T. Willard Fair, the Urban League of Greater Miami’s president and CEO, has worked with the organization for more than 60 years. He had a prominent voice in the community, both experiencing and contributing to integration and other forms of progress within the city, and sharing his bold points of view with The Miami Times. Many remember his service as chairman of the Florida State Board of Education and co-founder of Florida’s first charter school, Liberty City Charter School.
Yet, since 2022, no one has heard from the public-facing side of his organization. No website posts, which used to be frequent, or social media posts have surfaced since then, while press releases are increasingly rare.
“You probably have not heard about our projects because we do not publicize what we do. We just simply go ahead and do it,” Fair told The Miami Times in an interview.
What hasn’t changed is the organization’s focus on the performance of 13 schools in Liberty City, with its major work revolving around its afterschool program We Rise Reads, funded by The Children’s Trust. Fair said they serve about 80 children through the program, “improving their educational outcomes by improving their reading capacity.”
Without prior or current involvement, it’s hard to know how the Urban League is contributing to the community today. But that’s what Fair wants questioners to do — head to his office.
“Come by 8500 and see me,” he said, noting the Urban League’s headquarters at 8500 NW 25th St. “My partners know what we’re doing. T.D. Jakes knows what we’re doing. The mayor of Miami-Dade knows what we’re doing.”
At times when the Urban League had a lot to say about the state of Miami and Liberty City, the nonprofit’s marketing was meant to promote the issues and elicit action from foundations and politicians who could say, ‘I’m concerned about the problems and the Urban League is the instrument that I’m going to use.’ “We don’t do that anymore because we are self-sufficient,” Fair explained.
Their funding still comes from partnerships like those with the Children’s Trust and United Way of Dade County, but Fair has pivoted for more than one reason. “Back in those days, the things that we were doing was dealing with the issues of racism, integration, segregation. That was highly volatile stuff,” he said. “That is behind us now … It’s not race. It’s not poverty. It’s what we think about ourselves.”
Closing the Achievement Gap
The number one focus of the Urban League is as follows: “We believe that if we close the achievement gap, then every person — in spite of, but not because of, the color of their skin — can achieve. So all we do is focus on closing the achievement gap,” said Fair.
The afterschool program is a must, but the achievement gap across Miami-Dade County Public schools requires a joint effort between the school board, the Urban League and other organizations focused on education deficits. In 2021, District 1 school board member Dr. Steve Gallon proposed a review and examination of the achievement gaps in M-DCPS and established an Achievement Gap Oversight Committee.
This committee includes members of the United Teachers of Dade, the PTA/PTSA, NAACP, The Children’s Trust, the Urban League, and other related community organizations.
“I am proud of the Board Item that I proposed which was successfully and unanimously approved by the Board and which has now led to a formal School Board policy, Oversight Task Force, and measurable progress in closing the Achievement Gap for Black, minority, poor, and underserved students,” Dr. Gallon said in a written statement to The Miami Times.
“The item I proffered included them (the Urban League) as members of the Achievement Gap Task Force.”
Since then, Fair says the committee has met over the past several months, “has completed its process and has created a report that has been submitted to Dade County Public Schools.”
Once they discuss that report with the board, Fair says the next step would be to release it to the public. “But not before we’ve had permission to discuss it with the school board,” he added.
The other reason that the Urban League chooses to focus on education, Fair said, is because they have mostly done their job up to this point. In the 1940s, the Greater Miami branch of the Urban League was born out of a necessity to protect Black people from the dangers of racism. When Fair joined in the ‘60s, he was vocal out of a need to draw attention to problems people were ignoring. He focused on integration, whether it was in school leadership or surrounding department stores. Now, “This is 2025, not 1965. If I was still as vocal today … I would not have made any progress. Because there are no problems that are uniquely designed in our mind because of the color of our skin,” Fair explained.
“If the Urban League closed its doors today, we will have fulfilled our mission,” he said.
New Developments
Still, there is more to be done. The Urban League hopes to announce a new headquarters soon, with details still being ironed out for the nonprofit to own its own space. And its affiliate, New Urban Development, is working hard on developing new affordable and senior housing wherever it can. In July 2024, the organization cut the ribbon on Superior Manor Phase II, a Liberty City affordable housing building where no resident pays more than 30% of their income on rent.
In January 2024, New Urban Development partnered with T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures LLC to break ground on 150 units for senior living in Miami Gardens on land provided by the city with funding provided by the county. It will be the first senior housing complex in Miami Gardens when completed.
Currently in progress is the Villages II, an eight-story 120-unit affordable housing development in Little Haiti at 890 NW 69th St. The developer, Rinaldi Group, provided an update on the building, which reached four floors in January 2024.
“Now approximately 90% complete, this project represents a significant step in providing quality, affordable housing to the community. We extend our sincere gratitude to New Urban Development for entrusting us with this opportunity to bring their vision to life,” Frank Rinaldi, director of business development, said in a written statement.
Once that is complete, the Urban League and their real estate development arm will have room to announce their headquarters on Northwest 7th Avenue. The Urban League plans to have control of three blocks in Liberty City, which is feasible considering its large portfolio of buildings so far, including the Carrie Meek Manor senior apartments, the renovated residences at Renaissance at Sugar Hill, and the Villages Phase I.
“We look forward to the successful completion of this development and the positive impact it will have on the community,” Rinaldi said.
Though the Urban League looks forward to all of the educational and residential developments it will provide for the public, Fair says he is still steering away from public opinion.
“When you are dependent upon what the public thinks about you, you begin to do things to enhance your position with the public,” he said. “Once we became self-sufficient, we report internally. We report to our partners.”
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