The National Urban League’s annual report on the state of Black America this year  examines the community through the eyes and the lives of Black women. Black women face numerous challenges, as do the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, according to “The State of Black America 2008: In The Black Woman’s Voice.”

As the relevance of HBCUs is being challenged, Black women are increasingly finding themselves ensnarled in the criminal justice system. They are overrepresented among those afflicted with a wide range of serious diseases including: HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and heart disease, yet underrepresented among those who have access to health insurance. Finally, Black women are most likely to endure the work and responsibility of raising children in single-parent households.

“When Black women hurt, the American family suffers. When we ignore Black women’s issues, we ignore an entire community. But by uplifting Black women, especially those struggling hardest to keep their families together and their dreams on track, we lift up every American community,” says Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League.

The annual barometer of progress for the Black community, the National Urban League’s “State of Black America” report, confirms that serious economic, educational and health disparities continue to persist for Black Americans, in general, when compared to their White counterparts.

The NUL uses its equality index to provide a statistical measurement of the gaps between Blacks and Whites in five categories: economic, education, health, civic engagement and social justice.

This year’s equality index showed a slight improvement in the gap between Black and White Americans, as Blacks are now at 73 percent to 100 percent of Whites and last year they were at 72 percent. Of note is the fact that many Black homeowners took a hit from subprime mortgages. More than 50 percent of Blacks received subprime loans compared with 17 percent of Whites. Many of these homeowners were women.