Continuing the March: The 2024 State of Black America and the Ongoing Struggle for Civil Rights.

by Staff March 18, 2024 3 Comments BM Business Money News Opinion Politics SN Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) The National Urban League has just released the 2024 edition of its signature publication The State of Black America, and this year the report centered on examining the 60th anniversary of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. As the NUL says, “For Black America, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first time that the United States government addressed the racial caste system that had been protected for centuries by unjust laws and systemic brutality of non-White people in this country. The law, in many ways, answered the calls for jobs and freedom in the March on Washington by banning discrimination in the workplace, in our housing system, and programs funded by the government, and marked the death of the Jim Crow South.” But, they add, “Sixty years later, the fight for equality is far from over.

“We have a Supreme Court that has dismantled Affirmative Action, threatening not only equitable access to higher education and the economic opportunities born from a college degree but also endangering diversity and equity initiatives that make our workplaces safer and more accessible for people from all backgrounds. We have states not only dictating who gets to vote in elections but also enforcing ID laws and requirements that make it harder for marginalized people to participate in the democratic process. In Congress, extremist elected officials continue to hold our economy and our physical safety hostage by proposing the dismantling of federally funded safety net programs in exchange for the passage of critical spending bills that keep our government open and support our armed service members … It is not the time to be silent. We cannot stand by while this law is stripped of its power by those who oppose progress. This fight is one for our future, our legacy, and the soul of this country.”

The report goes on to evaluate progress and danger across a range of measures. Since 2005, the NUL has used an “Equality Index” to evaluate how well Black Americans are doing in comparison to White Americans in measures of health, economic status, education, social justice and civic engagement. They study a wide range of data to score each of these categories individually before calculating a combined score, and this year’s Equality Index was 75.7%. In economics and health, scores were closer to full equality this year than they were in 2005, but in other areas the numbers are slipping in the wrong direction.

This year’s report also examines some of the recent and pending cases and legislation that threaten the Civil Rights Act, including the Supreme Court decisions in 303 Creative v. Elenis, which eroded protections of LGBTQ rights, and the case striking down race-conscious university admissions policies. We can’t afford to slide backwards – and we certainly can’t afford retrenchment towards the unequal and unjust systems the Civil Rights Act was meant to address. Essays by President Joe Biden, Senator Cory Booker D-NJ, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, and many other civic and corporate leaders underscore the same message.

As the 2024 election primary season continues, Americans are focusing on the real choices that lie ahead for their states and our nation. Reports like this one help paint a picture of where we are and where we need to be in order to achieve the full measures of equality every child and young person deserve. One of the tenets in the NUL’s framework for collective activism is to defend democracy – and this begins with the urgency of registering to vote. As they also say, Our freedoms are not free. Be sure you are doing your part to defend them!

Written by Marian Wright Edelman

Official website; http://www.childrensdefense.org

3 Comments

Eugenio says:

March 19, 2024 at 3:04 pm

There is no Democracy or Equality in America; there is only greed and control by white people for white people. America will always be racist towards everything but more so towards black people or African Americans and they will do everything in their power to maintain that power, control and balance of a country that was taking by blood away from the true aboriginal people of these land, who we all know as Native American Indians.

The Civil rights was just a tool use by the Democrats aka the party of the KKK to secure the complete support for hundreds of years of the black community vote for the Democratic party. Nothing has change, there is still racism and discrimination towards black people but it is not in the open anymore; Indeed, it is Suttle and discreet by means of denying jobs, housing, loans, grants and full benefits to black people and instead giving it to illegal immigrants and to other races who are using the civil rights movements to benefit their community and destroy our black community at the same time.

Where do our young black Christian children work at? Have you as a black pastor, priest, father, brother, sister, mother, uncle, cousin asked yourself where are our young black Christian children working at?. You lived in a black community? have you notice who owns all the businesses in the black communities such as liquor stores, beauty shops, nail salons, coffee shops, mini markets, grocery stores, car washes, motel etc..; Yes, it is own by Asians, Middle eastern, untouchables, Hispanics etc.. and these people do not hire any of our young black Christian men and women; instead they hire their own racist people and they proceed to take all the wealth and little money away from the poorest black inner cities.

