Blacks With College Degrees Still Facing Great Hiring Challenges

It has been widely reported that the recession is hurting the black community more than the general population. Many point to the fact that blue collar jobs have been highly impacted by the shrinking economy, citing this as the reason for the higher unemployment rate for blacks: 15.7 percent versus 10.2 percent for whites. But what is being under-reported is the impact the poor economy is having on talented, educated black workers looking for jobs -- and the revelation that race is still playing a part in the vast difference in white collar jobless rates. The New York Times reports:

That race remains a serious obstacle in the job market for African-Americans, even those with degrees from respected colleges, may seem to some people a jarring contrast to decades of progress by blacks, culminating in President Obama's election.

But there is ample evidence that racial inequities remain when it comes to employment. Black joblessness has long far outstripped that of whites. And strikingly, the disparity for the first 10 months of this year, as the recession has dragged on, has been even more pronounced for those with college degrees, compared with those without. Education, it seems, does not level the playing field - in fact, it appears to have made it more uneven.

College-educated black men, especially, have struggled relative to their white counterparts in this downturn, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for black male college graduates 25 and older in 2009 has been nearly twice that of white male college graduates - 8.4 percent compared with 4.4 percent.

Various academic studies have confirmed that black job seekers have a harder time than whites. A study published several years ago in The American Economic Review titled "Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?" found that applicants with black-sounding names received 50 percent fewer callbacks than those with white-sounding names.

A more recent study, published this year in The Journal of Labor Economics found white, Asian and Hispanic managers tended to hire more whites and fewer blacks than black managers did.

This article from the New York Times, while worth the full read, is similar in tone to CNN's 'Black in America.' It contains a lot of obvious information that blacks have known for a long time about what it means to be black in America, in this case regarding employment. It's touching in a way that the rest of the country seems to be taking notice of us -- largely in response to the election of President Obama. Yet, the realities and nuances of economic inequality, and more importantly opportunity inequality, have always been apparent to African Americans.

It is strange to see the jagged flaws in our social fabric that blacks have complained about for decades being constantly reported on as breaking news in recent months. While I am glad that this earnest examination is finally occurring, I hope that people don't take in this information as many did 'Black in America' -- or for that matter 'Precious' or 'Good Hair.' All these new reports, articles and films about black life depict our community, which has existed since the birth of the United States, as though it is full of exotic, troubled creatures. I feel this media, created by and/or for a mainstream perspective, is often being consumed with a combination of academic detachment and amusement by the very people collectively creating the discriminatory practices being depicted as a revelation. When will this collective report on the fact that it has a large part to play in creating these terrible conditions? Now that would be breaking news! I hope that report does not come on the day that hell freezes over.

Will the so-called "liberal news media" ever confront both the obvious and more subtle powers that create situations such as those in which black educated workers are clearly shunned? Or will we keep seeing more and more articles and films coming out about how much it apparently sucks to be black (now that people care) without examining the root causes of social problems?

We will never overcome the social circumstances that permit inequality as a nation until people make an effort to look inside themselves to break down the barriers that create discrimination. This requires courage, empathy and deep thought. All the raw information in the world will not commit people en masse to these very personal acts. I want to thank the New York Times for reporting the obvious yet again, in this case about the employment struggles of smart black workers. I also want to ask its editors: Next time, dig a little deeper and inspire people to change.

Breaking News on Black Unemployment:
+Frustrated Congressional Black Caucus plays hardball with White House
+Minority groups want audacity from Obama on job creation