[separator headline=”h1″ title=”Spirit of the League hits the mark”]
Actress Keke Palmer and four amazing young men from the Urban Youth Empowerment Program accepted honors at the Urban League of Greater Atlanta’s Spirit of the League luncheon on May 29. UYEP’s value was on full display as the young men shared their heartwarming stories of overcoming hardship and disadvantages with guidance from UYEP staff.
The young Spirit of the League awardees all had faced brushes with the law, trouble in school, and dubious futures before they connected with the League. Once enrolled in UYEP, they have blossomed, embraced a sense of hope and connection to community, and are actively engaged in post-secondary educational and career opportunities.
We are often assailed by the news here in Atlanta and across our nation of the bleak prospects for lower-income young black men, in particular. UYEP and other ULGA programs are addressing the issue head on and making a tangible difference in the lives of young people and their communities.
ULGA is now seeking funding to continue UYEP, which began in 2013 with two years of funding from the US Department of Labor with the goal to connect 115 out of school and unemployed youth with high demand career pathways, education and employment that will lead them to the middle class. The achievements of the young people in the current UYEP cohort have proven what the League has known all along: That, given the chance, young men and women in our communities will work hard and become positive contributors to society.
