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Urban League Releases State Of Black Pittsburgh

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Nov 6, 2009 9:13 pm US/Eastern

Urban League Releases State Of Black Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The Urban League's annual report on the State of Black Pittsburgh is a mixture of optimism in some areas and great despair in others.

One of the successes was a mortgage foreclosure prevention program that helped families keep their homes called Home Safe.

"From January through October 31st, we serviced 237 families whose homes we saved," Urban League President Esther Bush said. "Out of that, about 45 percent are African American."

The State of Black Pittsburgh is tied to the condition of African American males. Statistics show that one in every three African American males is succeeding but the other two are dropping out of high school or going to jail.

"I'm very proud that the Urban League this past summer offered a black leadership development program for black males co-sponsored by Robert Morris University," Bush said. "We took 50 young men 9th through 12th grade and provided a five-day residential program."

Bush says the statistics must improve for African American males when it comes to employment, roles in the family, crime and education.

For example, of the 757 scholarships awarded by the Pittsburgh Promise program, only 91 were awarded to African American males. Bush says the outlook on education needs to change.

"Too many of the people we're serving – they haven't finished school or they had a negative experience," she said. "And so we're trying to encourage them to go back to school and trying to help them reach out to their children to have high expectations."

Bush says another major change is the rate of black-on-black crime. She says the community has to give young people hope and everyone must get involved in making Pittsburgh a better place to live.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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