A four-point plan to elevate black L.A.

LAST week, the Los Angeles Urban League and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles released findings on the state of black UA., which outlined the current situation of African Americans in Los Angeles.

The report shed light on black inequality, with disquieting statistics such as 44 percent of black high school students failing to graduate with their class in four years and blacks making up an estimated 30 percent or more of L.A. County's homeless population.

Rather than pointing fingers, the report is focused on finding solutions to the problems and coming together as a community to drive change. We are now competing in a global society, and gone are the days when you could easily support a family with a high school degree or a blue-collar job. If that environment had held constant, we would be seeing more progress.

We believe the core of these issues can be addressed with the following equation: Education + Employment = Opportunity. It is clear that all of the conditions outlined in the report are tightly interwoven: improvement in one area, such as education, will influence improvements in other areas, such as employment or criminal justice. So, what can we do?

* We must come together to drive education that builds 21st century skills, leading to more rewarding career options and an improved labor force.

* We must provide affordable housing to allow families to build savings, develop assets and put down roots to create more stable communities.

* We must find ways to achieve equal treatment of African Americans by the criminal justice system, build mutual respect and confidence in law enforcement, minimize community tension, and engage residents in establishing a partnership between African American communities with the LAPD and Sheriff's Department.

* We must work together to combat the disproportionate violence and crime in South L.A. and other areas.

This is not an either-or proposition. If one of the four pillars of the community--individuals, community organizations, corporations and government--are not involved, the impact of our actions will suffer greatly.

This report isn't just about nameless, faceless statistics. Consider Jessica Price, a member of Yale College's class of 2004 and an incoming member of Harvard Law School who was a recipient of the Anheuser-Bush and National Urban League scholarship. During her tenure at Yale, Jessica has engaged with her community, mentoring juvenile offenders and working with the homeless residents of New Haven.

Or consider Ravaut Benitez, a South Los Angeles high school student in United Way's Tomorrow's Leaders initiative, which led the campaign to increase access to college preparatory classes and petitioned to secure more books for schools. Ravaut has been awarded a full tuition scholarship to the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where she will enroll this fall to pursue a degree in education.

These stories speak volumes about the benefit of supporting the education of our future leaders, who will carry on our collective civic responsibility.

The report on the state of black L.A. outlines action plans that must be put in place by civic leaders, the Urban League, the United Way and other organizations. But it is equally important that individuals within the community mobilize to support their fellow Angelenos, as we must take both individual and group responsibility to impact and improve our community.

Elise Bulk is president and chief executive of the United Way Greater Los Angeles. John W. Mack is the immediate past president of the Los Angeles Urban League.