For more than 100 years, the Louisville Urban League has been committed to helping African-Americans and other marginalized groups attain social and economic equality and stability.

But in the past six months, its leadership has been in flux.

Last week, Kentucky Edition's Kelsie Stark sat down with the new interim president and CEO.

Well, just a few months ago, I sat here with the newly named president and CEO, Dr. Kumi Price, who talked about her long term plan as head of the Louisville Louisville Urban League.

And then on March 20th, an announcement came that she was transitioning out of that role effective immediately.

And Linden Prior is the chief engagement officer for the organization right now who recently stepped into that role as president and CEO.

So why the change and do you intend to keep the role?

In terms of the why, it was just the decision that was made between the board and Dr. Price.

It's just a change of leadership.

And so I am honored and glad to be able to step in and continue this work that I've worked for for the last eight years almost at this point.

One of the main pillars of the work you all do has been about gun violence, gun reform.

And here we are in the aftermath of another mass shooting.

What can we do from here and what are is your organization's kind of path forward?

Well, we released a statement yesterday about how we as a country, we as a state, we don't have to live like this.

And so we just need to choose differently.

And so that's starts in many ways with the folks in Frankfort and with the folks in D.C.

Choosing to do better in terms of policy can be very simple things like in Kentucky right now, police departments are not allowed to destroy confiscated weapons, which is just absolutely silly.

Right.

Like that.

That would not even be an option at their disposal.

And in fact, there was legislation just this past session to be able to change that and it moved nowhere.

And so very simple common sense solutions might go a long way.

Let's talk about the Department of Justice report on Lmpd.

A scathing report in the wake of the death of Breonna Taylor.

What are your takeaways from from that?

And again, how do we move forward?

So as I said, in a at a public forum at Frazier just a couple of weeks ago, you know, we're not interested in reformation or reform.

This has to be transformation.

We have to do things wholesale in order to change the way in which policing works.

And so that is really starting at the foundation in rebuilding, retooling, completely redoing and rethinking the way in which we we understand policing.

And so we are going to continue to push on that issue from all areas.

And so for us, one of the big places that that starts is with the new police union kind of track that the city is is negotiating right now.

We believe that public participation is critically important for that process, that we need to have impacted individuals in the room to be a part of those negotiations, because that is where accountability starts for policing.

That is how we start to move in a better direction.

If you want to know more or figure out how you can get involved, add the Louisville Urban League's Derby Gala is coming up on Wednesday, May the third.

Tickets are still available and you can also inquire about sponsorships for that fundraising event.

All of that information is online.

That's Wednesday, May 3rd.

Thank you, Kelsey.

The Louisville Urban League also offers mental health counseling services, job and housing placement services and education opportunities.

Right now, they have 1500 spots for free tutoring for CPS students.