As the Chicago Urban League prepares for its 64th Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner on November 8 at McCormick Place, three leaders are helping to shape one of Chicago’s most anticipated galas. Under the theme “Shoulders We Stand On, Futures We Create,” President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson, Gala Chair Charles Smith, and Honorary Chair Toi Salter are guiding this year’s effort with a shared commitment to economic empowerment, legacy, and measurable impact for Black Chicagoans.
The Golden Fellowship Dinner, known as GFD, serves as the League’s signature fundraising gala. More than 2,000 guests are expected to fill the Skyline Ballroom for an evening that will feature a special performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi. The League will also honor Chicago businessman George E. Johnson, founder of Johnson Products Company, and Julieanna L. Richardson, founder and president of The HistoryMakers, for their lifelong dedication to innovation and the preservation of Black excellence.
Funds raised from the dinner support the Chicago Urban League’s programs in workforce development, entrepreneurship, education, and homeownership. Last year’s GFD raised more than $4 million—the highest total in its history. This year’s goal is $3 million, which leaders say will help expand the League’s impact while sustaining services for more than 15,000 Chicagoans annually.
For President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson, the gala’s success goes far beyond the night of celebration. “This year we completed our strategic plan for the next five years,” Freeman-Wilson said. “One of the main areas of focus for that plan was to really sharpen how we measure our program impact. We know we touch over 15,000 people a year, but our guess is that we may be touching even more.”
She said the League plans to invest in new technology that will help track outcomes such as new business licenses, homeowners, and job placements. “Support for the GFD allows us to do that because all of those things require money—whether you’re talking about hiring someone knowledgeable in evaluation or a person who can lead our advocacy efforts in Springfield,” she said.
Freeman-Wilson also connected the 2025 gala theme to the League’s mission of building on the work of those who came before. “The first way is by making people aware of the history of the riches,” she said. “Those of us who are probably 50 and older know who George Johnson is. We grew up using Ultra Sheen, looking at Soul Train, and being impacted by his legacy and work. But those who may be under 40 may not have as much knowledge about him.”
She added that the League’s work also honors the legacy of Juliana Richardson, whose HistoryMakers archive ensures that Black history is preserved accurately and not rewritten. “There is an effort to minimize and change the history that we have seen in this country,” she said. “So we thought it was important not just to emphasize history, but to think about the future as well.”
Freeman-Wilson said guests can also expect an interactive experience that blends celebration and education. “There will be a number of visual installations relative to history,” she said. “We’ll be talking about those people in the political arena on whose shoulders we stand—like Mayor Harold Washington, and civil rights leaders such as Jesse Jackson. It will not be just well-known names, but others people can learn about. This will be a teachable moment.”
For Gala Chair Charles Smith, the event represents both continuity and challenge. Smith, founder and CEO of CS Insurance Strategies, acknowledged the evolving climate around corporate giving and diversity initiatives. “This gala supports the programmatic needs of the Chicago Urban League,” he said. “Last year’s was the most successful gala ever, raising more than $4 million. The goal this year is $3 million, which is still ambitious given changes in the DEI space.”
He noted that many corporations have scaled back diversity-related programs due to shifting federal priorities and political pressure. “The verb has changed from DEI,” he said. “Some organizations are trying to figure out new language while responding to lawsuits and political challenges. But the Urban League has a consistent history that allows us to focus on programs and outcomes, not politics.”
Smith emphasized that his approach is rooted in civic duty and partnership. “For me, DEI and MBE programs have not been the most successful anyway,” he said. “It’s really about love and care—the business community’s responsibility to civic engagement in Chicago. The people’s love for our city, our organizations, our institutions should supersede politics.”
He said this year’s campaign focuses on connecting both legacy sponsors and new organizations to the Urban League’s mission. “This is the first time that Marsh MMA, a division of the world’s largest brokerage, has sponsored the Urban League,” Smith said. “My goal is to expose new organizations to this work, because that increases consistency and longevity.”
As a longtime civic leader who serves on the boards of World Business Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Business Leadership Council, Smith said he is motivated by a sense of generational leadership. “I remember as a young professional just trying to get in the room at the Urban League,” he said. “There’s a transition happening now, and I want to be part of that change in leadership—to show that it’s our time to lead.”
For Honorary Chair Toi Salter, the dinner is both a celebration and a call to action. Salter, president of Salter Financial Management, served as gala chair in 2024 when the event achieved its record-breaking fundraising success. “Last year we had something a little different,” she said. “We brought in individual donors, not just corporations. Those were people who had the heart to give—and they gave in a big way. One gave $1 million, another gave about $400,000. That really pushed us over the top.”
This year, Salter continues to encourage both corporate sponsors and individuals to support the League’s programs. “It’s not just about the dinner or the dancing—it’s about doing your part,” she said. “Every gift matters. We always go after the same individuals to support these institutions, but there are many more people who can and should give. It takes more than a few to keep programs like these going.”
Salter said the theme “Shoulders We Stand On, Futures We Create” resonates personally because she comes from a family of entrepreneurs. “My uncle was my mentor—he owned a financial practice that inspired me to become a financial planner,” she said. “My mother ran her own business for many years, and my aunt owned about 30 Burger Kings and the land they stood on. Entrepreneurship is in my family’s DNA, and it connects deeply with the Urban League’s mission of raising leaders and entrepreneurs.”
She also emphasized mentorship and collaboration among women in finance and philanthropy. “I’m always willing to share whatever knowledge I have,” she said. “We haven’t even tapped into the full potential of our financial sophistication as a community. We need to support our institutions like the Urban League and UNCF. If we want these programs to continue, it requires everyone doing their part.”
Salter hopes to see that spirit of giving in action during the dinner. “We’re expecting more than 2,000 attendees this year,” she said. “If each person gives $300 when the paddles go up, that alone would raise more than $600,000. That’s the kind of collective impact we can make together.”
Together, Freeman-Wilson, Smith, and Salter represent a powerful alliance of leadership, service, and commitment to Black Chicago. Their combined efforts reflect the Urban League’s mission to foster economic empowerment, cultivate leadership, and dismantle systemic barriers to equity.
Proceeds from the Golden Fellowship Dinner directly support the Chicago Urban League’s programs in job training, business development, and education. Tickets and sponsorship information are available at chiul.org.