ABOUT GWUL
VISION & MISSION
The Greater Washington Urban League (“GWUL” or “the League”) envisions a DC Metro Area inclusive of flourishing, multi-generational, Black communities where members thrive without the hindrance of systemic minoritization and racial violence. Thus, the League is on a mission to increase the monetary and political wellness and power of historically disenfranchised and economically excluded Black and other populations of color. GWUL concurrently works to advance racial justice as a mechanism to achieve equity while also promoting self-reliance and political parity. Our work counters generational weathering, inoculates against psychological oppression, and combats structural barriers, dispossessed wealth, and community displacement.
For 85+ years, the League has impacted millions of lives, standing both on society’s frontlines and in the trenches, serving as a safety net and opportunity facilitator in the Greater Washington DC community. GWUL empowers communities and transforms lives through social work, advocacy, emergency assistance, economic empowerment, and human development. We are a powerful voice advocating for fairness, equality, and justice, remaining vigilant against the erosion of civil and human rights.
ABOUT THE LEAGUE
The Greater Washington Urban League is one of the District of Columbia’s oldest civil rights and community service organizations. Established in 1938 during the Great Migration, the League assisted thousands of Blacks fleeing Jim Crow laws and segregation to find safety and opportunity in the District. Today, the League continues to guide individuals toward self-sufficiency amidst challenges such as the school-to-prison pipeline, law enforcement brutality, and structurally enforced disparities across all measures of health and wealth.
For 85 years, the League has impacted millions of lives, standing both on society’s frontlines and in the trenches, serving as a safety net and opportunity facilitator in the Greater Washington DC community. GWUL empowers communities and changes lives through social work, civic engagement, emergency assistance, economic empowerment, and human-centered development. We are a powerful voice advocating for fairness, equity, and justice, remaining vigilant against the erosion of civil and human rights.
GWUL is a major interracial, nonpartisan, nonprofit, social services and civil rights organization with headquarters in the District of Columbia and coverage extending to Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, MD. The League is a 501(c)3 non-profit community service organization staffed by 90+ individuals from various disciplines who provide direct services to more than 10,000 households annually. The League is governed by a 25-member Board of Directors and an advisory board that provides expertise and guidance to support our programs. The Thursday Network is the League's young professional auxiliary and provides linkage to 250 members of the next generation of leaders. The 100-member Guild drives our volunteer service and keeps GWUL connected to all generations in the community.
The League is a member agency of the United Way of the National Capital Area and one of the largest of 90+ affiliates of the National Urban League.
EMPOWERMENT
WHAT WE DO
The League manages a variety of programs in housing, financial empowerment, entrepreneurship/small business, emergency assistance, youth development and scholarships, workforce development, and health and wellness. Our solution continuums include:
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
The Greater Washington Urban League empowers communities by offering comprehensive workforce development services, including employment training, job fairs, professional development, and networking opportunities to help individuals achieve economic stability and success.
We understand how urgent the economic situation is for our region’s most vulnerable residents – and that no one can be left behind as the region’s economy grows. We’ve created the Workforce Development division of the Greater Washington Urban League as a professional development sourcing mechanism for the residents we serve, as well as a career incubator driven by a mission to support a strong economy and the ability of each person to achieve self-sufficiency.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
We offer small business development services, providing entrepreneur advising and business creation support to help aspiring business owners turn their ideas into successful ventures.
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
We provide emergency assistance through strategic partnerships with local housing and utility services, ensuring that community members have access to critical support in times of need.
Even with the Great Recession officially ending, people are still in need as we continue dealing with the prolonged effects of an economic crisis. For vulnerable populations, the stakes are even higher: many must constantly choose between basic needs and paying their utilities. The Greater Washington Urban League services are free. We work with anyone who asks for our help. We gladly partner with key utility companies like PEPCO and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) to assist clients who are unable to pay their water, electricity or other utilities to get back on their feet. The ultimate goal of this cadre of programs is to help people arrive towards self-sufficiency while providing short-term crises intervention. The programs cover emergency assistance for water, gas and electricity bills – and, through that, more than 1,400 individuals on average benefit from utility assistance each year.
SECURING AND PROTECTING HOME OWNERSHIP
We are dedicated to securing and protecting homeownership by offering financial assistance, first-time homebuyer seminars and training, and foreclosure counseling to support stable and sustainable housing opportunities.
The Greater Washington Urban League’s Housing Division builds financial bridges from rental housing to homeownership, creating stability and prosperity for families throughout the region. Programs on financial literacy help youth and adults understand resource investments and wealth accumulation. The Housing Division offers homebuyer education workshops teaching participants how to apply for a loan, prepare a budget, and resolve credit problems. These and other workshops are offered at the Greater Washington Urban League headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in our Prince George’s County, MD Office
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SCHOLARSHIPS
We support youth development by offering scholarships, internships, and a range of academic and vocational training programs to help young people achieve their educational and career goals.
