ANCHOR LEAD: TO CELEBRATE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH THE US CENSUS BUREAU IS RELEASING NEW ANALYSIS OF DATA SHOWING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS, OVER THE PAST FIFTY YEARS, FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN INCOME AND EDUCATION. BUT, DESPITE THESE GAINS, SOME BLACK LEADERS ARE SAYING THE WORK IS NOT DONE. DENISE DOUGLAS EXPLAINS…

STORY PACKAGE BEGINS HERE: IT’S BEEN 50 YEARS SINCE THE LANDMARK SUPREME COURT DECISION, BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION, BANNING RACIAL SEGREGATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

INTERVIEW: Secretary Rod Paige, U.S. Department of Education
“We felt that the nation was saying to us that we were full citizens and that we had a right to an education and that it held promise for us.”

NARRATOR: AND ACCORDING TO THE NEW ANAYLSIS OF DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU, AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN EDUCATION OVER THE PAST FIFTY YEARS.

INTERVIEW: Louis Kincannon, Director, U.S. Census Bureau
“In 1952, when the Supreme Court was hearing the Brown case, only about 15 percent of African-Americans had a high school diploma; now it’s almost 80 percent.”

NARRATOR: THE CENSUS DATA ALSO SHOWS MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED OVER THE PAST HALF-CENTURY.

INTERVIEW: Secretary Rod Paige, U.S. Department of Education
“We know that we’ve made progress; we have not made as much progress as we need to make. So it’s no time now to stop and fly the flag of victory, it is time now to redouble our efforts.”

NARRATOR: OTHER BLACK LEADERS AGREE.

INTERVIEW: Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele, (R-MD)
“It’s partly our own fault that it’s taken 300 years to get an African American elected statewide but I think also it’s a sign that we’ve turned a corner hopefully.”

INTERVIEW: Rep. Charles Rangel, (D-N.Y.), U.S. House of Representatives
“When the law does not cause you to be segregated it allows you really to be better and to make a better contribution…but we’ve still got a long way to go.”

NARRATOR: SO WHILE THERE’S NO QUESTION THESE STATISTICS SHOW PROGRESS. FOR MANY AFRICAN-AMERICANS THE AMOUNT OF ACTUAL PROGRESS IS STILL OPEN TO DEBATE. IN WASHINGTON, DENISE DOUGLAS REPORTING.

NEWS ANCHOR TAG: FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW U-S CENSUS BUREAU DATA, LOG ONTO THE WEBSITE: WWW. CENSUS.GOV

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