Nation's largest racial disparity for unemployment in Twin Cities

The unemployment rate for Twin Cities African Americans is about 24 percent compared to six percent for whites, according to the Economic Policy Institute in a Washington, D.C.

It's the widest disparity among urban areas in the country, and a forum this week hosted by the U.S. Civil Rights Commission in Minneapolis will attempt to grapple with solutions to the problem.

The forum runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday at University of St. Thomas School of Law, 1000 LaSalle Avenue, Minneapolis.

The forum is open to the public, and speakers include elected officials, minority business owners, and state demographer Tom Gillaspy.