State of Black America: Have We Overcome?

NUL releases report on African-American progress.

National Urban League: Where We Are - Every year, the National Urban League issues a State of Black America report that gauges the progress of African-Americans in critical areas, such as education, employment and economics, as well as an equality index of the status of Blacks and whites in those areas. In the 2013 edition, released on April 10, the NUL also looked forward by taking a look back at how far African-Americans have come since 1963.  – By Joyce Jones (Photo: Courtesy of The National Urban League) 

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National Urban League: Where We Are - Every year, the National Urban League issues a State of Black America report that gauges the progress of African-Americans in critical areas, such as education, employment and economics, as well as an equality index of the status of Blacks and whites in those areas. In the 2013 edition, released on April 10, the NUL also looked forward by taking a look back at how far African-Americans have come since 1963. – By Joyce Jones (Photo: Courtesy of The National Urban League) 

What Is an Equality Index? - The NUL likes to use a pie to explain its equality index. A whole pie equals 100 percent, so at 71.7 percent of overall equality to whites, African-Americans are missing 28 percent of the pie.(Photo: The Plain Dealer /Landov)

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What Is an Equality Index? - The NUL likes to use a pie to explain its equality index. A whole pie equals 100 percent, so at 71.7 percent of overall equality to whites, African-Americans are missing 28 percent of the pie.(Photo: The Plain Dealer /Landov)

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The More Things Change - The high school graduation gap between African-Americans has closed by 57 percent since 1963. Three times as many enroll in college, and for every college graduate in 1963, there are five today.(Photo: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images) 

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The More They Stay the Same - The percentage of African-Americans and Black children living in poverty has declined by 23 percent and 22 percent, respectively, in the past 50 years. The percentage of African-Americans who own their own homes has increased by 14 percent. (Photo: Getty Images)

Accountants - No surprise here. Financially troubled nations like Greece need skilled accountants. Australia, France and a host of other European nations are also in the same boat.(Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Economics: 71.7 percent - Who's Got Bank? The highest paid jobs are in the management, professional and production sectors, in which Blacks represent 11 percent, 18 percent, and 6 percent of those respective workforces. In addition, the gap in average weekly earnings is $0.89, $0.88 and $0.86.(Photo: Getty Images)

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Electronic Health Records - Insurers will be required to provide electronic health records, which will reduce paperwork and costs and make it easier for health care providers, from physicians to pharmacists, to access a patient's information.  (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Health: 56.3 Percent - In 2009, the cost of care for health disparities was $59.6 billion, of which African-Americans accounted for $45.3 billion. Private insurance plans paid for 38.4 percent of health disparity costs. (Photo: Todd Pearson/Getty Images)

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Education: 79.7 percent - Education Pays: African-Americans who hold bachelor's degrees or more advanced degrees earn $2.40 for every dollar earned by a high school dropout. (Photo: Christopher Futcher/Getty Images)

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Social Justice: 57.1 Percent - The progress of social justice has been "frustratingly slow." In 2011, the incarceration rate, per 100,000 prisoners, was 1,516 Blacks, compared to 261 whites.   (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

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Civic Engagement: 99.9 Percent - In 2010, 62.8 percent of African-Americans were registered to vote and 43.5 percent actually voted, compared to 68.2 percent and 48.6 percent of whites, respectively. In addition, in 2011, 20.3 percent were involved in volunteerism, compared to 28.2 percent of whites. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Unemployment - The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports that the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes that would result from going over the cliff would send the U.S. economy into a new recession. Unemployment would also rise to 9.1 percent by the end of 2013. (Photo: Matthew Staver /Landov)

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Where the Jobs Are and Aren't - The average gap in Black-white unemployment rates is highest in the Midwest, where the rate for African-Americans is 2.6 times higher. The lowest average gap is in the Northeast, where the African-American unemployment rate is two times higher. (Photo: Matthew Staver /Landov)

