2TABLE OF CONTENTSNational Urban League n Obama Administration Scorecard n www.nul.orgThroughout our history, the National Urban League has taken seriously our responsibility to hold the president of the United States accountable to the needs of urban America and communities of color. During the Great Depression, Executive Secretary Eugene Kinkle Jones served on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet.” Lester Granger, who headed the National Urban League during World War II, is among those credited with persuading President Harry Truman to desegregate the Armed Forces. Whitney M. Young advised Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, and was instrumental in the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act. National Urban League Presidents Vernon Jordan, John Jacob and Hugh Price continued our engagement with the presidents with whom they served to further the work of civil rights and secure support for the National Urban League’s programs.The National Urban League has regarded the first African-American presidency with special significance, not simply because of its trailblazing status, but also because of the unique conditions under which President Barack Obama took office and served his two terms. He inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression, and was faced with congressional opposition unprecedented in both its intensity and sinister nature. Therefore, his accomplishments, and failures, must be evaluated against those conditions.In creating this scorecard, the National Urban League harkened back to the famous question Ronald Reagan asked the nation during his sole debate against President Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” In this instance, the question is, “Is the nation better off than it was eight years ago?” And, “Is Black America better off than it was eight years ago?” The answer to both questions is, unequivocally: yes.President Obama is leaving office with an approval rating even higher than President Reagan’s, exceeded only by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton. During Obama’s presidency, the economy added 15 million new jobs. The national jobless rate dropped from 7.6% to 4.7%. For African Americans, the jobless rate fell from 12.7% to 7.8%. The high school graduation rate for African Americans increased from 66.1% to 85%. There were 614,000 fewer long-term unemployed. Wages climbed by 3.4%. More than 16 million Americans who were uninsured now have health care coverage, with the uninsured rate for African Americans cut by more than half. President Obama’s passion and steady hand made a huge difference in charting a progressive course and positively impacted the lives of ordinary Americans. Black Americans felt both the pride of his accomplishments, and the pain, when it was clear his opponents sought to diminish a great American. I am confident the long arc of history will judge him favorably.While we scored many of the administration’s achievements “Superior,” our highest rating, President Obama’s tenure as a whole had shortcomings due to some notable missed opportunities and outright failures, such as the economic development of urban centers, gun violence, and the foreclosure and bank closure rates in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. On these, and other issues, we rated the Obama administration “Fair” or “Poor.” Our evaluation springs from a consideration of his accomplishments balanced against the conditions under which he served. The National Urban League has given the Obama Administration an overall rating of “Excellent,” our second-highest rating. Sincerely,Marc H. MorialPresident and CEONational Urban LeaguePREAMBLE
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