While most statistical reports about the state of black America are completely depressing — enough so that John Edwards actually thought it made sense to say that soon all black men will be in jail or dead — there are some positive advances to temper the hopelessness caused by grim reports like the Urban Leagues annual “State of Black America” report. According to the Washington Post’s Courtland Milloy:

A sharp drop in teen pregnancy in the Washington area has been especially steep among African American girls. The nation’s black teens now have lower rates of tobacco, drug and alcohol use than their peers. The number of black students graduating from the nation’s high schools and going on to college continues to rise.

And there’s more good news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that African Americans are making gains against heart disease, breast cancer and infant mortality. “Prevention” is once again becoming a watchword in health care among African Americans.

Of course, things aren’t all good. And these positive stats show a change from bad to better, not a complete social turnaround. Still, it’s encouraging to see the gains made in the black community without that ever-present comparison to the white majority. That’s not to say we should have lower expectations for ourselves than white people have for themselves. It’s more that these statistics, particularly the drop in teen pregnancy and graduation rates, show we are moving forward, not remaining stagnant.

[WP]