African-Americans made small gains relative to their white counterparts in the 2010 Equality Index, released Wednesday by the National Urban League.
The index attempts to measure the "relative status of blacks and whites in American society," using the categories of economics, health, education, social justice and civic engagement.
The 2010 index stands at 71.8 percent – an increase of 0.6 percent over the year before. An equality index of less than 100 percent suggests that blacks are doing worse relative to whites, while an index greater than 100 percent suggests that blacks are doing better.
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Curious... why are blacks pitted vs whites? Why not show the status of all classes? Why are blacks more important than Asians? I smell racism in this article and studies like this.
If the article is to be believed, sounds like affirmative action should end today.
Posted by: Jason
Why Jason?
If they had thought true US history in your high school class (assuming you reached that far, and attended class at all).
First, you would know Black Americans are the only group the Whites brought here against their will. Second, Black Americans are traditionally the second largest group in the US after the Whites. Therefore, the comparison seems a logical. Third, Asian themselves are out pacing everybody else anyway. They have the highest income, and should be in a category of their own.
But really the biggest reason I'd say the USA that you come to know was really created on the back of slaves from Africa. It seem fitting that they are compare with the whites.
We have a black president. I would say that is achieving the ultimate in equality.
Remember MLK: let us not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character. This is really all that should matter
And from Janet Jacksons Rhythm Nation (not sure if it is her original quote or if she was reusing it)
In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you.
When people talk about inequality they actually mean poverty, because if you are wealthly, inequality shouldn't be a problem. There are many whites who suffer from inequality because they are not smart enough or too lazy to help themselves and therefore do not reap the same benefits as other whites. Similarly there are many black people who suffer the same fate and it is very short sighted, given the current sitting president to suggest that skin color is the reason for inequality.
It is the Character of the soul that we would love to focus on, but the damage that White Supremacy Ideology has done should not and cannot be overlooked, We as a community must clean ourselves up of THAT damage that has caused many "generational scars"...Oh, and by the way I have never heard anyone say Native Americans should not be identified by their nativeness... I say "Black America" only to identify us as a group for we share a historical experience that other groups within America do not share, it is not to cause division but if I have the FLU and you have a COLD you certainly cannot apply the "same" method of treatment. by the way Mr. Dan Holiday I must say there are many "black americans" who don't give a rat's behind about their African history only because of those "generational scars" that caused US to hate black and look up to white, the way Africa was portrayed throughout schools and movies made us ashamed of our African roots, thank the ALMIGHTY that that is changing since Africa is rising into prominence now. also, I do not measure success by "one is an engineer, two are lawyers, etc... Success to me would be no more fractricide within our communites, being able to produce and provide the basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter to the 40 Millions of us, to significantly reduce or eradicate the statistics of our incarceration, to see the greatness of our peoples talents and skills utilized to make us a clean, dignified, cultivated, cultured and prosperous community which would contribute to the beauty of America and not to the ugliness. We can all move out of color consciouness by helping us to help ourselves clean up those "generational scars" that has produced "Black inferiority complex" and giving up "white supremacy ideology" then all our Humanity can show forth and we can relate to each other with respect and admiration for the Unity in Diversity. On the race spectrum Black is on one side and White is on the other side and if we can reconcile our differences with Justice then the whole race spectrum would be balanced. I wish all Peace and Weal.. thank you for reading my words. In La'Kech (I am another you)
@Michigan resident: Hiring blacks at the "same rate" as whites does not mean the number of blacks hired should be the same as the number of whites hired. The rate is a percent! For example, assuming whites make up 67 percent of the US population, if out of 100 job positions 67 whites were hired and 13 blacks were hired, then blacks would be hired at the same rate.
Dan Holiday, African American culture is NOT about understanding African roots, nor is it all the negative stereotypes you just brought up. The Harlem Renaissance didn't come from Africa. The Civil Rights movement didn't start in Africa. Wearing kente cloth and dishikis doesn't create a strong African American. Icons like Fedrick Douglass, Joe Louis, the Tuskeegee Airmen, MLK, Thurgood Marshall are part of the history of African America. Where are they in your diatribe? Blacks who claim they are just Americans are ignorant to the existence of those non-blacks who still won't recognize them as full blooded Americans. Go tell the backdoor, good ol' boy, back scratching bigots to stop defining African Americans by the color of their skin instead of the African Americans. It's like having a rape victim reporting the crime and claiming the victim is at fault just because the culprit hasn't been caught. GET OFF YOUR IGNORANT HIGH HORSE!
First of all B.Cobb, not all statistics are meaningless. Some tell more than words ever could. Take the stats from the U.S. Department of Labor that breaks down the current unemployment level of 9.7%. It shows that whites are at 8.7 and blacks are at 16.5. That is almost twice as many. WE even trail latinos who are at 12.4. This shows that blacks are still " The last ones hired and the first ones fired". This is a huge discrepancy that can not be explained away with excuses like you would try to do. It is simple discrimination in hiring practices. And as for you Mr. Holiday, I am a 51 year old black man who hates rap music and hip hop in general. But I have noticed that a lot of white youth love it. That is why it is played on so many radio stations. I like jazz, R & B and even little classic rock. I have no criminal record and detest violence. I like to help others in need no matter what race just because it makes me feel good to help others. I have raised 3 daughters and am happily married. I am an African American not African. So my culture is mixed with African and American history. Your statement would be the same as my stating that the white culture in the 60's was all about growing your hair long and wearing scraggly clothes, taking acid and smoking pot while having orgies. And then on Saturday afternoon go downtown and protest the war. The similarities are real because that is what white youth did back in those days, but not all of them. And when they became adults they grew out of it. The same is with our black youth. They will grow out of it. I don't think you will see many 51 year old hip hoppers.
