The National Urban League’s Harlem homecoming

In the early 20th century, as millions of African Americans fled the racial terror and economic oppression of the Jim Crow South, they arrived in Northern cities with hope in their hearts and resilience in their bones. This movement – ​​known as the Great Migration – was one of the greatest internal changes in American history. This gave rise to new communities, new institutions and new demands for justice.

In 1910, in response to this wave of change, the National Urban League was born in New York to help black families meet the challenges of urban life and claim their rightful place in the American promise.

Now, more than a century later, we are returning to our roots with the opening of the Urban League Empowerment Center in Harlem, a neighborhood that has long been the cultural and political heart of Black America. It’s not just a new headquarters. This is a $250 million investment in equity, opportunity and community progress.

The Empowerment Center is a model of what inclusive development should look like. It includes 170 affordable housing units, reserved for families earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. Among the residents will be young adults supported by the New York Foundling program for foster youth who have aged out of the system – a population too often left behind. By providing stable housing and access to services, we help these young people transition to adulthood with dignity and support.

The Center also provides retail and office space for minority-owned businesses and nonprofit organizations, creating a vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurship and services. It will generate more than $300 million in economic activity, with a commitment to hiring local residents, women and people of color. This is not development for development’s sake, but development with a purpose.

But the importance of this project goes beyond economics. The Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem, scheduled to open in 2026 during the United States’ 250th anniversary commemorations, will be New York’s first museum dedicated to the American civil rights movement, with a unique focus on struggles in urban environments in the North.

The museum’s mission is to interpret and share stories of justice and civil rights, providing immersive educational experiences that empower visitors to become agents of change. The museum will include a permanent interactive installation, rotating exhibits, and retail and café spaces. The museum has partnered with renowned companies Local Projects, Kubik Maltbie and Pacific Studio to design its exhibitions and visual identity.

The Empowerment Center is home to other cultural institutions like the Studio Museum of Harlem, Virginia Union University, and the United Negro College Fund, preserving Harlem’s artistic legacy while nurturing the next generation of creators and leaders.

We also built a 10,000 square foot conference center for workforce development, civic engagement and leadership training. This is where ideas will be born, where movements will be nourished, and where the future of equity will be shaped. It’s a space designed not just for meetings, but also for momentum.

In today’s political climate, where civil rights protections are being rolled back and programs aimed at promoting diversity, equity and inclusion are being dismantled, the Empowerment Center is a beacon. It’s a declaration that we will not be erased, that our history matters, and that our communities deserve investment – ​​not neglect.

The National Urban League has always been a bridge between aspirations and achievements, between politicians and citizens. This center strengthens this bridge. It connects Harlem’s rich past to its promising future. It connects our national mission to local impact. And it connects generations of struggle to generations of success.

We are proud to call Harlem our home. But more importantly, we’re proud to be building something that belongs in Harlem. It’s not just our headquarters: it’s Harlem’s Empowerment Center. It is a place where residents can live, work, learn and lead. It’s a place where equity is not just a goal, but a reality.

In opening these doors, we invite the nation to bear witness to what is possible when development is guided by values, when history is honored and when community is placed at the center. The Urban League Empowerment Center is not the end of a journey, it is the beginning of a new chapter.

Let’s write it together.

Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League.