Black Meetings & Tourism - LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 51st ANNUAL WHITNEY M. YOUNG, JR. AWARDS CELEBRATION

Industry Briefs
LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 51st ANNUAL WHITNEY M. YOUNG, JR. AWARDS CELEBRATION
HONORING JANICE BRYANT-HOWROYD, BRIDGID COULTER CHEADLE, MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, JO-AN TURMAN, AND GLYNN TURMAN June 24, 2026 at Skirball Cultural Center The Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL) proudly announces its prestigious Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Celebration, taking place on June 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM. at the Skirball Cultural Center. This signature Black Tie event promises an inspiring evening celebrating excellence, leadership, and transformative impact across Los Angeles and beyond. The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Celebration stands as a cornerstone of LAUL’s mission, bringing together influential business leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, and community advocates for a powerful night of recognition and purpose. The evening will be hosted by KTLA anchor Chris Schauble and will feature a red carpet reception followed by dinner and an inspiring awards program celebrating leaders who are advancing equity and opportunity across Los Angeles. “Each of this year’s honorees represents the very best of what it means to lead with purpose, integrity, and impact,” said Cynthia Mitchell-Heard, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League. “They are changemakers who have not only achieved excellence in their respective fields, but have also used their platforms to uplift communities, expand opportunity, and drive meaningful progress where it is needed most. At a time when equity and access remain critical challenges, we are proud to recognize individuals whose leadership is rooted in service and whose work continues to open doors for others. Their contributions embody the mission of the Los Angeles Urban League and inspire us all to do more, reach further, and stand firmly in the pursuit of justice and economic empowerment. We are honored to celebrate their legacy of impact and the pathways they are helping to create for future generations.” Each year, the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards recognize individuals whose achievements align with LAUL’s mission. The 2026 honorees include Janice Bryant-Howroyd, Founder and CEO of ActOne Group and the first Black woman to build a billion-dollar company in the United States, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award; Bridgid Coulter Cheadle, Founder of Blackbird Collective and a leading social impact entrepreneur and philanthropist, honored with the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award; Michael Weinstein, Founder and President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation and a longtime housing and health activist, receiving the John W. Mack Legacy Award; Jo-An Turman, Vice President of Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles and a dedicated philanthropist and inner-city youth advocate, receiving the Visionary Award; and Glynn Turman, Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor, director, and youth empowerment advocate, receiving the Trailblazer Award. The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Celebration continues a longstanding tradition of honoring leaders whose contributions reflect the enduring legacy of Whitney M. Young, Jr., former Executive Director of the National Urban League and one of the most influential civil rights leaders in American history. His vision of economic empowerment, opportunity, and social justice remains at the core of LAUL’s work today, guiding programs that support workforce development, entrepreneurship, education, and community advancement. Each year, the event convenes over 1,000 leaders from across sectors, united by a shared commitment to building a more equitable and inclusive Los Angeles. Proceeds from the evening directly support LAUL’s critical programs and initiatives, which provide workforce training, small business development, youth empowerment, and economic mobility opportunities to individuals and families throughout the region. Sponsors for this year’s event include U.S. Bank as Title Sponsor; Annenberg Foundation as Chairman Sponsor; AIDS Healthcare Foundation as President Sponsors; American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Cedars-Sinai, Comerica Bank, First Title Insurance, JPMorgan Chase, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Third District (Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath), Health Net, Sheppard, and Southern California Edison (SCE) as Justice Sponsors; and KPMG as Partner Sponsor. Their support reflects a shared commitment to strengthening communities and advancing economic opportunities across Los Angeles. For more information about sponsorship opportunities and attendance, please visit www.laul.org. ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE The Los Angeles Urban League is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering African Americans and all other underserved communities through education, job training, housing, and advocacy. Since 1921, LAUL has been at the forefront of advancing civil rights and economic empowerment, helping individuals and families achieve sustainable success and upward mobility. ABOUT WHITNEY M YOUNG, J R. A disruptive legendary Civil Rights leader and member of the so-called “Big Six,” the six most important people in the Civil Rights movement. As Executive Director of the National Urban League from 1961 till his death in 1971, he is credited with strategically transforming the Urban League into one that worked assertively and proficiently for equitable access and social justice for historically disenfranchised people. For 50 years Whitney M. Young Jr.’s namesake has been synonymous with the most important annual event for the Los Angeles Urban League.