As I read a lot of these comments I can't help but feel we still have a long way to go in this country. It is hard as a black man to go out in the world and not feel that everyone is against me because of my skin. I have learned to judge people as individuals over my life. And there are a lot of beautiful people out there from all walks of life. I pity some of you because that is somethng you will never know. You will go to tour graves missing the greatest thing life has to offer. Loving thy fellow man. May God have mercy on you as I do.
I am a black woman privileged to work in corporate America, I have a BS and a MA, and ironically I have never experienced AA working for me. I still have been over-looked for promotions, and they have been given to my white counterparts. Not to say that they were not qualified, but to simply state the fact that AA is Taboo, black people who hold any position probably did not get it from the fact of their skin color, it’s just a shame that America thinks like that. It’s a lot of us that work just as hard or harder than anyone because we have come to the conclusion that you have to work twice as hard just to be considered. Take our president for instance, he is a brilliant black man, who hit the ground running to make this nation a better place, but he is constantly put down when we just had a president who sky rocketed this country into economic desolation. This county is full hypocrisy; if AA helped me to get a job I was probably OVER-QUALIFIED for then amen. It’s good to know that I might be able to pay a bill or two to make ends meet.
Once people understand that race and the color of your skin does matter, then I believe that we can cope with the shameful moral condition of this country. Admitting the truth is the first step to healing.
@Freedom: You misunderstand what the index represents; the masses of people and the volume of criteria it reflects.
These commnets are a good example what this president has done to this country. People have no idea what awaits them in the next closed door session.
Slavery is a vital part of American history and anyone who wants to ignore it's impact on today's findings is showing just how much their "educational" system failed them. There are numerous companies (ex., CSX, Aetna, Chase Manhattan) that are alive and thriving today as a result of free slave labor.
As an earlier poster stated, Whites got a headstart as far as wealth, education, and healthcare and to suggest that a Civil Rights bill is enough to compensate a whole race for years of segregation is sad and ill-informed.
Never the less, Blacks in America have always taken responsibility for their "percieved" shortcomings whether true or not. No matter the odds stacked against us (unfair wages, poor schools, drugs in our communities) we still manage to rise above it, much to the dismay of whites who still subscribe to the idea that their ice is colder.
Mike R. you are an outstanding American citizen. Thank you for your words of truth and enlightenment:
First of all B.Cobb, not all statistics are meaningless. Some tell more than words ever could. Take the stats from the U.S. Department of Labor that breaks down the current unemployment level of 9.7%. It shows that whites are at 8.7 and blacks are at 16.5. That is almost twice as many. WE even trail latinos who are at 12.4. This shows that blacks are still ” The last ones hired and the first ones fired”. This is a huge discrepancy that can not be explained away with excuses like you would try to do. It is simple discrimination in hiring practices. And as for you Mr. Holiday, I am a 51 year old black man who hates rap music and hip hop in general. But I have noticed that a lot of white youth love it. That is why it is played on so many radio stations. I like jazz, R & B and even little classic rock. I have no criminal record and detest violence. I like to help others in need no matter what race just because it makes me feel good to help others. I have raised 3 daughters and am happily married. I am an African American not African. So my culture is mixed with African and American history. Your statement would be the same as my stating that the white culture in the 60’s was all about growing your hair long and wearing scraggly clothes, taking acid and smoking pot while having orgies. And then on Saturday afternoon go downtown and protest the war. The similarities are real because that is what white youth did back in those days, but not all of them. And when they became adults they grew out of it. The same is with our black youth. They will grow out of it. I don’t think you will see many 51 year old hip hoppers.
As I read a lot of these comments I can’t help but feel we still have a long way to go in this country. It is hard as a black man to go out in the world and not feel that everyone is against me because of my skin. I have learned to judge people as individuals over my life. And there are a lot of beautiful people out there from all walks of life. I pity some of you because that is somethng you will never know. You will go to tour graves missing the greatest thing life has to offer. Loving thy fellow man. May God have mercy on you as I do.
This is not about race per se - this is about human nature - Some humans (Jews for example) use their superior intellect to their "unfair" advantage. Other humans (blacks) try to use their race (play the race card) to their "unfair" advantage. Other humans (European Americans & Oriental Americans) use their superior intellect, sense of responsibility and work ethic to their "unfair" advantage. It is human nature to use whatever you have to get an "unfair" advantage.
JD, I haven't risen economics above the other factors. I am saying that economics underpin and serve as a significant component in the other factors. To think that economics don't drive the other factors lacks forethought.
Health benefits are linked to employment benefits as is the accessibility to health facilities. In turn, educational opportunities follow a similar pattern.The resources that schools are able to provide are directly linked to the median incomes of the neighborhoods surrounding those schools. Let's look at social justice: the proportionality of crimes and discrimination against blacks are linked to economic status when you look at the black community itself. In civic engagement you see the same trend: resources driven by economic capacity. In a general sense, this index is ultimately driven by economics.
Suggesting that the National Urban League has said that blacks are doing better does not represent this article in its full context. The Urban League only reported the index value. The journalist who wrote this article interpreted the results and provided his/her opinion on its context without providing supporting facts. I'm doing what a true intellectual does and provided an alternative explanation.
dtboy
This is exactly what I am talking about. Ignorance is the biggest problem in this country. Did it ever accured to you or do you care that in many black communities schools are run down, don't have text books, schools in white neighborhoods are in top shape and they have everything they need, and that's just the beginning. If people really played fair in this country there would be no need for black colleges, affirmative action, or groups like the NUL. If all you know about the black community is what you see on tv or in a book that explains your ignorance. You have to walk in someone elses shoes before you can talk about them. There are many whites that go through the same problems. Why is the unemployment rate for blacks at 16% and 7% for whites. I will say again you can't use opinion as fact and you can't learn without listening.