The State of Black America

Memphis, Tn - Wednesday, the Memphis Urban League released its latest findings from the State of Black America report.

The report showed the severe impact of the recession on the African American community.

It compared how black Americans fair against white Americans. The findings showed a huge gap in income and unemployment. On average, blacks earn 38% less than whites, which may explain why the crime rate among African Americans is so much higher.

"People who really make a livable wage, true livable wages. They don't just stop off and break into a convenient store on their way home from work. They go home, feed their families, take care of their families," said Tomeka Hart from the Memphis Urban League.

High crime leads to higher numbers of African Americans in prison: 2,126 per 100,000 people, compared to 334 for whites.

The Memphis Urban League is looking to help lower the number of African Americans that are unemployed with a six point program, similar to that of President Obama's job creation plan.

Another problem facing the black community is the lack of education, which can lead to poverty, and the cycle continues.

"We know that education is the key. You can come from the wealthiest of families and if they stop taking care of you and you don't have education well guess what. You are going to find yourself in poverty," says Hart.