FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – City and community leaders are calling for action after new data detailed how Black people in Fort Wayne and Allen County are faring in jobs, education, housing and health.

The Fort Wayne Urban League has released its “State of Black Fort Wayne” report — the first local report of its kind in more than a decade. Leaders say the numbers confirm long‑standing disparities and are a roadmap for change.

Mayor Sharon Tucker used the event to directly challenge non-Black residents and institutions to move beyond statements of support.

The report lays out how Black residents in Allen County compare with white residents locally, and with state and national averages, across several key areas:

• Employment and income
• Education levels
• Homeownership
• Health outcomes, including infant mortality

It’s modeled after the National Urban League’s “State of Black America,” first launched in 1976 under civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. Jordan survived an assassination attempt in 1980 while visiting Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne Urban League President and CEO Aisha Arrington says reviving the report locally is one way of carrying his work forward.

“We honor his legacy, not just by bringing this data back to the community but doing the work behind it,” Arrington said.

Some of the most troubling findings are in housing and health.

• Black homeownership in Allen County is just over 41% – below the national Black homeownership rate of 45.40%.
• Infant mortality rates for Black babies in Allen County remain far higher than national averages.

Arrington says those numbers point to urgent work ahead.

“We’d like to see that increase. We know that infant mortality rates are still double the national averages. So obviously, those are places that we want to make sure that we’re putting effort to close those inequality gaps that still exist in our community,” Arrington said.

She says the Community Research Institute at Purdue University Fort Wayne compiled and analyzed the data, comparing Allen County with Indiana and the rest of the country.

The Urban League plans to use the findings to guide its 2027 strategic plan, including programs, partnerships and advocacy priorities.

But Arrington stresses this won’t be a quick fix.

The Fort Wayne Urban League is encouraging residents, business owners and community leaders to review the findings and get involved in the conversation about solutions.

You can find the State of Black Fort Wayne Report here.