Nearly 1,700 supporters of the Chicago Urban League gathered at the Chicago Urban League’s Golden Fellowship Dinner – Centennial Edition on Nov. 19. Hosted by comedian Damon Williams, the event raised a record-setting $2.65 million and culminated with a phenomenal performance by the legendary Diana Ross.

The group’s president and CEO Shari Runner challenged the crowd of community leaders and elected officials to have serious conversations about challenging racism.

“The League has never shied away from leading difficult conversations or defending the rights our ancestors fought and died for, and we never will, no matter how insurmountable the odds may seem,” said Runner. “We’ve arrived at the apex, facing our racial moment of truth – are we going to continue providing an alibi to the historical and current role of racism, or are we going to finally tear it up from its roots?”

Funds raised from the dinner will support the Chicago Urban League’s programs, which serve more than 10,000 Chicago residents annually, including Student Development Center, Workforce Development, Human Capital, Housing and Financial Empowerment, Entrepreneurship and IMPACT Leadership Development.

Above are a few photos from the star-studded event taken by EBONY photo editor Geoffrey Black.