About Us
The Urban League of Lexington – Fayette County
It was a time of turmoil and trouble that threatened to pull our country apart. Leaders were assassinated. Unpopular wars. Cities were literally burning. And Lexington was not immune from the tension that gripped America. Deep social, economic and educational divides separated the white and black communities. But during that summer of 1968, a champion to address those inequalities emerged, and Lexington would never be the same.
The Urban League of Lexington was granted a charter on May 17, 1968. And thus began its decades of service to the African-American and other underserved people in our region. Chaired by Harry Sykes, the Urban League quickly began to address the issues of inequality of economic, housing and educational opportunities in Central Kentucky. And within one year of the founding, PG Peeples, Sr. joined the Urban League and began what would become 50 years – and counting – of a leadership role in the organization.