Authorizing the Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings on the findings and recommendations of the Urban League of Philadelphia's report, The State of Black Philadelphia, and further authorizing the Committee to seek advice and recommendations on how Philadelphia can level the economic playing field for all citizens.

WHEREAS,

The Urban League of Philadelphia recently released the 12th volume of

The

State of Black Philadelphia

, which commemorates the 90th Anniversary of the Urban League of Philadelphia and it has been 10 years since

The State of Black Philadelphia

was last published; and

WHEREAS

, The current volume of

The State of Black Philadelphia

primarily addresses the issues that relate to the leveling of the economic playing field and further illustrates that

in a city where 44 percent of the population is of African descent, sustainable economic growth cannot be achieved without eliminating racial disparities in economic opportunities; and

WHEREAS

, As of 2006, the African American community makes up 44% of the City of Philadelphia’s residents, the largest of all the racial/ethnic groups; and

WHEREAS

, The Philadelphia Equality Index compares the conditions of blacks relative to whites in Philadelphia in the area of economics, health, education, civic engagement, and social justice; and

WHEREAS

, In 2007 the overall Philadelphia Equality Index is calculated at 0.72, in other words blacks are only 72% as well off as their white counterparts; and

WHEREAS

, The Philadelphia Equality index for the subsections of economics is 0.64 (measuring income, earnings, poverty; labor and working issues; and housing and transportation), health is 0.73 (measuring maternal, infant and child health issues; death and diseases; and illness prevention and quality of life issues), education is 0.70 (measuring quality; scores; educational attainment; and student risk factors), civic engagement is 1.07 (includes the democratic process, volunteerism), social justice is 0.66 (includes equality before the law and victimization); and

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

, That the Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services will hold hearings on the findings and recommendations of the Urban League of Philadelphia’s report,

The State of Black Philadelphia

, and further authorizing the Committee to seek advice and recommendations on how Philadelphia can level the economic playing field for all citizens.

End