Industry Briefs

LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 51st ANNUAL WHITNEY M. YOUNG, JR. AWARDS CELEBRATION

HONORING JANICE BRYANT-HOWROYD, BRIDGID COULTER CHEADLE, MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, JO-AN TURMAN, AND GLYNN TURMAN

June 24, 2026 at Skirball Cultural Center

The Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL) proudly announces its prestigious Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Celebration, taking place on June 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM. at the Skirball Cultural Center. This signature Black Tie event promises an inspiring evening celebrating excellence, leadership, and transformative impact across Los Angeles and beyond.
The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Celebration stands as a cornerstone of LAUL’s mission, bringing together influential business leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, and community advocates for a powerful night of recognition and purpose. The evening will be hosted by KTLA anchor Chris Schauble and will feature a red carpet reception followed by dinner and an inspiring awards program celebrating leaders who are advancing equity and opportunity across Los Angeles.
“Each of this year’s honorees represents the very best of what it means to lead with purpose, integrity, and impact,” said Cynthia Mitchell-Heard, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League. “They are changemakers who have not only achieved excellence in their respective fields, but have also used their platforms to uplift communities, expand opportunity, and drive meaningful progress where it is needed most. At a time when equity and access remain critical challenges, we are proud to recognize individuals whose leadership is rooted in service and whose work continues to open doors for others. Their contributions embody the mission of the Los Angeles Urban League and inspire us all to do more, reach further, and stand firmly in the pursuit of justice and economic empowerment. We are honored to celebrate their legacy of impact and the pathways they are helping to create for future generations.”
Each year, the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards recognize individuals whose achievements align with LAUL’s mission. The 2026 honorees include Janice Bryant-Howroyd, Founder and CEO of ActOne Group and the first Black woman to build a billion-dollar company in the United States, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award; Bridgid Coulter Cheadle, Founder of Blackbird Collective and a leading social impact entrepreneur and philanthropist, honored with the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award; Michael Weinstein, Founder and President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation and a longtime housing and health activist, receiving the John W. Mack Legacy Award; Jo-An Turman, Vice President of Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles and a dedicated philanthropist and inner-city youth advocate, receiving the Visionary Award; and Glynn Turman, Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor, director, and youth empowerment advocate, receiving the Trailblazer Award.
The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Celebration continues a longstanding tradition of honoring leaders whose contributions reflect the enduring legacy of Whitney M. Young, Jr., former Executive Director of the National Urban League and one of the most influential civil rights leaders in American history. His vision of economic empowerment, opportunity, and social justice remains at the core of LAUL’s work today, guiding programs that support workforce development, entrepreneurship, education, and community advancement.
Each year, the event convenes over 1,000 leaders from across sectors, united by a shared commitment to building a more equitable and inclusive Los Angeles. Proceeds from the evening directly support LAUL’s critical programs and initiatives, which provide workforce training, small business development, youth empowerment, and economic mobility opportunities to individuals and families throughout the region.
Sponsors for this year’s event include U.S. Bank as Title Sponsor; Annenberg Foundation as Chairman Sponsor; AIDS Healthcare Foundation as President Sponsors; American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Cedars-Sinai, Comerica Bank, First Title Insurance, JPMorgan Chase, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Third District (Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath), Health Net, Sheppard, and Southern California Edison (SCE) as Justice Sponsors; and KPMG as Partner Sponsor. Their support reflects a shared commitment to strengthening communities and advancing economic opportunities across Los Angeles.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities and attendance, please visit www.laul.org.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES URBAN LEAGUE

The Los Angeles Urban League is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering African Americans and all other underserved communities through education, job training, housing, and advocacy. Since 1921, LAUL has been at the forefront of advancing civil rights and economic empowerment, helping individuals and families achieve sustainable success and upward mobility.

ABOUT WHITNEY M YOUNG, J R.

A disruptive legendary Civil Rights leader and member of the so-called “Big Six,” the six most important people in the Civil Rights movement. As Executive Director of the National Urban League from 1961 till his death in 1971, he is credited with strategically transforming the Urban League into one that worked assertively and proficiently for equitable access and social justice for historically disenfranchised people. For 50 years Whitney M. Young Jr.’s namesake has been synonymous with the most important annual event for the Los Angeles Urban League.