Black Americans Making Gains in Equality, Urban League Says

In areas ranging from jobs to homeownership to politics, blacks continue to make gains, but equality with whites remains a far-off goal, the National Urban League says in its annual report on the state of black America.

“When you look at the data, yes, we have made substantial headway, but there are still--without a shadow of a doubt--substantial gaps in every category, every vital sign,” said Urban League President Hugh Price.

The report, a collection of essays written by experts in fields such as labor and civil rights, is intended to capture a snapshot of blacks in America. The first one was published in 1976.

Among the authors’ findings:

* During the 1990s, black unemployment fell to its lowest level in 30 years. The rate of poverty among black families fell to 26%, the lowest on record.

* Blacks are about twice as likely to hold lower-paying service jobs. About 20% of blacks hold professional or managerial jobs; more than 30% of whites do.