The Root Cited Joint Center State of the Dream Report in an Article on Critical Thinking
May 7, 2026
The Root cited the Joint Center’s 2026 State of the Dream report in an article focused on the need for Black communities to exercise greater discernment and critical thinking skills when using social media now more than ever.
From the article: “The need for this skill is urgent, as we’re facing what the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies calls a “Black Recession” in 2026. According to the center’s 2026 “State of the Dream” report, by December of 2025 Black unemployment shot to 7.5 percent. If these metrics were to be seen nationwide it would indicate a recession. For that same month, data for Black youth continued a pattern of high unemployment rates and strong fluctuations, including a dramatic increase from 18.6 in September to 29.8 in November, back down to 18.3 percent in December.”
Click here to read the article.