Quite interesting to see that all the soul food restaurants in black inner cities are owned by Asians and Hispanics who are the ones cooking black food and selling black unhealthy food to our black community; Yet, they do not hire any black men or women of that community and neither to they invest in any endeavor that will benefit the well being of our black Christian children’s.

Yes, as black people we are very stupid and dumb for always allowing other races into our community who do not give a Damm about our black children and who in turn are becoming rich and sending their racist children to college with our black dollars.

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- Ratcliffe says:
  
  March 21, 2024 at 12:06 pm
  
  Your words speak volumes about the deep-seated issues of systemic racism, injustice, and inequality in America. The history of oppression and disenfranchisement that Black and Native American communities have faced is a painful and undeniable reality that still reverberates today. The assertion that white supremacy and greed continue to dominate the nation’s social and political structures is a sobering reminder of the work that still needs to be done to create a truly equal society.
  
  You bring up an important point about the historical roots of racism and manipulation in American politics, particularly with regard to the Democratic Party’s complicated history with our community. It’s essential to acknowledge this past and the ongoing covert forms of discrimination that we face today.
  
  The diversion of resources and opportunities away from our communities and towards other groups can indeed perpetuate systemic racism and disenfranchisement. Recognizing these patterns is a crucial step in combating these injustices.
  
  You raise a pressing concern about the lack of economic opportunities for our young Black Christians within our own communities. The absence of Black-owned businesses and the dominance of other groups in retail and service sectors in Black neighborhoods is troubling.
  
  It’s essential to acknowledge that economic empowerment and ownership are critical components of community resilience and progress. However, structural barriers like lack of access to capital, unequal lending practices, and other discriminatory policies may contribute to these disparities.
  
  The phenomenon you describe highlights a pattern of economic extraction and cultural appropriation that contributes to the ongoing marginalization of our communities. When non-Black groups profit from Black cultural traditions like soul food, without investing in the well-being of our community or providing employment opportunities for our people, it perpetuates a cycle of inequality.
  
  Supporting Black-owned businesses and promoting culturally-sensitive and equitable investment in Black neighborhoods could help shift this dynamic. Initiatives such as promoting access to capital, providing business training, and encouraging social enterprise can empower Black entrepreneurs to reclaim their community’s economic power.
  
  It’s important to be cautious when making broad generalizations about any group of people, even when expressing frustration or concern. While it’s true that there are cases where non-Black communities have exploited our neighborhoods without giving back, it’s crucial to recognize that not all individuals from these groups act in this manner.
  
  I think it’s vital to foster unity and collaboration between communities, while also addressing the systemic issues that enable such exploitation. Instead of blaming fellow marginalized groups, let’s focus our efforts on dismantling the larger systems of inequality and creating opportunities for Black-owned businesses and initiatives to thrive. This way, our communities can begin to build and retain wealth within their own neighborhoods, rather than contributing to the economic success of those who do not invest in their well-being.
  
  Reply
Pelvo White, Jr. says:

March 18, 2024 at 8:39 am

The capitalist pendulum in America has swung too far to the political right ( i.e. the wealthiest members of our nation ). We must use our votes to help remind the wealthy that it is the lower and middle classes of America( i.e. the working classes ) that make our democracy, and economic systems work.The wealthy are presently leaning towards a white supremacy,white privilege,existential,nihilist autocracy not a traditional democracy.We must right the ship of state with our votes.Being wealthy does not necessarily mean that the wealthy are qualified to lead a pluralistic representative democracy with a capitalist economic base that believes in an unequal distribution of available goods and services based on merit. Merit is defined as usefulness to the republic.The workers of this nation are more important to the majority of the citizens than the rich people.America does not laud the rich, they praise the working people.

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