The Shenango Valley Urban League marked its 40th anniversary Thursday.

For President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Wright, it’s a milestone of Biblical proportion.

“For me, 40 years means you’re coming out of the wilderness,” Wright told more than 200 people at the Radisson Hotel in Shenango Township.

The Jews of Moses’ time wandered for 40 years before coming to the promised land of Israel.

Even the number 40 has spiritual value, Wright said.

The flood of Noah’s time lasted 40 days and Jesus spent 40 days fasting in a test of his spiritual mettle. Forty years is the time it’s said for one generation to pass and another to take hold.

For the Urban League, it’s a time to reflect upon the past and build upon it for the future, Wright said.

To mark the occasion, the league welcomed former president the Rev. Felecia Pearson Smith as keynote speaker.

“You are to be commended for having stayed the course for 40 years,” Rev. Smith said. “There were years of struggle and years of prosperity.”

She served as the league’s president from 1995 to 1998, a challenging time for the league, Wright said.

Rev. Smith said the anniversary should be seen as a time to renew the Urban League’s commitment to the community.

“There is still much work to be done,” she said. “Lives are directly changed by what you and I have committed to do on a daily basis.”

Wright reminded people of the continued challenges the league faces and called for a renewed commitment of the league’s mission to ensure a fair shake for people who need it.

“We must begin a renewed thought process to develop sound young minds who can take their place within society and our community,” Wright said. “Collectively we can make a difference and change the climate of our community.”