Urban League’s 'State of Black America' Report Reveals Negative Outlook
The National Urban League’s annual report on the State of Black America, released on Tuesday (April 12), paints a gloomy picture for Black Americans in several areas of life, including economics, education and social justice compared to White Americans.
It blames systemic racism for keeping barriers in place that continue to block significant progress in many aspects of Black life.
“These numbers change so little and so slowly. What it tells me is that this institutional disparity based on race seems to be built into American society,” National Urban League President Marc Morial told the Associated Press.
In economics, the median Black household income is 37 percent less than White people, $43,862 compared to $69,823. At the same time, racial disparities in mortgage loan approvals unfairly prevent Black families from home ownership, a primary source of wealth for most Americans.
Morial said, “In that area of wealth, we’ve seen almost no change, none, since the civil rights days. The wealth disparity has gotten wider.”
Inequality in education also prevents Black Americans from excelling. According to the study, public schools that serve predominantly Black students are more likely to have inexperienced, less trained and uncertified teachers. Those factors contribute to the stubborn college graduation gap between Black and White students.
The study also found that Blacks are more than twice as likely as white people to experience the use of force at the hands of law enforcement, as well as three times more likely to get arrested.
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Voter suppression is partly to blame for lower civic engagement among Black people compared to their white counterparts, who are 5 percent more likely to register and vote, the report, which was released in Atlanta, found.
“Georgia is ground zero for voter suppression,” Morial stated. The legislature’s actions after Jan. 6 have been sweeping in their aggressiveness to suppress the vote.”
