The New York Urban League was founded in 1919 in response to difficulties commonly encountered by African-Americans migrating to New York City from the agricultural and rural south. Then, as today, the organization assisted individuals and families from the African-American community overcome socio-economic, educational and discriminatory barriers to achieve their full potential. In keeping with this rich legacy, the organization today emphasizes the importance of sustaining families as a means of promoting self-sufficiency and building livable communities. It is a federally registered 501c(3) not-for-profit corporation, and is the flagship affiliate of the 103 affiliates of the National Urban League.