Don't Expect Obama to Target Black Unemployment Yet

There have been calls recently by many people and organizations for President Obama to focus more attention to the disproportionate impact of the recent economic downturn on unemployment in the black community. Now that he has had two important victories with reforming both health care and student loan processes, will the needs of the black community come next? Don't hold your breath.

There are numerous statistics that support the need for direct attention to black joblessness (and underemployment). One of the most alarming statistics is that according to a study done at the Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies, the jobless rate for black men between the ages of 16-24 reached Depression-era levels (approximately 35%) late last year. For black women, the numbers were also incredibly high, at 26.5%. These numbers also don't include those who are underemployed or those who have quit looking for work out of frustration and lack of results. As the study makes clear, this is not only a problem for those black people lacking in education, with college-educated blacks also being far more likely to be unemployed than similarly situated whites.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=864574&pid=864573&uts=1270237358

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Jobs Before They Were Famous

Denzel Washington: Barber
From Tiscali: "It's often been said that the boy picked up his desire to act from the flamboyant communication that went on around him at this time. He certainly picked up a desire to work - the family ethic was very strong - and young Denzel found himself labouring in barber shops and beauty parlours from the age of 11."

The neighborhood barber is an important institution in many communities. Even though they don't get paid much, men's salons are like private social clubs that allow them to relax and connect at an affordable price. Workers in these establishments not only groom the body -- they soothe the soul.

WireImage

AFP

BlackVoices.com

Before They Were Famous

Mary J. Blige is known for her creatively coiffed crown of hair for good reason...

Before They Were Famous

Mary J. Blige:
At-Home Hairdresser
From Starpulse.com: "Blige spent the first few years of her life in Savannah, GA, before moving with her mother and older sister to the Schlobam housing projects in Yonkers, NY. Her rough life there produced more than a few scars, physical and otherwise, and Blige dropped out of high school her junior year, instead spending time doing her friends' hair in her mother's apartment and hanging out."

Mary started to make her own way in the world in a profession that many take for granted. The at-home hairdresser is a very important staple of many communities, as she uses her skills to help women who can't afford a professional salon to stay pampered and beautiful. We salute you!

Before They Were Famous

Denzel Washington is no stranger to the hair business himself...

Before They Were Famous

Ellen is known for her dancing, but she used to be a different kind of mover back in the day...

Before They Were Famous

Ellen Degenres: Car Wash Driver
From CareerBuilder.com: "I actually liked my first job. I was driving cars out of a car wash, you know, once the car comes out, you get in and you wipe it. That was exciting to me to drive the nice cars and wipe down the [dashboard] with Emerald."

We often take for granted all the folks at the local war wash. They may be working for little more than tips, but they keep our cars clean and fresh, making a huge positive impact on our daily lives.

Before They Were Famous

Jennifer Lopez has displayed a high level of discipline and organization in plotting her megastar career. She must have learned those skills during one of her first jobs...

Before They Were Famous

Jennifer Lopez: Legal Assistant
From 2spare.com: "Long before Jennifer Lopez sang, danced and acted her way to superstardom, she briefly traded in her velour tracksuit for a suit of the pin-striped variety while working at a law office."

It's hard to imagine someone as driven as Jennifer Lopez being an assistant, but J.Lo paid her dues by helping her bosses meet their goals. It's hard for anybody to put others first, but that's what assistants do in every field. They deserve to be appreciated for this.

Before They Were Famous

Before Angela Bassett became a huge star in front of the camera, she earned her living doing business on the other side of the lens...

Before They Were Famous

Angela Bassett:
Photo Researcher
From Yuddy.com: "After working as a beauty salon receptionist and photo researcher, Bassett got started with her acting career in New York Theater, after which she landed her first role-as a prostitute-in the 1985 TV movie 'Doubletake,' starring Richard Crenna and Beverly D'Angelo. The following year she landed her first official film role as a TV reporter in 'F/X.'"

Whenever we look at a magazine, or in a book with pictures, we are seeing the work of some one like Bassett in her early career. We never think of the faceless, nameless men and women who look for all the photos that illustrate concepts, news and ideas in every facet of our daily lives, ranging from Web sites to education. But every one of those photos was hand-selected by someone, most often an anonymous, but dedicated and not-too-well-paid pro. What would life be like without all the hundreds of pictures we enjoy every day?

Before They Were Famous

There is no question that the issue of black unemployment is one that warrants special attention, but Obama will not be moving to help blacks any time soon. Despite the cries of those still living in "post-racial delusion," there are unique obstacles responsible for the disparate unemployment rate amongst blacks that will not adequately be dealt with utilizing general, non-targeted legislation. In an ideal world, President Obama would understand this and aggressively attack the issue without hesitation or concern about the political consequences. However, we do not live in an ideal world, and President Obama does consider the political ramifications of everything that he does, no differently than the vast majority of other politicians.

I do not blame the Congressional Black Caucus or any other group or individual for urging the president to take special action (though many of those pleas are political in themselves), but the reality is that it is ridiculous to expect a president who ran on a platform almost completely devoid of any mention of racial issues to be persuaded to tackle this political grenade, especially given the political climate at the moment. Obama is doing exactly what he said he would do, and no one should be surprised by that. Black people and organizations can attempt to push and pressure all they like, but it's not gonna happen. It's as though many black people had thoughts similar to those presently being espoused by tea bagger's and others -- that Obama was simply playing a role to get elected, and once in office, he would suddenly turn into President Malcolm X. This shows a complete lack of understanding of politics, and of President Obama himself.

Politics is not about likability (though that can help win an election); it's about using leverage with the political official and/or between groups that can be used to get things done for mutual interests. Generally speaking, black people have NO leverage with President Obama. He knows that no matter what he does, he has the black vote, plain and simple. He is not about to begin to risk his political future to push legislation for a group of people that are going to vote for him no matter what. I'm not saying this is a good thing, it's simply the reality of our political process at present, and will remain so until drastic changes occur to the electoral process and campaign finance laws.

Many of us chose a symbol of black achievement over what could have been most politically beneficial to us long-term, such as electing a president who we could more easily apply leverage to. This is not an attack on President Obama; it simply shows how naive many of us are when it comes to how politics really works.

Why would Obama tackle black unemployment, and spend valuable political capital, if he does not have to?

Categories

Contributors

Other BV Blogs