Urban League Awards Local Organizations On Equal Opportunity Day

  • Friday, October 21, 2016

At the annual Equal Opportunity Day breakfast held Friday, the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga celebrated 34 years of empowerment in the Chattanooga community.

The breakfast featured keynote speaker Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, and awarded community leaders who have championed equal opportunity, civil rights and social justice. Chattanooga 2.0 is the recipient of the Community Impact Award, having "amplified the community’s focus on improving education and career preparation for all students." The recipient of the Whitney M.

Young, Jr. Award is Restore My Rights, an initiative that provides information and resources to help individuals with a criminal history clear their records, restore their voting rights, and gain access to new employment opportunities.

The Community Impact Award recognizes an organization that elevates the community’s standard of living and contributes to the overall quality of life. Initially led by the Benwood Foundation, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, the Hamilton County Department of Education, and the Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga 2.0 was launched to ensure local students are successful in school and prepared for meaningful careers. The initiative has brought together leaders across the education, business, nonprofit, and faith-based communities to collaborate on addressing workforce challenges and significant education opportunities for the community and region.

The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award recognizes outstanding service by an individual or group for demonstrated leadership and commitment to the cause of justice, social consciousness, and civic involvement. Launched in September 2016, Restore My Rights was the idea of three Chattanooga attorneys who recognized the limitations that having a criminal history places on employment and a person’s voting rights. The initiative is led by Chantelle Roberson, associate general counsel for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Wade Hinton, city attorney for the City of Chattanooga, and Jonathan Butler, manager of Neighborhood Services for the City of Chattanooga and attorney. The group launched the RestoreMyRights.com website and online toolkit and has partnered with the City of Chattanooga and other civic groups to help individuals walk through the process of expungement and to restore their rights.

“The Equal Opportunity Day event is a community-wide celebration of inclusiveness, and, this year, the Urban League chose to recognize Chattanooga 2.0 and Restore My Rights as organizations that have demonstrated innovation, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and visionary impact,” said Warren E. Logan, Jr., president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. “Chattanooga 2.0 will help to improve the quality of life of all future graduates, and Restore My Rights will help to improve the strength and well-being of individuals, their families, and the community as a whole.”

Proceeds from the EOD breakfast provide support for the Urban League’s programs. Urban League’s education programs include an afterschool program, STEM Academy, summer coding camp, National Achievers Society, and the Infinite Scholars Scholarship Fair. "The Urban League fosters economic empowerment through the Entrepreneurship Center, NextLevel Chattanooga, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, Employment Center, and homeownership counseling. In addition, the Urban League offers health and wellness initiatives focused on improving health outcomes for underserved populations," officials said.

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