ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and the National Urban League today announced a new partnership bringing together two venerable civil rights organizations in service of building stronger relations between the African American and American Jewish communities and to advocate around issues of mutual concern.
“Partnering with the ADL at this moment builds on our shared past and creates the pathway forward,” said Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “Our young leaders are aligned on many issues and bringing their shared energies and passions together now through the work of our young leaders will solidify these relationships and build new ones.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director, added, “I am honored to continue our storied partnership with the National Urban League and to continue the work with my friend Marc Morial. But more importantly, I am excited to be fostering the development of these powerful relationships across the nation at the grassroots level. The work our young leaders do together will be a model for the future.”
Through a series of joint actions and projects, the two organizations will create deep relationships on the ground through the next generation of leaders, uniting each organization’s existing young professional cohort into a powerful network. The partnership, which will begin work with a voting rights pilot project entitled “Our Time, Our Vote” in Philadelphia, was formally announced today in a webinar featuring the CEOs of both organizations and local activists doing work on the ground in Philadelphia.
ADL Regional Director Shira Goodman, and the Urban League of Philadelphia President and CEO Andrea Custis have focused on voter outreach and education as the initial project on which to join forces. “Voting is crucial, and we need to increase the number of young people who are voting and engaged in the process,” Custis said. “This partnership is perfectly timed to engage our young leaders in this critical endeavor.”
Goodman added, “This project honors our communities’ past collaborations while building a foundation for a shared future.”
During the past 100 years, the Black and Jewish communities in America have overcome considerable odds to fight discrimination and gain a stronger and more secure place in society. Blacks and Jews, including Jews of color, have often worked hand-in-hand in the face of widespread hatred to achieve these outcomes, marching together in the American South, jointly lobbying the Supreme Court and Congress, and helping one another on the ground in neighborhoods across the country.
ADL and the National Urban League hope to continue and advance that storied history by reenergizing the relationship and making it stronger, with young leaders working side-by-side on the ground toward a more civil society.
Seizing this historic moment in the aftermath of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake and the protests against racism that have taken place across the country, the project is launching as a pilot in Philadelphia, where ADL’s Philadelphia Regional Office and the Urban League of Philadelphia will bring together young leaders to learn and work together.
About National Urban League
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague.
About ADL
ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.
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