Fort Wayne Urban League: Join the Movement
By Betty Miller Buttram
FWIS Contributing Writer
The Fort Wayne community was extended an invitation to attend the Fort Wayne Urban League event focusing on how the organization will be moving forward. The event was on Wednesday January 24, 2024, 5:00 -6:30 pm at the Arts United Center on Main Street, Fort Wayne, IN. Guests enjoyed a cash bar, light refreshments, and conversation. There is a new Board of Directors and a new President and CEO of the Fort Urban League.
The Theme for the organization is “Empowering Communities/Changing Lives.” The Mission is to enable African Americans and others to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights. The focus is on four key initiatives: Neighborhoods, Education, Social Advocacy and Civic Engagement to empower African Americans and others to thrive in their communities.
John Rogers, the Board Chair, and Dawn Clopton, the Vice Chair, gave the background information along with their introductions about the new President and CEO, Aisha Arrington.
Arrington worked 20 years with several local non-profits; graduated and received her undergraduate degree from Fort Wayne Purdue University and graduated from Indiana Tech University with a master’s degree in organizational leadership. In 2021, she received the Alumnus of the Year Award from Indiana Tech. In 2023, she was honored by the Better Business Bureau by receiving the Jay Leno Individual Integrity Award and recognized in the Fort Wayne Magazine People of the Year, December 2023. Her passion is writing and several of her OP-EDs have been published. She serves the underprivileged, underserved, and those often forgotten.
And then Arrington took her place at the podium.
Arrington realized she was in the Movement because she had been in different meetings with people who did not believe that the Fort Wayne Urban League could come back stronger or better. She left those meetings, feeling discouraged and sometimes defeated, but she always knew that this was bigger than her. It was a movement that began in 1920 in Fort Wayne when African Americans came to the northern states looking for housing, education, and opportunities. She knows all too well about what it is to fight against racism, and she talked to the audience about her experiences here in Fort Wayne.
She was born in Fort Wayne at St. Joseph Hospital and has lived her whole life in Fort Wayne. At the age of seven, she was sitting in the principal’s office because her teacher said that her hair had not been combed. She had a white foster mother at the time, and she did not know what to do with her Afro. At 18, and a teen mom, she recalled an incident at the South Town Mall at the J.C. Penny store as she was trying to exchange an Easter dress for her daughter only to be denied even though she had a receipt. When she protested, she was scared away by the threat of the cashier calling the police on her. She witnessed her first boyfriend being put in handcuffs, kicked, on the ground and on his stomach, scared and shocked. He had not done anything wrong, but she could not help him.
Some of Arrington’s great life moments have been graduation, leadership opportunities and accomplishments that all happened in Fort Wayne. She spoke about having experienced the good and the bad; both the injustices and triumphs, and because of her life experiences she has built a humble heart and the fire of a strong advocate to serve to get the job done. People have taught her, stood by her and she has listened to them. She has respect for their opinions and believes that things can get accomplished by working together.
Arrington stated that the Fort Wayne Urban League is experiencing the right time to push forward and continue the work of everyone to be equal. With a new board, a leader, a community effort, and financial support coming into the organization, it is the right time to give more support to advocacy programs; to do their part to make the community better for all. The Fort Wayne Urban League is prepared for what lies ahead because they are in the right place.
Arrington stated that the Fort Wayne Urban League is in the 46803-zip code area, and they share a campus with Bright Point and the Allen County Pontiac Library. They are surrounded by several low-income housing complexes that houses people that should not be identified as poor and disadvantaged. It is time to change that narrative. She stated that the people of this community have dreams and want to do better for their families. The community needs to stand together.
Arrington’s final words to the audience were: “I am your movement, the right person, at the right time, and at the right place.”
Visit the Fort Wayne Urban League website and become acquainted with the new Board of Directors and read the Message from the President and CEO, Aisha Arrington.