Experiential learning is as valuable to the growth and development of a young person as is an academic education. The Greater Washington Urban League provides a broad array of experiential opportunities to young people. These include hands-on workshops for students and parents, field trip learning opportunities and mentorship.
GWUL HISTORY
The Urban League has been transforming Black lives in the metropolitan Washington area for more than 83 years, and we are nowhere close to being finished.
In 1938 when the Great Migrations brought thousands of Black people to DC in search of a better quality of life, The League was just in its infancy. Its founding board, chaired by Dr. Garnet C. Wilkinson, included Elwood Street, Howard Long, Alice Strong, John Corson, Campbell Johnson, William Lee, Belford Lawson, Anson Stokes, Newbold Noyes, John Pinkett, Thomas Parran, Velma Williams, and Muriel Alexander. At that time the 150,000 Black DC residents suffered from excessive unemployment and half of them lived on meager earnings from part-time work. A mere 8.4 percent of the Blacks in DC were federal workers with 90 percent of them holding custodial jobs.
The League made it their duty to increase Black employment in the public and private sectors and improve the status of domestic workers. They did so by using community activism to establish channels of education and organization.
The next 12 years leading to 1950 proved to be difficult for Blacks in the District. However, few saw the need for a new organization with progressive leadership and ideas. Some were satisfied with the employment opportunities; others feared that any partial gains that had already been made would be destroyed; in turn, they shunned the Washington Urban League.
The League began with no government funding and was able to raise $10,000 in an initial campaign. After joining the Washington, DC Council of Social Agencies in 1941, the League qualified to receive $4,000 each year in government funds.
In 1956 when Sterling Tucker became executive director of the Washington Urban League the struggle for civil rights was just getting underway; however, by the time his tenure ended considerable progress had been made toward equal opportunity and full citizenship rights for African Americans. As a fierce advocate for Blacks, Tucker introduced a range of programs at the WUL that proved to ameliorate some of the worse effects of racism and segregation. The 1960s became a decade of transformation for the League as racial animosity peaked nationwide. The work done in these times made WUL an integral part of the progress made in the civil rights movement.
In 1970 WUL opened its second branch office in Alexandria, Virginia and by 1976 its first privately owned headquarters was born at 3501 14th Street, NW. Three years later the Word Processing Center began operation and WUL’s programs became metropolitan in scope. These programs were designed to accomplish their mission through advocacy, action-oriented research, direct services, and interracial interaction.
In the 80s the nation's capital boasted a thriving downtown, a strong Black middle class, and a relatively low unemployment rate, but the city still endured de facto segregation.
In 1983 Betti S. Whaley was named president of WUL, making her the first female to head a League office. Under her leadership, WUL became completely immersed in the politics of District neighborhoods and its programs touched nearly every aspect of Black life in the District.
In 1990 the organization became known as the Greater Washington Urban League to reflect its expanded reach into Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in Maryland. Then-President, Maudine R. Cooper also received a title change from President to President and CEO.
For the next two decades, Cooper worked relentlessly to empower residents in the metropolitan Washington area through innovative programs and services in education, employment and training, health services, housing, and community development, and environmental training programs. In fact, one year after Cooper took the job, the League provided direct services to 58,437 clients.
In 2014 George Lambert took over the role of President and CEO.
As times change The Greater Washington Urban League’s commitment to closing the race equity gap does not. We will continue to provide strategic resources that enrich the Black community with invaluable knowledge.
REMEMBERING
Maudine Rice Cooper
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Maudine Cooper, a leader whose impact will reverberate well beyond her lifespan. Today, we mourn the loss of a visionary whose legacy will forever inspire and guide us.
For 23 years, Maudine Cooper served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Washington Urban League. Under her leadership, we propelled program impact and expanded our service area to Maryland in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. In 2000, Maudine rescued an abandoned building that was a blight in the community and restored it to serve as our new headquarters.
Her unwavering commitment to early involvement of our youth in civic engagement led to the founding of our young professionals auxiliary in 1992, Thursday Network. Today, the award-winning organization is comprised of over 200 members who vigorously support the mission of the Greater Washington Urban League.
Beyond our organization, Maudine Cooper’s influence extended to the National Urban League, where she previously served as a senior executive leader. For the Government of the District of Columbia, Maudine served as a senior department leader under three mayoral administrations: Marion Barry, Adrian Fenty, and Vincent Gray.
"Maudine Cooper was a dear friend and mentor. On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, thank you for your service and commitment to the movement. You will always be loved and missed." - President & CEO George H. Lambert Jr.
As we join in mourning, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cooper family during this difficult time. Maudine R. Cooper’s loving heart and legacy will continue to inspire us as we will always honor her memory and strive to uphold the values she so passionately championed.