The Urban League’s ‘State of Black Georgia’ report tells a tale of two states

The Urban League of Greater Atlanta recently unveiled its inaugural “State of Black Georgia” report last month which gauges how African Americans are doing socially and economically in Georgia compared to white residents. 

The report is a fascinating read which pricks your consciousness as it delves into a number of topics that touch on quality-of-life issues, among other topics. Some of the findings included the following:

• The percentage of Black students failing to read at a third-grade level was 36% — that’s a 25% increase over the pandemic.
• Georgia’s Black population sits at 32%, while the State Department of Corrections reports 50% of inmates admitted in 2021 were Black. 
• Redistricting in the state of Georgia weakens the political strength of Black Georgians.

Nancy Flake Johnson, president of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, said the organization focused on five key areas that impact quality of life that included education, economics, health, social justice, and civic engagement. They took a qualitative and quantitative approach to the report as they focused on six major urban areas across Georgia including Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah. 

The report includes a message from President Johnson. An excerpt reads as follows: “In our analysis and in a series of essays in this report, you will learn exactly how an interlocking deck has been stacked against Black people and other people of color — sometimes in a carefully coordinated manner at the highest political and legislative levels and sometimes as a result of historical, private sector patterns that oppress Blacks and other “minorities.” The legally enshrined measures that serve to hold entire communities back and the patterns that reflect those laws both remain a cancer on our society, threatening the stability of our state and nation, and everyone’s future.”

To read the rest of President Johnson’s message and to see the full report and its findings, click here.