Our rights are under attack by forces that are clever, sinister, diabolical, and intentional; and their allies run from the Supreme Court of the United States, to state legislatures all across the nation and around the globe, to allies inside the Russian Federation.
As chairman of the National Urban League’s board of trustees, the board and I are pleased to present to you “Getting 2 Equal: United Not Divided,” the 2019 edition of the State of Black America®.
This year’s report highlights the continuing need of American communities and cities to engage in and prioritize bipartisan solutions to persistent and emerging problems, especially in the areas of civil rights, social justice, and inclusion. While these remain our country’s shared challenges, they also present our nation with transformative opportunities.
In our country, if you work hard, you ought to be able to take care of yourself and the people you love. That should be the fundamental promise of America. This is deeply personal to me because I got a real taste of opportunity: my father ended up as a janitor, but I got to be a public school teacher, law professor, a United States Senator, and a candidate for president. I’m deeply grateful, and I’m running for president because I want every kid to have a chance to build a future.
What is the state of Black America? To answer this often-repeated question, it is vital to assess the state of progress in areas like economic parity, jobs and justice, fair housing, criminal justice reform as well as advances in politics, business and elsewhere. Ironically, one area that often gets overlooked happens to be one of the most fundamental rights we share as Americans: the right to vote.
On the one hand—on an almost daily basis—we are (happily) inundated with stories of the various achievements our people continue to make. Each achievement is a cause for celebration, proof of progress, and another milepost on our march to reshape history. In my own case—at 300 years young—the city of New Orleans elevated a woman to its highest office, making me the first female mayor of the Big Easy. I have often noted that while I am proud to be the first, I take greater pride in knowing that I will not be the last.
The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest professional association in the country, representing public school educators—teachers and education support professionals, higher education faculty, educators teaching in Department of Defense schools, students in colleges of teacher education, and retired educators across the country.
If we, the people, face a national emergency, it is widespread voter suppression and systematic disenfranchisement.
Today, perhaps no single issue is more important to African-Americans, Latinos, and other communities of color than protecting the right to vote for all Americans.
In January 2017, the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) released “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections,” its report evaluating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The report provided a strategic autopsy which explored the mechanics and escalation of cyber-espionage and covert operations orchestrated by a Russian-controlled propaganda apparatus.
Equality Index 
Senate Report 
2020 SOBA Essays 
2019 Report