A Night That Asked Something of All of Us: Recapping the Annual Gala

The room at the Event Center at Rivers Casino did not feel like a typical fundraiser. From the first words of the evening, the Urban League of Greater Philadelphia's Annual Gala felt like a charge, a night that, in the words of President and CEO Dr. Darrin Anderson, "asks something of all of us."

Dr. Anderson opened the program by placing the evening inside a larger moment. "As this country approaches 250 years, we are reminded that history is not just something we inherit. It is something we shape through our decisions, our priorities, and our willingness to act." For our communities, he reminded the room, progress has always required intention. The Urban League exists to make sure opportunity is not limited, that progress is not reserved for a few, and that people ready to move forward are not held back by systems that can be changed.

What followed was an evening built in moments, each one building on the last.

A legacy of responsibility. Honorary Chair and Event Chair Patty Jackson, last year's Community Legacy Honoree, set the tone with a reflection on what legacy really means. "Legacy is not about what is said about you," she told the room. "It is about what you continue to build for others." She reminded everyone that the Urban League shows up in the moments that don't always get seen: when someone is searching for direction, when stability feels uncertain, when a single opportunity can change not just one life, but families and generations.

After an invocation from Dr. Lorina Marshall Blake and the Black National Anthem, Master of Ceremonies Tiffany Bacon guided the program through remarks from Board Chair Douglas Oliver and partners including Venerable and Aramark, each underscoring a single idea: when you invest in people, you strengthen everything around them.

From belief to proof. The heart of the evening belonged to our students. Youth Program Manager Omar Rice introduced this year's cohort of Community Scholarship recipients with a simple line: "Tonight we move from belief to proof." Dr. Tony Watlington reminded the room that talent alone is not enough when opportunity is out of reach, which is exactly why the Community Scholarship Program matters. Then student speaker Iman Byrd, student journalist, STEM scholar, and reigning Miss Juneteenth Pennsylvania, spoke on behalf of a generation whose futures are being shaped by access.

A giving moment, and a call to act. Greg Deavens grounded the room in what it had just witnessed and asked everyone to stretch: "Opportunity changes everything, but only when it is made available. Tonight, we have the chance to make it available."

Honoring legacy. Presented by board member Melvin Moore, the Legends and Legacy Award went to Greg Deavens, the first Black CEO in the history of Independence Blue Cross. In accepting it, Deavens offered the room a new definition of three contested letters. "For me, the new DEI is about Determination, Excellence, and Intelligence," he said. "You came here tonight dressed for a gala. Leave dressed for a fight, not out of anger, but of intention." The Community Legacy Honoree was attorney and activist Michael Coard, co-founder of Avenging the Ancestors Coalition and a force behind the President's House Memorial, a permanent acknowledgment of the enslaved Africans who lived and labored at the nation's earliest seat of power. As the MC put it, in a year when the nation reflects on 250 years, we must ask whose stories are preserved, whose contributions are recognized, and whose truths are still being fought for.

What comes next. Before the celebration, Dr. Anderson announced the return of a landmark: The State of Black Greater Philadelphia, an expanded successor to the Urban League's earlier State of Black Philadelphia report. It will examine economic mobility across the region, housing, education, workforce, entrepreneurship, reentry, and health, and provide a roadmap for action.

Then, as Patty Jackson reminded the room that "joy is also part of our resistance," the night turned to celebration with a performance by Grammy-nominated R&B sensation Amerie, followed by DJ AKTIVE.

We are deeply grateful to Premier Sponsor PECO and to Thomas Jefferson Health Plans, Bank of America, Venerable, Comcast, Wells Fargo, Aramark, Independence Blue Cross, The Cigna Group, and Rivers. Your belief, matched with investment, is what makes this work possible.

The evening closed the way it began, as a charge. The future we want will not happen on its own. It will happen because we build it together.

For more on the Gala visit: https://www.urbanleaguephila.org/2026gala

Momentum Newsletter: June 2026 | Issue 6 | Freedom & Pride