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.

I voted for the very first time Tuesday, November 6, 2018, in the midterm elections. I turned 18 the year before but became aware of and interested in the midterms when I applied for my temporary driver’s permit in May of the same year. The clerk asked if I was currently registered to vote.

During the summer of my junior year of high school, I had the privilege of becoming a U.S. citizen but was unaware of the rights, responsibilities and privileges of American citizenship. I was uninformed about voting. I was uneducated about the changes that needed to be made in my community.

In 2004, I escorted Missy Misdemeanor Elliott—the multi-hyphenated talent, Grammy Award-winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee—to the polls to vote for her first time.

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®.