T. Willard Fair President & CEO Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc.
Willard Fair, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Miami, spoke with Invest: about his 61-year tenure, noting the organization’s growth from a small nonprofit to a $10 million force in the community. He emphasized that the organization is about economic potential, not the color of the community, and highlighted the need for collaboration and a mindset shift to empower marginalized youth.
How long have you been in the Urban League?
I came in 1963, and this has been my first and only job since I left graduate school 61 years ago. I have been part of the old and new life of the Urban League over the years and have seen it, as well as the city, change. When I came here, there was a small staff of four and a small budget. In 2023, we ended with a $10 million balance. We haven’t had a fundraiser in 30 years despite being a not-for-profit organization. I am living evidence that nothing stops you but you, that Miami is a place where everyone can prosper, and that effort gets you where you want to be.
Could you speak to some of the recent work happening in the organization?
We need to understand where we are today in contrast to where we came from. When I came here in 1963, it was separate and unequal, and it was only the white and colored community. Since I have been here, demographics have changed and diversified, which has forced us to make some adjustments in how we do business. It was a struggle at the outset because we were used to doing business with ourselves. Today, I can say we are truly a melting pot of Miamians, and we all do business downtown together. When you look at business development now, it is no longer Black business, it is just business development. While our focus is still on improving the lives of the Black community, we recognize that this can’t be done by ourselves, and our partners recognize that they are the beneficiaries when they participate with us. It becomes more about economic prosperity and moving the city.
How are children being empowered to become future community leaders?
We don’t believe the challenges in our community stem from racism or poverty, we believe challenges stem from a lack of will. Our focus is on closing the achievement gap and on systemic change; we don’t deliver services because things will not be corrected in that way. We focus on changing mindsets and attitudes and believing in the decisions we make. All our activities are focused on empowering Black families.
You can’t discuss a young boy’s being incarcerated without addressing the absence of men in the household. When families are intact, it’s all about achievement and believing that you can.
At 85, I still remember my first day of first grade in 1945, when my mother instilled in me that I was smart. In Liberty City, it’s about what children believe about themselves. When they believe in themselves, they do what they need to do to prosper.
How are you ensuring that marginalized communities benefit from Miami’s growth?
Marginalized communities will participate and benefit if they believe they can participate and be beneficiaries. No institution in Miami rejects the Black community, so we make sure that no one believes the reason they are not where they want to be is because of the color of their skin. We’ve demonstrated clearly that Black children can and will learn, but how you teach them is uniquely different. It is not something that can just be done on a whim. Educators need to understand the culture and challenges of our community, teaching despite neglect, hunger, and difficult attitudes so children know they are cared about.
How are you collaborating with government partners and leaders to create solutions for economic inclusion?
I don’t want to just collaborate, I want to influence. When I hold a fundraiser for the mayor of Miami-Dade County, I am not just interested in the mayor, I am interested in having access to her in order to do our projects in Liberty City and influence the outcomes of collaborations. We collaborate with others to ensure projects succeed, securing both economic benefits and social capital so that parties involved benefit equally for having participated. We don’t talk Black, we talk Liberty City; we don’t talk poverty, we talk progress; we don’t talk about the past, we talk about the future; we don’t point fingers because there are three fingers pointed back at us. We say it’s about what we are able to do and willing to invest in. When that happens, change takes place.
Where have you seen the biggest strides in the county over the past decade?
I am about ethnic progress, and I am proud to say that in Miami, there is nothing you cannot do because of your color. Miami is a picture of what America is all about. When I came here 60 years ago, there were no Blacks on the county commission, but now the chairman is a black person. Before, progress was in the hands of others, but now, we have control of our own futures.
