Research, Public Policy
& Community Development
In order to advocate more effectively for or
against issues that affect African Americans
within our community, the Urban League of Pittsburgh
created the Research and Public Policy Department.
The Research and Public Policy Department is
charged with gathering data, doing research,
coordinating the publications of strategic research
papers, and helping to develop the advocacy
position of the League on critical issues. The
department also presents the League’s position
as appropriate to government organizations,
boards, committees, and community groups. In
addition, the department also prepares speeches
for Urban League personnel as required.
Essential to effective advocacy and to creative
program development is ongoing research. Our
research is based on the League’s service
data and on relevant demographic and performance
data from other sources such as school achievement
and drop-out rates, economic benchmarks, and
employment statistics. In the past, the Urban
League has published several reports that
attracted local and national attention, stimulated
dialogue on key issues, and resulted in measurable
change. Among these were Blacks in White (a
profile of African American employment and
utilization of local hospitals that raised
consciousness and, in some cases, increased
African American employment), The Cost of
Staying Alive (an analysis of hospital costs,
salaries, and “profit” margins that led local
government to look more closely at tax exemptions
for nonprofit institutions, including hospitals),
and Home Sweet Home-less (a profile of low-income
housing problems and a strategy for creating
a housing crisis index, now being considered
for national implementation).
Another valuable research initiative is the
Black Papers series, which highlights and
studies issues of importance to the African
American community. The first in the series
consisted of three Black Papers on Health,
an examination of the health status of African
Americans in Allegheny County.
Duquesne Community Mobilization Project
(DCMP). The goal of this project is to address
social issues in the City of Duquesne, including
the socialization of youth, crime, violence,
and improving the quality of life within high-risk
neighborhoods. The project also seeks to establish
and nurture trusting, cooperative relationships
among individual social, political and commercial
stakeholders, for the benefit of Duquesne.
This project has been so successful that it
has received the Communities that Care awards
for “Mobilizer of the Year” and “Youth Involvement
of the Year”, which were recently (April 2002)
awarded in Hershey, PA by Mrs. Schweiker,
wife of the governor of Pennsylvania, in attendance
was Laura Bush, wife of the president of the
United States.
The Research and Public Policy Department
is responsible for:
Providing the necessary research
and information for various internal initiatives
to departments within the ULP.
Advocating on behalf of African Americans
in various areas including public policy,
health and social welfare.
Research and remain updated on current events
and issues relevant to African Americans both
locally and nationally
Assist the President/CEO in the compilation
of speeches.
Oversee and assist in the creation of the
Black Papers
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