KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Area Urban League hosted its annual luncheon on Wednesday, where it discussed ways the nonprofit would advance its mission over the coming year and make sure as many people as possible had the opportunity to thrive.
"There is a greater need now more than now for our work within our community," said one speaker during the luncheon. "Staff are constantly thinking about ways to constantly impact all members of our community, and lift them up, and help them thrive."
The luncheon is a formal event when the urban league rolls out its agenda for the year, while also celebrating members. Charles F. Lomax Jr., the president and CEO of the urban league, said KAUL is partnering with the American Heart Association this year to save lives.
"African Americans and Hispanic communities are directly impacted by heart disease, and by strokes, disproportionately to other communities. And so, we're working with them to prevent that and ultimately bring about change in saving lives," he said.
He also said the urban league is also focusing on workforce development this year. The theme of the luncheon was "Redefining Workforce." He said the urban league would be focused on equipping workers so they could find "the jobs of tomorrow."
He also spoke about the Knoxville Area Urban League's work to make sure diverse companies helped build a new downtown stadium. The urban league worked with minority-owned businesses and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises to help make sure they had the chance to grow as the stadium was built.
"We're really excited about the work that's being done there, and with the stadium project coming into fruition, we're really excited about using that as a springboard to other projects as well," he said.