Greater Milwaukee Urban League honors equity work at annual ‘Whitney M. Young, Jr., Equal Opportunity Day Awards’
The Greater Milwaukee Urban League (GMUL) will host its prestigious Whitney M. Young, Jr., Equal Opportunity Day Awards Luncheon, celebrating outstanding individuals and organizations championing the mission and vision of “Empowering Communities, and Changing Lives” in the Milwaukee community. The event will occur on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Pfister Hotel, with registration beginning at 11:00 a.m. and the awards program running from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
This year’s highest honor, the Whitney M. Young, Jr., Award, will be presented to Ralph Hollmon, who served as president and chief executive officer of the Milwaukee Urban League from 2002 to 2017. The award commemorates the extraordinary legacy of Whitney M. Young, Jr., a civil rights pioneer and former National Urban League president.
“The Whitney M. Young, Jr., Award is our organization’s highest recognition of service and leadership,” said Dr. Eve M. Hall, President and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Urban League. “Ralph Hollmon’s fifteen years of dedicated leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing equity in Milwaukee make him an outstanding recipient of this honor.”
The 2025 honorees represent a diverse cross-section of Milwaukee’s community leaders, organizations, and businesses:
Whitney M. Young, Jr. – Ralph Hollmon Civic Engagement and Social Justice – Clarence Nicholas, NAACP Milwaukee Branch Dr. Wesley L. Scott Award, Dedication to Education – Dr. Demond Means Economic Impact Awards – Peggy Williams-Smith, Visit Milwaukee; Marty Brooks, Wisconsin Center District; ThriveOn King | ThriveOn Collaboration Corporate Advocacy Champion – Spectrum Community Advocacy Champion – Chandra Cooper, Grateful Girls, Inc. Community Impact – Culture x Design; HYFIN Media Champion – WNOV-860 AM Radio Health Advocacy – MICAH; Sherman Park Grocery; Gee’s Clippers Young Professionals Making a Difference – Nicholas Truog; Lauren Feaster, Professional Dimensions Be the Change – Cynthia Stokes-Murray; Jasmine Johnson Entrepreneur of the Year – Fredrick Robinson, Greenwood Park Gallery
The Equal Opportunity Day Awards Luncheon serves as a vital platform to recognize and celebrate those working tirelessly to create a more equitable Milwaukee. Through their collective efforts, these honorees demonstrate the power of dedicated leadership in fostering positive change throughout our community.
For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit eod2025.givesmart.com or contact Florida Perry-Smith at fperrysmith@tmul.org
About Greater Milwaukee Urban League
The Greater Milwaukee Urban League is an affiliate of The National Urban League. We lead through education and outreach, employment and empowerment, and advocacy to achieve economic vibrancy and equal access to all industries and disciplines that position African Americans to create wealth and live a better quality of life. Greater Milwaukee Urban League’s vision is to ensure that Wisconsin becomes a top 10 place for African Americans to live and thrive and where the greater Milwaukee area becomes a leader in education and socioeconomic inclusion. For more information, visit www.tmul.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @urbanleaguemke.
