The New York Urban League is a nonpartisan historic civil rights organization that was founded in 1919. The New York Urban League is part of the National Urban League, founded in New York City in 1910 as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes. The symbol of the National Urban League is an equals sign (=) surrounded by a circle.
 
The symbol of the New York Urban League is an apple (for “Big Apple,” the nickname of New York City) with an equals sign (=) on the apple. The New York Urban League symbol was used in newspaper advertisements for the New York Urban League Football Classic, a charity football game involving teams from traditionally black colleges.
 
“The First Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Football Classic” was advertised in the Daily News (New York, NY) on July 26, 1971, and the equals sign (=) in a circle was used. The “Big Apple” logo with an equals sign (=) on the apple was advertised in the Daily News (New York, NY) on August 16, 1981.
 
Made in NYC has had a trademarked “Big Apple” logo since 2003.
       
         
Wikipedia: National Urban League
The National Urban League, formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan historic civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of economic and social justice for African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. It is the oldest and largest community-based organization of its kind in the nation. Its current President is Marc Morial.
 
History
The Committee on Urban Conditions Among Negroes was founded in New York City on September 29, 1910 by Ruth Standish Baldwin and Dr. George Edmund Haynes, among others. It merged with the Committee for the Improvement of Industrial Conditions Among Negroes in New York (founded in New York in 1906) and the National League for the Protection of Colored Women (founded in 1905), and was renamed the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes. Haynes served as the organization’s first Executive Director.
 
New York Urban League 
What We Do
For over 99 years, we have been helping disadvantaged New Yorkers find humanity in the big city, find ways to connect and help each other, and together gain access to equal opportunity in employment, education, financial and technological literacy, and more. The New York Urban League, Inc. (the “League”) is one of the local affiliates of the National Urban League.
       
Newspapers.com
26 July 1971, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 65, col. 2 ad:
The First Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Football Classic
(No “Big Apple” symbol is used. The “=” symbol is used.—ed.)
   
Newspapers.com
16 August 1981, Daily News (New York, NY), Leisure sec., pg. 6, col. 2 ad:
New York Urban League Football Classic
(The “Big Apple” and “=” symbol is used.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
11 August 1983, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. Bx8, col. 3 ad:
NEW YORK URBAN LEAGUE 13TH ANNUAL FOOTBALL CLASSIC
(The “Big Apple” and “=” symbol is used.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
2 September 1984, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 77, col. 3 ad:
NEW YORK URBAN LEAGUE 14TH ANNUAL FOOTBALL CLASSIC
(The “Big Apple” and “=” symbol is used.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
9 April 2012, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 25, col. 1 ad:
Membership @ New York Urban League
(The “Big Apple” and “=” symbol is used.—ed.)