It s a fitting time to reflect on whence we ve come and where we re headed as a people. Unemployment and poverty recently hit record lows. For young adults, the gap is even wider-nearly 17 percent for black versus 6.5 percent for whites. The gap in computer ownership among working class white and black families has actually grown over the last five years. Black entrepreneurs seeking small business loans are rejected twice as much as whites with the same credit rating.
Police brutality is a constant concern for people of color.
AIDS awareness and prevention efforts among African Americans lag far behind other groups at risk. Given the importance of the election, candidates, Vice President Al Gore, Senator Bill Bradley, and George W. Bush each had an opportunity to address conference delegates regarding their respective platforms.