Photo By Photo: Matthew Staver /Landov

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Blacks in the Cities - The large urban areas with the biggest unemployment rate gaps for African-Americans are Cleveland (3.8 times higher); San Francisco (2.8 times higher); Boston and Memphis (2.5 times higher); New Orleans (1.7 times higher); and Orlando (1.8 times higher). (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

What Was She Thinking? - I won't call us rivals. We had a moment there. I decided that I wanted to run for Congress in 2011 and in my district there's only one seat [which was filled by Rep. Marcia Fudge]. Since then, she and I have repaired our relationship. She is a strong leader and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Sometimes in moments like that you learn a lot about yourself. I'm really happy we support each other.(Photo: Congressional Black Caucus/Official Photo, Handout)

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Unfinished Business - "The fight for civil rights is still unfinished business and can look very different than it did 50 or 60 years ago. Today, Americans are not being attacked by vicious canines or thrown up against brick walls with fire hoses," writes Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Marcia Fudge. "Many of the injustices of today have a much more delicate face and are talked about under new, more subtle names." (Photo: Congressional Black Caucus/Official Photo, Handout)

In With the New - In an essay on Black civic engagement, activist Stefanie Brown James says sustainable change requires polling to get a clear understanding of how members of our community feel about issues; researching polling data to develop an action plan; coalescing with others to implement plans; and evaluating for progress. (Photo: Courtesy Stefanie Brown James)

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In With the New - In an essay on Black civic engagement, activist Stefanie Brown James says sustainable change requires polling to get a clear understanding of how members of our community feel about issues; researching polling data to develop an action plan; coalescing with others to implement plans; and evaluating for progress. (Photo: Courtesy Stefanie Brown James)

Developing Talent - In an essay on securing national economic security and competitiveness, Frederick Humphries, vice president of U.S. government affairs for Microsoft, wrote about DigiGirlz, a program offered by the corporation that gives young women in urban communities opportunities to learn about careers in technology. "DigiGirlz has reached 14,000 young women in cities across the country and provided them with invaluable training and experience," he wrote.  (Photo: Twitter via Frederick Humphries)

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Developing Talent - In an essay on securing national economic security and competitiveness, Frederick Humphries, vice president of U.S. government affairs for Microsoft, wrote about DigiGirlz, a program offered by the corporation that gives young women in urban communities opportunities to learn about careers in technology. "DigiGirlz has reached 14,000 young women in cities across the country and provided them with invaluable training and experience," he wrote. (Photo: Twitter via Frederick Humphries)

Race Still Matters - "It will take more than the election of a Black president to transform America into a 'post-racial' society. It will take demographic shifts, which are happening at lightning speed," wrote Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart. "And it will take adjustments in attitude, which are slower to change. Ultimately, what we must seek is not a 'post-racial' America, but a 'post-racist' one." (Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

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Race Still Matters - "It will take more than the election of a Black president to transform America into a 'post-racial' society. It will take demographic shifts, which are happening at lightning speed," wrote Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart. "And it will take adjustments in attitude, which are slower to change. Ultimately, what we must seek is not a 'post-racial' America, but a 'post-racist' one." (Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

The New Math - "Exercising power, and not just settling for symbols, is difficult. It requires that we sometimes be tough with our friends and punish our opponents," wrote George Mason University political scientist Michael Fauntroy in an essay on Black political power in a post-Obama era. "Ultimately, however, African-Americans will have to be comfortable with the use of political power for achieving policy ends. Politics without policy change is nothing. Failing that, we will continue to get what we've always received." (Photo: Courtesy CSPAN)

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The New Math - "Exercising power, and not just settling for symbols, is difficult. It requires that we sometimes be tough with our friends and punish our opponents," wrote George Mason University political scientist Michael Fauntroy in an essay on Black political power in a post-Obama era. "Ultimately, however, African-Americans will have to be comfortable with the use of political power for achieving policy ends. Politics without policy change is nothing. Failing that, we will continue to get what we've always received." (Photo: Courtesy CSPAN)