Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League
2008 Impact Report

Download and read our 2008 Impact Report outlining what's going on at the Las Vegas Urban League. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this 5MB file.

Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League Opens
New Community Center

LAS VEGAS, June 2, 2008 – On Saturday, May 31, 2008, the Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League (Urban League) opened the doors of the new Dr. William U. Pearson community center located at 1625 W. Carey Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89106 at the intersection of MLK Blvd. and Carey Ave.

The Pearson Center is a public/private partnership between the Urban League, a 501(c)(3) organization, and Clark County. The County built the 40,000 square foot facility with HUD funding on land from the City of Las Vegas. A park, world-class track and field, and amphitheater will adjoin the Center when the last phase of the project is completed later in the year.

The Urban League is an affiliate of the National Urban League, founded in 1910. The Urban League’s mission is to empower communities and ensure equal opportunity for low-income people. The Urban League is the largest Community Action Agency in Nevada. It delivers social and economic assistance to individuals and families seeking to attain self-sufficiency. The agency is funded, in part, by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. 

The Urban League will program, manage, and operate the Pearson Center. The vision for the Center is that it will become a destination hub for persons seeking social, educational, recreational, sports, health/wellness, and community economic development enrichment opportunities.

The Center is named for Dr. William U. Pearson, deceased. Dr. Pearson was a practicing dentist in Las Vegas. He has the distinction of serving as a Las Vegas City Councilman and a Clark County Commissioner. During his years as a Commissioner, Dr. Pearson served on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, was Chairman of the University Medical Center board, and was instrumental in securing funding for the hospital's trauma center. He died in February 2004. Members of his family will attend the grand opening ceremony.

Grand opening festivities include a ribbon cutting ceremony, proclamation dedication, and acknowledgements from the Pearson family and dignitaries, including Commissioner Lawrence Weekly, Councilman Ricki Barlow, State Senator Steen Horsford, and others.
Thanks to the collaboration of the Urban League, the grand opening was marked by the appearance of Susan Taylor, former Editor-in-Chief of Essence magazine and founder of the National Cares Mentoring Movement.  Ms. Taylor was there to help kick off the Las Vegas Cares Mentoring Movement. Its goals are to mobilize the community to increase high school graduation rates and decrease violence in Clark County. Commissioner Weekly is the honorary chair of the Las Vegas Cares Mentoring Movement.

Ms. Taylor was accompanied by Thomas Dortch, former national president of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. The 100 Black Men Academy, a charter school with more than 500 enrolled students, is adjacent to the Pearson Community Center.

For program and activity information to be offered at the Pearson Community Center, contact Sid Grant, Center Coordinator, at (702) 455-1222.