While it would be nice if Obama could attend this event, I don't think he needs to in order to prove his commitment to "Black America."
The State of Black America 2007
Portrait of the Black Male
Published by the National Urban Legue
Foreword by Senator Barack Obama
There are at least two stories to tell about the state of black America in 2007. One story celebrates the extraordinary fact that some of this country's top financial institutions have black chief executives, that a black woman is president of an Ivy League university, that the current and previous secretaries of state are black Americans, that a black coach led his team to victory in the Super Bowl, that the college graduation rate of black women has never been higher, that homeownership by blacks is as high as it has ever been, and that blacks have penetrated nearly every barrier in law, business, medicine, sports, education, politics and public service. Black influence on art and culture is as strong as it has ever been, and black voters should feel empowered by a reauthorized Voting Rights Act. These accomplishments are the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams of black Americans who toiled, marched, bled, sat-in, and voted against all odds and obstacles. Some of these achievements were perhaps beyond even the imagination of the millions of black Americans who labored without reward or compensation to help build this country despite being denied its rights, privileges, and opportunities.
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But another story must also be told about the state of black America. A quarter of all black Americans live below the federal poverty level, a poverty rate about twice the national rate. More than a third of all black children live in poverty and almost two-thirds grow up in a home without both parents. In some cities, more than half of all black boys do not finish high school, and, by the time they are in their 30s, almost six in ten black high school dropouts will have spent time in prison. Half of all black men in their 20s are jobless, and one study a few years ago found more black men in prison than enrolled in college. The typical black household earns only about 60% of the earnings of white households and has a net worth only about 10% that of whites. The HIV/AIDS rate is highest for black Americans, and blacks are more often the victims of inadequate healthcare and preventable health maladies. This sad story is a stark reminder that the long march toward true and meaningful equality in America isn’t over. We have a long way to go.
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History teaches us that equality must be fought for each and every day. We must redouble our efforts to close the health care gap that leaves minority communities with higher rates of disease and lower rates of quality care. We must close the achievement gap by committing to early education and ensuring that we teach all of our kids to take pride in educational achievement. We must close the empathy gap that lets us give up on people who may have lost their way and all Americans must embrace our common fate and shared destiny.
In this volume, there are many different approaches to solving our common problems. Some will work and others might not. But it is in our shared interests and in the interest of every American to stop ignoring these challenges and start finding the solutions that will work. For in the end, we want the story for black America to be one universal story where success is the norm and struggles are overcome.
This is the journey we are on together. http://www.nul.org/thestateofblackamerica.html