Volume I
Our publications provide a full length narrative on the focus areas of either Economics, Education, Civic Participation, Health, and Justice; specifically identifying those themes and issues important to African Americans in Arizona. As the hallmark of our work, the SBAZ publications and their complimentary dedication events, serve as a historical record of African American contributions in our state.
The project represents the culmination of more than a years work gathering input and ideas from African-American community leaders, professionals and academicians. The Greater Phoenix Urban League extends truly heartfelt gratitude to the dozens of individuals who worked diligently to make this project a reality, in particular those who wrote essays for both this printed version of the report and the more expansive on- line version. While this document is not a definitive and comprehensive scientific analysis of the status of blacks in Arizona, it is a starting point from which the community can determine what issues beg further research. It is aimed at everyone who is concerned about the equality of Arizonans.
There are two major goals for the first edition of the State of Black Arizona.
First, we sought to bring existing data on African-Americans in Arizona to one location.
Second, and more importantly, we intend for the document to generate dialog among the African-American community. To this end, the essayists were encouraged to write from their own perspectives, while bringing forth factual information from the currently available data sources.
The essays represent voices from myriad disciplines, back- grounds and experiences, as well as perspectives from both lifetime residents of Arizona and recent arrivals, all of whom are deeply committed to Arizona as their home. Where the authors express opinions, please note that these are their thoughts alone and do not represent any official stance of the Greater Phoenix Urban League or Arizona State University. The essays both here and on-line are designed to provide factual information about where this community stands and recommendations on what it needs to grow and prosper.
The model for The State of Black Arizona is the National Urban Leagues pivotal annual report, The State of Black America. Each year the National Urban League calls upon African- American leaders from a variety of backgrounds and professions to provide analysis and commentary on a specific concern in African- American life, ranging from the black family to the populations economic status. The ongoing thread each year in the State of Black America is the equality index which compares African- Americans with whites in multiple indicators such as housing, educational attainment, health and political involvement.
The State of Black Arizona replicates the National Urban Leagues format by including a cross-section of Arizonas black community, but deviates in two ways, particularly with regard to the data. First, the document provides a survey of several issues rather than a deep examination of a single issue. The other major difference is that it does not include an equality index for Arizona because of the pressing need to establish what data currently exist for African-Americans in Arizona and gather them in one place. During the early stages of The State of Black Arizona project it became apparent that a lot of data about this community is not readily available. Therefore, we hope this document contributes to the dialog about the ways in which Arizona gathers data and information for its citizens in general, while being a call for action to the state and its African-American citizens to clearly define the data and information that needs to be compiled about this community.
The essays and data presented here reveal that African-Americans in Arizona do relatively well financially, but still have many challenges. For instance, while our median income is slightly higher than that of our brethren across the country, we rank lowest for overall health status according to Arizona’s Department of Health Services. We share similar health concerns with African-Americans across the country, including high rates of hypertension, cancer, HIV and infant mortality. Problems with the education of African-American youth are a recurring theme among many essayists. Although African- American students are making progress in terms of graduation rates and test scores, they are not completing college degrees at rates commensurate with other races in Arizona. A significant concern that rings through many of the essays is the perceived lack of an African-American community in this state. Although the African- American population in Arizona has increased by 141 percent since 1980, the communities are so dispersed that many African- Americans feel disconnected from one another.
It’s been 10 years since the last major project was undertaken to gather data and analyze the cur- rent status of African-Americans in Arizona. It is my sincere hope that this project marks a major step toward restoring the dialog and research into African-Americans in Arizona.
It is time for a revival of a forum such as the Black Town Hall, which ran from the early 1980s to 1997. During these years, we learned about issues concerning black men, women, children and families, and the effects of civil rights policies on them. The time has come again for continuing efforts to better understand this community and to level the playing field so that African-Americans in Arizona have the same status as all other Arizonans. We hope this first State of Black Arizona project provides impetus for discussions among community members, to help us better understand where African-Americans stand today in Arizona. In addition, and most importantly, we want this project to reveal the gaps in our knowledge about African-Americans in Arizona and to serve as a starting point to begin the process of equality for all. To reach these goals, we ask readers to look as much for what is included in the document as for what is missing. Then, speak out and participate in the community’s dialog about what African-Americans need.