and homeownership, health and healing, voice and voter power. And it’s exactly where the Urban League of Greater Philadelphia is built to help: an affiliate in a national movement of 94 Urban League organizations delivering trusted, culturally responsive services across yout