The 2016 reports from the National Urban League, comprising the Executive Summary, Black-White Equality Index, and Hispanic-White Equality Index, provide a comprehensive analysis of racial equality in America. Celebrating its 40th edition, the State of Black America® has emerged as a key benchmark for racial equality, offering insights across various domains like economics, employment, education, health, housing, criminal justice, and civic participation.

The 2016 Equality Index reveals significant disparities: African Americans possess only 72.2% of the "equality pie" compared to whites, indicating a 28% gap, while Hispanics have 77.8%, reflecting over a 20% shortfall. These figures highlight the ongoing challenges in achieving racial equality in America. The report notes that, despite some progress over the years, fundamental racial disparities remain deeply ingrained, with economic downturns disproportionately impacting communities of color.

The Equality Index is calculated across five categories: economics, health, education, social justice, and civic engagement, with each category weighted for its relative importance. It serves as a tool to document progress towards economic empowerment, a central theme of the National Urban League's mission, and to track racial equality over time, highlighting the persistence of advantages historically accorded to whites. The Index also provides a retrospective view, comparing current data with past years to assess long-term trends.

Additionally, the Index acknowledges the complexity of racial dynamics, emphasizing that not all individuals within a racial group have uniform experiences. It reports averages to summarize extensive data, which can sometimes obscure class differences within racial groups. However, it also emphasizes regional disparities in racial inequality, offering a nuanced view of the multifaceted nature of racial equality in America.