By Erika McConduit, Esq.
President & Chief Executive Officer Urban League of Louisiana

The Urban League of Louisiana continues to be a powerful voice for educational equity in New Orleans and across the state. Its role in the education landscape has expanded with the establishment of the Education Empowerment Program (EEP), an initiative launched two years ago to increase the agency’s policy presence in the education reform movement and to engage the African-American business community in the education reform dialogue in Louisiana.

African Americans face significant challenges in Louisiana that are directly related to educational inequities they experience in their lifetime. According to the Louisiana Department of Education, the achievement gap between African Americans and whites in Louisiana is 25%, while the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged children and those who are not is 29%. These gaps persist across a number of areas, including high school and college graduation rates, with a far-reaching impact on the African-American community.

Read the rest of Erika McConduit's insight on the State of Black America blog.