1.  And outside the Tropical Market, in the histories of Ernest and Antoine and Derrick and Tito, the latest dire statistic finds its breath and becomes real.

2.  Despite these dire statistics, though, there is promising news.

3.  In one incident, Cooper presented some dire statistics to a well-known African-American journalist, hoping to inspire a piece on AIDS prevention.

4.  Saturday African-American educators will gather at Roxbury Community College in Boston to say that the only hope in a world of dire statistics is themselves.