The 2017 Black-White Equality Index, a vital publication by the National Urban League, focuses on documenting progress towards economic empowerment, a core objective of the League's mission, especially for Black and Hispanic Americans in comparison to whites. This index aims to encapsulate the relative standing of African Americans and Hispanics in crucial areas such as economics, health, education, social justice, and civic engagement, compared to whites, who are used as a benchmark due to historical advantages in these outcomes.

The 2017 report reveals that African Americans have access to only about 72.3% of the "equality pie", indicating a gap of approximately 28%, while Hispanics score slightly better at 78.4%, still missing more than 20% of full equality with whites.