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Tallahassee Urban League Annual Membership Campaign

6 p.m. Sunday, April 17 – Old West Florida Enrichment Center

Good evening.

I want to thank the Reverend Ferrell and Mrs. Maggie Lewis Butler for inviting Florida State University and me to participate in this important fundraising effort.

I’m honored to co-chair this membership campaign with my friend, FAMU President Elmira Mangum. This is a great example of what is so wonderful about having two universities in the same town. We can collaborate on ways to address some of the most pressing needs in our community and society at large.

Elmira and I have worked together on several initiatives, and I can think of no better collaboration than giving back to the community that does so much to support FAMU and FSU.

We are proud to take part in this effort to raise $100,000 to support the many programs and services provided by the Tallahassee Urban League every day.

For more than 46 years, the Tallahassee Urban League has made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of families and individuals in our city and surrounding areas.

Tallahassee is a wonderfully diverse city, and the Urban League is dedicated to making it a better place for everyone to live, work and raise a family.They are doing this through a variety of services that touch on every aspect of modern life. The Urban League:

  • helps low- and moderate-income homeowners rehabilitate their houses
  • provides crime prevention and intervention programs
  • offers employment assistance and counseling.
  • And perhaps most importantly, when families are really in dire need, the Urban League is there to lend a hand in the form of food and temporary shelter.

Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and therefore brothers.”

The Tallahassee Urban League and Florida State University are neighbors separated only by Tennessee Street and a few blocks. We’re excited to join our neighbor in serving the needs of so many in Tallahassee and surrounding communities.

We’re particularly interested in the development of programs that can help the Frenchtown community, which borders our campus.

I’m glad that Reverend Ferrell and former Senator Al Lawson approached me last year to discuss ways FSU and the Urban League could work together.

I pledged my support to them then, and tonight I want to reaffirm my commitment. In addition to a financial contribution, FSU will sponsor a reception in support of the membership campaign.

Reverend Ferrell and the members of the Board of Directors, I look forward to working with you to make a difference in the lives of so many.

God bless you and the work that you do.