URBAN LEAGUE CEO PRAISES FCC ANNOUNCEMENT BUT CALLS FOR MEASURES TO ENSURE MINORITY ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION

NEW YORK (December 1, 2010) -- Today Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, praised Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski for his announcement of the December meeting agenda.

“This announcement is an important step toward protecting an open internet and providing the clarity needed by the broadband service providers,” Morial said. “Our communities’ ability to access the news, civic, employment, educational and financial information and services available on the internet is critical to achieving our mission of economic empowerment and equality.

"We also strongly urge the FCC to adopt strong, enforceable provisions to insure that minority and women owned businesses and workers are afforded meaningful opportunities to participate in the expansion, deployment and buildout of the broadband system in the United States. The National Urban League will advocate for such provisions in any final rule to be adopted by the FCC, and for long-overdue reform of the Universal Service Fund.

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The National Urban League is the nation’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are more than 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.