Giving Compass' Take:

• The Guardian examines the numbers for African American unemployment, specifically in areas such as Kansas City, in which the economic recovery from the recession has not reached everyone.

• What do these numbers mean for the nation at large and how can nonprofits involved in racial equity work make sure that the problems are being addressed?

• Here's how we can use a racial equity lens to improve our cities.

Kansas City is booming. Employers and investors have poured into the midwestern city since the recession. At least $1 billion has gone into its sparkling new downtown, revitalized arts district and shiny new condos. So why is Sly James, its highly regarded outgoing mayor, so unhappy?

James, who steps down in July 2019, is leaving office with a sense of disappointment that despite Kansas City’s obvious accomplishments, the city’s recovery has left one large section of society behind: African Americans.

About 30% of Kansas City’s population is black. Every month, seemingly, Donald Trump uses Twitter to trumpet how well black people have done under his presidency. Nationwide African American unemployment is now 6.5%, down from a peak of 16.8% at the height of the recession.

But national numbers in a country as big as the US can be misleading. For many African Americans in the Kansas City area, the spoils of a roaring recovery have passed them by.

Read the full article about black unemployment in America by Caleb Gayle at The Guardian.