Urban League of the UpstateThe 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 Urban League is the oldest and largest community-based organization of its kind in the nation.
In 1970, a small group of citizens from Greenville met in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church with one goal in mind. To create a community-based organization committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all citizens in housing, education, employment and economic development without regard to race or socioeconomic status. From these meetings, the Greenville Urban League was established in 1972 with Theo Mitchell as its first President. In 1997, understanding the needs of the Upstate Region, the name was changed to reflect the population served to Urban League of the Upstate.