Chicago Urban League’s 64th Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner

The Chicago Urban League’s 64th Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner, one of Chicago’s most anticipated galas, takes place this Saturday, November 8, 2025, at McCormick Place’s Skyline Ballroom. The black-tie event marks the pinnacle of the fall gala season—an evening where legacy, leadership, and community impact converge under one roof to celebrate Black excellence and economic empowerment.

This year’s theme, “Shoulders We Stand On, Futures We Create,” captures the essence of the Urban League’s 108-year history as a cornerstone for racial equity and opportunity. The event will feature remarks from President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson, along with Gala Chair Charles Smith and Honorary Chair Toi Salter, who together have shaped a night designed to inspire generosity and collective action.

More than 2,000 guests are expected to attend the sold-out affair, which has long been recognized as the premier fundraising event of the gala season. Proceeds from the evening directly support the League’s vital programs in education, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and advocacy—initiatives that help more than 15,000 Chicagoans each year gain access to economic opportunity and upward mobility.

Freeman-Wilson said the dinner represents far more than a celebration. “Every year, the Golden Fellowship Dinner reminds us of our shared responsibility to invest in Chicago’s future,” she said. “Our programs exist because of the generosity of those who believe in equity, and this event is where that belief turns into tangible action.”

If every attendee contributed even $300 during the gala, Freeman-Wilson noted, the collective impact would fund new youth internships, small business grants, and job training programs across Chicago’s South and West sides—helping to sustain the League’s mission of advancing racial and economic justice for generations to come.

This year’s entertainment will feature Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi, whose powerful vocals and soulful performances have earned her a place among contemporary music’s most inspiring voices. Ledisi’s appearance ensures a night of world-class artistry in keeping with the League’s tradition of showcasing excellence across every facet of Black culture.

The dinner will also honor two luminaries whose lifelong work embodies the League’s core values of innovation, leadership, and service. George E. Johnson, founder of Johnson Products Company and one of the nation’s pioneering Black entrepreneurs, will receive the Bill Berry Award for Business Excellence. Julieanna L. Richardson, founder and president of The HistoryMakers, will receive the Lester McKeever Award for Civic Leadership. Both honorees represent Chicago’s enduring legacy of self-determination and storytelling.

Gala Chair Charles Smith, a former corporate executive and community advocate, praised this year’s honorees for “setting standards of excellence that remind us what it means to lead with vision.” Honorary Chair Toi Salter added that the event’s success depends on the willingness of everyday Chicagoans to give back. “Philanthropy doesn’t just come from corporations,” she said. “When each of us gives what we can—our time, our resources, our voices—we move the city forward.”

For more than a century, the Chicago Urban League has worked to advance equity for African Americans and other underserved communities. Founded in 1916, the organization continues to play a leading role in tackling systemic barriers through programs that help students prepare for college, assist entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses, and equip job seekers with 21st-century skills.

The Golden Fellowship Dinner serves as the League’s largest annual fundraiser, bringing together civic leaders, elected officials, business executives, and community partners who share a commitment to shaping a more equitable Chicago. Guests at this year’s dinner will experience an evening of fine dining, inspiring tributes, and exceptional entertainment—all in support of the League’s mission to foster economic opportunity, equity, and unity.

As the lights dim and the first notes of Ledisi’s performance fill the Skyline Ballroom, attendees will be reminded that their presence represents more than elegance and celebration—it signifies investment in the lives and futures of thousands of Chicagoans.

Tickets for the event are sold out, but donations to support the Chicago Urban League’s programs can still be made online at www.chiul.org.

Read “The People Behind the Golden Fellowship Dinner.”

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