Unveiling the Impact of the Greater Baltimore Urban League in Maryland
Founded in 1924, GBUL is Celebrating Their Centennial: A Century of Impact and a Future of Promise
This week on Spotlight On Maryland, Gina Crash was joined in studio by Harold Booker, Interim Workforce Development Director at the Greater Baltimore Urban League, (GBUL), and VP of Membership & Finance for GBUL’s Greater Baltimore Leadership Association, (GBLA), aka GBUL’s Young Professionals Age 21-40, to talk about their Centennial Year celebrating 100 years of impact and a future of promise. The celebration kicked off June 8th with a block party at the historic Orchard Street Church, (the home of GBUL’s offices), and later that day with recognition at the Associated Black Charities Gala. GBUL recently launched their “Voices of the People” Podcast on YouTube hosted by GBUL’s Interim COO, Shea Rice.
Harold talked about GBUL’s Workforce Development’s Community Trade and Apprenticeship Program, (CTAP), supported by an $800K grant from the Department of Labor, where 66 participants have gone through training to get jobs in the Construction industry. They also have a Cybersecurity Program supported by a $1 Million grant from the City of Baltimore ARPA, (American Rescue Plan Act).
GBUL’s recent Saturday Leadership Program, (SLP), Graduation had 3 graduates who received scholarships to 3 HBCU’s: Hampton University, Coppin State University and Bowie State University. The SLP will host a Backpack Giveaway in August.
The Raymond V. Haysbert Center for Entrepreneurship received an $850K Earmark and hosts monthly webinars, pitch competitions, small business coaching and the Black Restaurant Accelerator Program, (BRAP), that begins July 1st for a 9-week program powered by GBUL, PepsiCo and Wells Fargo.
The GBLA hosted a Juneteenth Outdoor Movie Night and Black-Owned Food Fest at the Black-owned Pleasant Yacht Club in Sparrows Point. It was a fundraiser for the Greater Baltimore Leadership Association, (GBLA). The GBLA is compromised of civic-minded 21-40 year-old members of GBUL who work on events fostering youth engagement and civic engagement.
GBUL’s Guild, (GBUL volunteers aged 40 +), is working on Voter Registration and a Summer Reading Youth Program for ages 6-17 from June 15th-July 31st, and an Empowered Readers Book Drive.
For more information about GBUL and GBLA, visit gbul.org. You can also follow them on Instagram @GBUL and @GBLAImpact as well as on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Audacy partnered with the National Urban League in October 2020, and locally, Audacy Baltimore partnered with their affiliate, the Greater Baltimore Urban League, to advance racial justice and equity in the communities we serve.
#CommunityEmpowerment #UrbanDevelopment #MarylandAdvocacy
Keywords: Greater Baltimore Urban League, Maryland advocacy, Urban empowerment, Economic development, Community education
