The Urban League of the Upstate | Celebrating Black History
Reverend Sean Dogan
The National Urban League is a civil rights organization with over 90 affiliates in the USA and Virgin Islands, 3 of which are located right here in South Carolina — the Upstate, Columbia, and Charleston. The Urban League of the Upstate was started over 50 years ago.
I recently had the privilege of speaking with Urban League of the Upstate’s interim president and CEO, Rev. Sean Dogan.
Rev. Dogan, born and raised in Greenville, went to private and public school before attending Clemson. He went to graduate school in Raleigh, NC. Now he has been Pastor at Long Branch Baptist Church for 23 years — and married for the same amount of time.
“The Urban League of the Upstate’s job is to promote equity and empower the black community and other underserved communities of color through advocacy, education, and economic stability.”
Rev. Dogan and I were able to dive deeper into those three components of their mission statement — specifically how they are working in the Upstate communities.
Advocacy
The Urban League of the Upstate advocates for these communities by looking at the different policies at a local, state, and national level that are barriers to the black community and other underserved communities of color. Whether it be law enforcement or other local ordinances.
Education
“Education is the greatest equalizer,” Rev Dogan told me. “We have to ask ourselves why the school system places students where they do.” The Urban League of the Upstate focuses on ensuring that high school students reach graduation and offer services to students to help prepare for college and career readiness. This includes working with Upstate school districts and charter schools, such as Legacy Charter School.
Economic Stability
This means programs that teach budgeting practices and educating first time home buyers on what they can expect. This includes advocating for more affordable housing in Greenville — a huge need right now in the community. Urban League has organized financial stability programs with companies like Chase Bank and Bank of America.
Rev. Dogan and I spoke about how Covid effected the Urban League and its mission. Despite the immense tragedy and loss the pandemic inflicted upon us, “Covid has given us time to take a pause. If we could isolate Covid by itself and then isolate racial/social issues, that’s one thing. But we can’t.” The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others put the topics of social justice and civil rights in the media. “As a nation we have been able to see things for the way they are.”
The Urban League of the Upstate recently performed a vaccine education forum with Prisma health and has another on Feb 25th with Bon Secours specifically for faith leaders of color. “We know that communities of color are having a lot of mistrust when it comes to the vaccine,” Rev. Dogan said. “We think that the faith community can be a partner in getting information out.”
He continued, “On February 28th we have our annual Equal Opportunity Day — normally this would be a gala. However, this year we will be hosting it for free virtually. We will discuss how we have pivoted and will be delivering services even during the ongoing pandemic.”
When I asked Rev. Dogan what he was most passionate about right now, he spoke without hesitation of their apprenticeship initiatives. “The truth is, with an apprenticeship program it takes care of so much of our mission. It navigates around bureaucracy and tears down barriers. At the end of the day we just want to take care of our families.” Urban League’s apprenticeship programs can help place individuals in a position to succeed by pinpointing their skillset and placing them in a position where they will earn a livable wage.
How can you support Urban League of the Upstate?
Rev. Dogan said “There are the three Fs.”
Be a Friend: Friend’s take up for you. Friends stand beside friends and fight for what they believe in.
Be a Fan: Cheering a group on. Speaking highly of them. Taking some time every once in a while to put a positive post on Facebook, become a follower or friend of the Urban League Facebook page. Share. Like. Comment.
Be a Funder: “It’s not the amount you give,” Rev Dogan said, “it’s how consistent you are in deciding to make a difference. Once a year, two months out of the year, being regular in making a difference is what matters.”
“We are more than you think we are,” Rev. Dogan told me as we wrapped up our conversation. “With each other we can be more than we ever dreamt to be. Don’t put us in a box, we are here to serve the entire community. We need your partnership, community, and collaboration.”
Social justice and fighting for civil rights has been a passion of mine for years, so being able to bring light to this phenomenal organization is truly an honor. Please consider taking the time to visit their website and learn more about the great work they’re doing and keep up with all their upcoming workshops and programs.
If you’d like to be a friend, fan, or funder of The Urban League of the Upstate and their mission I encourage you to join me in doing so. All proceeds from It’s Greenville merchandise sales will go to Urban League of the Upstate. You can visit here to learn more about volunteer opportunities and here to donate directly to their cause.