Urban League study gets an F

OPINION:

The recent report by the National Urban League is full of misguided questions pushing the narrative that there is systemic racism and voter suppression in the U.S. (“National Urban League finds State of Black America is grim,” Web, April 12). Meanwhile, however, the health of African Americans has somehow miraculously improved, according to the study. These findings are far from the truth, which makes me wonder who funded the study.

There are more insightful questions that could have been asked, such as: Why are there such low levels of reinvestment by wealthy African Americans? Why with so many city agencies managed by African Americans, why there are so few economic-development opportunities? Why have our public school systems continually failed, despite federal spending increases, to secure resources from the federal level to improve the quality of education and increase the number of economic opportunities for our students? Why has the current administration not announced any type of economic development opportunities for inner-city areas?

As for the purported gains in health — what? We lead in obesity-related illnesses, HIV, COVID-19 deaths as well as increases in childhood mental illness. The African American community continues to embrace financial support from food and soft-drink businesses, both of which are contributors to our health crisis.

As a former member of the National Urban League in the ’90s, when there was a Democratic administration in the White House, I often suggested ideas for developing investment tools, such as tax cuts and breaks for anyone who reinvested in Black businesses. I suggested we approach and organize African-American athletes to create an investment fund for small businesses. But was told the National Urban League’s focus was getting more federal assistance. Why not do both?

This study would have served a better purpose if its goal had been to identify true root causes of disparity, not to develop questions to drive a political narrative. It would have concluded that our lack of leadership and lack of understanding of economic development is the root cause. It seems all we learned is how to continue to use political narrative for economic solutions.

GREG RALEIGH

Washington