Written by April Turner
“Empowering communities, changing lives.” We say that a lot at Urban League of Central Carolinas (ULCC). We wear it on our t-shirts. We print it on almost every communication we send and disseminate. It is our motto. And we mean every word of it.
As we move to manifest and maintain the power of our motto— “Empowering communities, changing lives”— we recommit every day, to readily march in a solution focused direction to deliver power and change opportunities to communities. With this renewed power and community, the lives of our clients are transformed and generations impacted.
Albert Einstein is quoted as having said, “One cannot solve a problem from the same level of consciousness that created it.” It is often necessary to acknowledge and study the problem and its effects, but power and change always come by moving in the direction of the solution. Developing the fortitude required to focus on the solution, weakens the strength of the problem.
For the Urban League at Central Carolinas, that solution-focused movement starts with understanding what we are saying and why we say it. Knowing what we are saying informs what we do, and the effectiveness with which we can do it.
We say, “Empower.” To empower means to “give authority or power to do something; to make (someone) stronger and more confident especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.” Our motto offers a reminder that strength, confidence and self-determination are the desired personal outcomes for clients who come to ULCC for help taking steps toward their goals.
We say, “Community.” One definition for community is “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.” When we put forward the words “empowering communities” and align them with congruent actions, we are creating for our clients communities where they are not just included, but also enjoy a sense of belonging. This uniting of interests and attitudes also joins and lifts all surrounding communities. Individuals and communities then can purposefully connect, to find ways to achieve collective goals.
We say, “Change.” To change is to “make different, alter or modify; or to replace with something of the same kind that is newer or better.” Sometimes it takes courage to welcome change, even when it is good change. Shifting what one knows or perceives about one’s self can be destabilizing sometimes. Our programs aim to encourage the expectation and acceptance of positive, life-enhancing change that can shift the trajectory of our clients’ futures.
We say, “Life.” This is, in part, “the period between the birth and death of a living thing, especially a human being.” The words “vitality, vigor and energy” are also included in the definition. The work we do at ULCC seeks to improve the lives of the whole family, from child to parent, and extended members. We effectively hope the skills and knowledge offered in our programs edify the lives of clients and families connected with ULCC for decades to come.
The Urban League of Central Carolinas is here to be an effective voice and effective hope to empower communities and change lives. These are words that have sustained and reinvigorated our mother organization for generations. There is wisdom in these words. Urban League leaders who have come before, left them for us to remind us that the lasting solution to problems we face, starts within us. Power. Community. Change. Life.
Once we, as a whole community of leaders, realign with the strength of our words, the real work can begin, and will accomplish its purpose for the people we serve.
