The National Urban League held its centennial celebration during the 2009 annual conference in Chicago this summer.
As we celebrate the fact that many barriers to achieving equal opportunity have been leveled, others are still there or have arisen. Leveling all barriers will require an unprecedented amount of commitment and resources.
This spring, the National Urban League released its annual State of Black America 2009, and while the Obama administration has ushered in a new era of hope, change and unity, this year’s report shows improvements for African Americans in very few areas, including access to healthcare and median household income. African Americans remain twice as likely to be unemployed, three times more likely to live in poverty, and more than six times as likely to be incarcerated. Overall, the reports from the last five years show that ground has been lost.
As the Indianapolis Urban League board and staff plots the course for the present and intermediate future, we will focus our advocacy and programs toward closing these gaps in education, employment and economic empowerment and access to quality health care.
We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go. I hope that each of you is inspired to join us to do our part to close these gaps and build a community worthy of our children’s future.
Joseph A. Slash
President and Chief Executive Officer