Article/Column

I am the man I am today because of the life lessons and love that my parents poured on me.

             

Both of my parents were instrumental in my development. They both taught their seven children to be strong, to be courageous, and above all to live by the highest set of principles.

 

But I could not possibly be where I am today without the influence of my mother.

 

For this reason, the National Urban League's release last week of its annual report on the State of Black America (SOBA) was especially touching.

 

Each year, the SOBA is published to examine our nation's progress in closing racial equality gaps in the areas of economics, education, health, civic engagement, and social justice.

 

What really struck me about this year's report was that it focused on the African American woman.

 

We all know the importance of women in our culture.

 

Undoubtedly, the typical Black family is matriarchal.

 

Our women are sources of seemingly endless strength and wisdom, holding our families together and raising us to be the very best that we can be.

 

And, these amazing women all too often step in to fill the gaps when so many of our Black men—for whatever reason—have neglected to fulfill their own responsibilities in the traditional family structure.

 

Yet, for all that African American women contribute to our lives—for all that our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers sacrifice for us and achieve for themselves—they are many times left unnoticed or underappreciated.

 

Worse yet, they are all too often at a disadvantage, suffering particularly when it comes to racial disparities in health care.

 

Consider these figures. Although the number of incidences of breast cancer in Black women is lower than that of white women, Black women are one-third more likely to die from it.

 

More than half of African American women ages 45 to 64 have been diagnosed with hypertension—twice the rate for white women of the same age. This is particularly alarming, since hypertension is a key contributor to heart disease—the number one killer of Black women.

 

We all know that these racial disparities in health exist across an array of conditions—for Black women and Black men.

 

Few people seem to realize, however, that disparities also exist between Black women and Black men.

 

For instance, more Black women across the country are working than are Black men.

 

Black men and women are both lagging behind their white counterparts when it comes to salary. Sadly, though, Black women are still only making an average of $566 a week—less than $30,000 annually—while Black men make a weekly average of $629. That amounts to a difference of more than $3,000 per year—nearly ten percent of the annual salary. 

 

As our women find themselves struggling more to pay for transportation costs, to put food on the tables, and to heat their homes, they also struggle more to keep those homes.

 

Over the past year we have witnessed a substantial increase in foreclosures across the country—particularly within the subprime mortgage industry.

 

Minorities are more likely to be affected by this crisis, as we are more likely to have subprime mortgages.

 

But we cannot overlook how particularly hard this crisis is hitting our women.

 

Forty-five percent of African American households are headed by women. Nearly half of our families are run by a mother. In contrast, only 13.6 percent of white households are headed by women.

 

According to one essay in the SOBA, Black women received a significant number of subprime loans in 2006—far more than even white men.

 

And yet, despite these setbacks with housing, pay equity, and health, Black women—like Black men—are making significant progress.

 

They are showing progress particularly in the business world as entrepreneurs.

 

According to a SOBA essay by former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, the number of businesses owned by African American women increased by 147 percent between 1997 and 2006.

 

And we cannot possibly overlook the amazing success of women such as Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and especially Condoleezza Rice. Although I disagree with Ms. Rice on many issues, I have the utmost respect for her and the achievements she has made. 

 

All of these women and their accomplishments are symbolic of the forward direction in which our country is progressing.

 

Many of you are familiar with my commitment to expanding opportunities for small, minority, and women-owned businesses in Maryland.

 

I have joined other community leaders to work with major development projects to make sure that their plans have aggressive minority inclusion goals in place.

 

We have helped develop programs to assist small, minority, and women-owned companies in receiving access to business opportunities and to hold the developers accountable for meeting their inclusion goals.

 

With every effort, we are taking positive steps toward breaking down the barriers to economic opportunity for our community. This year's SOBA showed that the African American community reduced the gap of overall economic status to 73 percent of white Americans. This is good news; however, there is still much to be done to bring true equality—especially for Black women.

 

Yet, when I look at my daughters, I never cease to be amazed by how far they have come compared to where I was at their age.

 

They increasingly have access to opportunities that I never had—opportunities that I only dreamed would one day be available for my children.

 

African American women are the pillars of our community.

 

They hold us together and keep us all strong.

 

As they move forward, our entire community moves forward with them.

 

That is why we must rise together to continue to do everything we can to help these women close the gaps in every area highlighted by the SOBA.

 

It is critical that we offer them the support they need and deserve to rise to a level playing field.

 

We must strengthen them by continuing to relieve the burdens that in too many cases are resting entirely upon them.

 

For, when the African American woman is strengthened, she in turn strengthens the rest of our community.

 

And, when our women rise up strong, we all rise with them.