Source: Dean Anthony ll / Dean Anthony ll
The National Urban League is one of America’s oldest civil rights organizations.
Each year since 1976, the organization has analyzed and reported on the affairs of African Americans. The yearly report presented is called the State of Black America, and for this year the results haven’t been good. According to The Associated Press, the racial inequality in America across economics, employment, education, health, housing, criminal justice and civic participation couldn’t be more obvious.
In this year’s findings, NUL used the Untied States various informational entities to chart the differences between white and Black people.
The Equality Index in the report found that Black people only get 73.9 percent the American Dream that white people get. The Equality Index has been in place since 2005, and findings show while Black people have made economic and health gains over the years but the rest of the categories still have much to be desired.
The median household income for Black people, at $43,862, is 37% less than that of white people, at $69,823. Census data showcases that Black couples are more than twice as likely as whites to be denied a mortgage or a home improvement loan. Of course, generational wealth is something most Black people haven’t acquired just yet. That lack of continuous wealth hampers the idea of home ownership for most and it serves in the numbers. 59% of the median home equity white households have, and still contain 13% of their wealth.
Life expectancy for Black people has also fallen under the white median. A Black child born today can expect to live to 74.7 years of age. Which is four years less than a white baby. Black women are 59% more likely to die because of bearing a child, and 31% more likely to die of breast cancer. Black men are 52% more likely to die of prostate cancer.
In education the differences are subtle, but important to notice. Black and white preschoolers are closely prepared, but the classrooms they enter are different. Schools with more minority students are more likely to have inexperienced, less trained and uncertified teachers. Even fewer of these students are enrolled in the STEM classes that can lead to higher-paying jobs. Black students are also less likely to graduate college.
NUL acquired information using the U.S. Justice Department to view social justice differences as well. Black people have been more than twice as likely as white people to experience threats or uses of force during police encounters, and three times more likely to be jailed if arrested. In 2021’s report, Black people were twenty times more likely to be searched than white people. Even in civic participation, Black people are 5 percent less likely to be registered and to vote than white people.
National Urban League President Marc Morial spoke in a interview with the Associated Press, and spoke about the troubles Black people in America face.
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.
In that area of wealth, we’ve seen almost no change, none, since the civil rights days.
The wealth disparity has gotten wider.
The National Urban League hasn’t completely revealed the 2022 State of Black America just yet.
It actually comes out in 2 days. What NUL has done so far, is start the issue’s rollout in Atlanta because their newly launched voting campaign, “Reclaim Your Vote”. Since 3 major HBCUs reside there, it would be a great opportunity to gather the declining faith of the young Black voter and make a change. Georgia’s voter suppression tactics are some of the most egregious in the country and need all the support they can get.
