For people living in lower-income neighborhoods, what is the single most determinative factor in economic upward mobility? Crime? Education? Jobs?

Not according to studies out of Harvard and NYU which found that “commuting time has emerged as the single strongest factor in the odds of escaping poverty.”

The best way to rise from poverty into the middle class is to acquire a home.  But this has proven to be extremely challenging since the Great Recession of 2008, even for people with good credit and incomes to cover loan payments. For African Americans, home ownership is at a 40-year low.

As chairman of the National Urban League Board of Trustees, the board and I are pleased to present to you the 2018 edition of the State of Black America®. This year’s theme is “Save Our Cities: Powering The Digital Revolution.”

Since the breakthrough discovery of insulin in the early 20th Century, diabetes has transformed from a deadly disease to a chronic but manageable condition. Innovations in science – leading to more effective insulins – and technological advances allowing for better monitoring have enabled people living with diabetes to more closely monitor their health.

A 2017 study by the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that automation could raise productivity growth globally by 0.8 to 1.4 percent annually and also suggests that half of today’s work activities could be automated by 2055. While this is a promising projection for those focused solely on economic growth, it is a source of fear for Americans who are employed in fields most at risk to automation.

We all have a story to tell. But until recently, only a privileged few had the power and the platform to share people’s stories. They not only decided whose stories were told but how. Today, affordable technology and the rise of social media have democratized the communications landscape—and changed the rules. Today, the people have the power.

UnidosUS has been a proud partner of the National Urban League for many years. What unites us is a common goal of equality and justice for all and a common mission of improving opportunities for the communities we represent. Our work together has focused not only on ensuring civil and voting rights and ending discrimination, but also on achieving full economic opportunity for the 48 million African Americans and 58 million Latinos who call this country home.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has been a sustaining voice throughout its 109-year history for justice, equal opportunity, and an end to discrimination.  Many have tried to silence our voice.  Many have failed.  Still, the fight continues. 

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau undertakes a massive effort to count every person living in the United States. Because African Americans are among the groups of people who have historically been undercounted, and because an undercount can deprive communities of political representation as well as urgently needed resources, achieving a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census is one of the most important civil rights issues facing Black America.

The internet is at the core of every aspect of modern society, yet there are a disproportionate number of communities of color who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide.