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I write this letter with all due respect to yourself, as well as the office of the presidency. Your historic rise up the political ladder has been nothing short of inspirational, and your extraordinary vision has positioned you as one of the most celebrated leaders in the history of the United States. As a fellow scholar and African American male, I applaud your achievements. I am especially excited about how you, Michelle and your beautiful daughters present such a magnificent image of the African American family.
While the black community remains inspired by your achievements and overwhelmingly sympathetic to your challenges from conservatives, there are concerns that the economic plight of black Americans has not been a priority for the Obama Administration. To be sure, opinions on this matter are far from unanimous. But the numbers tell a story that needs to be heard.
As of last month, black unemployment rose to an astonishing 16.3 percent. This was .7 percent higher than the previous month, with the increase being 700 percent higher than the rise in unemployment for white Americans. Additionally, black teen unemployment is now over 45 percent, compared to just 23 percent for white teens. In addition to massive unemployment, wealth inequality in America remains a persistent problem, causing African Americans to bear the brunt of this economic crisis in ways that are unimaginable to other Americans. Our homes are facing foreclosure more often and we are less able to rely on a source of background wealth to help us get through the toughest times. Yet, while we are the least prepared for the recession, we are being hit with a downturn that is twice as forceful as that being experienced by the rest of America. In fact, even after the recession is over, our unemployment rate will probably be as high or higher than the rate that white Americans are agonizing over right now. The United Nations has investigated this issue as a human rights violation, because it appears that we live in a nation that accepts a black underclass as a default way of life.
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To this point, your administration has remained disturbingly silent on the issue of black unemployment. The silence is deafening, but the economic hardship is loud and clear. I am concerned that many of your key economic advisors are unable or unwilling to process and empathize with the depths of black economic misery in America. Many of them are not trained in issues that relate to economic inequality and seem to have little or no desire to make this issue a priority for the administration. In fact, I have yet to hear the words "black man" or "black woman" come out of your mouth in the year 2010.
Most of us are appreciative of the difficulties of being the first black president. We know that America is not ready to put race on the table for discussion, unless it is a case of the Right Wing attacking you for being too black. But there must be some way to show loyalty to the political interests of those who enthusiastically supported you during the 2008 presidential campaign. Many members of this base have either become too disillusioned to vote in the mid-term elections, or are quietly struggling to ensure that they do not undermine your political power by asking your administration to address matters of race. Many black Americans feel abandoned in their suffering and are only comforted by the symbolism of having a black president in the Oval Office.
I, for one, am glad that I supported you for president. While some members of your cabinet might believe that black political support can be taken for granted, I am not sure if that's the case. Energizing your base is an important part of generating political participation, so while many black Americans may not jump ship to the Republican party, there are many millions who may not be inspired to vote. Most of us supported the Obama Presidency on the promise of hope and change. Right now, hope has nearly diminished and not very much has changed in our households. We know you can't do it all on your own, but I'd love to at least see you try a little bit harder.
If we do not find a way to directly confront economic inequality in America, our nation will remain divided. I am hopeful that in the near future, we will see the creation of White House initiatives which provide a much-needed national conversation on race. I also ask that there be targeted economic policies created to deal with the consistent problem of chronic unemployment among black teens and the rest of the African American community. The passage of stronger urban jobs bills, along with opening the door for additional government contracts for African American companies can go a long way toward helping to alleviate the pressure being felt right now. The disease of black unemployment is one that must be treated and cannot be ignored, for it undermines community safety and deteriorates the core of the African American family. By failing to administer the proper institutional medicine, we risk allowing that disease to fester and eventually kill a segment of our society. The election of our first black president should be a step forward for our community, but at this point, it appears to be a political trade off. I am hopeful we can do better than that.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (516)
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By: sspsllc on 9/14/2010 1:02PM
Sounds like something one of the unenlightened Hebrews might have said to Moses when God sent them out of Pharaoh's stalls into the freedom of the light of day. They carried on and complained so much that the Lord wouldn't even let them IN the Land of Canaan until the whole generation had passed away. Black folks been dangling out here for 40 years-plus since the CRM because we scream about there won't be a black president and when there is, he isn't black enough or good enough. Wow. The Lord keeps trying to bless us and we keep spitting in His face because nobody's as perfect as The Christ. Mr President, you got your job cut out for you with this brood. Good grief! Ain't done nothing to improve our own jobless situation since you were an eight-year old child and now here you are and "we" are still crying about the same old thing we were crying about when Dr. King was alive. Just W -O- W.
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By: badrobot on 9/14/2010 1:46PM
@ jemimah shut up you dumb mullet wearing idiot, you people never have anything of value to add.
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By: Mimi on 9/14/2010 1:52PM
YOU APPARENTLY HAVE SOME REAL ISSUES AND YOU CAN BELIEVE THE ISSUES YOU HAVE DON'T HAVE A DAMN THING TO DO WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA.
FIRST OF ALL STOP LYING SO DAMN MUCH, YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN AND WHITE AND YOU NEVER SUPPORTED PRESIDENT OBAMA.
YOU ARE THE TYPICAL REPUBLICAN PERSON THAT ANSWERS THE POLLS THAT SAY PRESIDENT OBAMA IS NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.
WE ALL KNOW YOUR KIND YOUR JUST A LYING REPUBLICAN.
STOP THE LIES.
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By: Wyllyemozelle on 9/14/2010 10:25PM
You call yourself Jemima? You have way more problems then Pres. Obama. And by the way, white people were looking at you then the way they are looking at you now. It has nothing to do with Pres. Obama. Its just that many white people are coming out of the closet with their true feelings.
Jemima? Really????
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By: Debbie on 9/26/2010 12:20AM
Hi Jemimah,
First, being black has always been an issue for the white population. Your ancestors weren't brought here to become part of society or have you forgotten that. Secondly, Mr. Obama being President has nothing to do with how you're referenced as. You've always been referred to as such; you just didn't realize it until now.
Your anger is based on not knowing how to handle your own strengths. Anger is what racist love to insite because it causes uncertainty and they feed upon the week minded. Do you always allow people to change your course because of what they say?
Search yourself and find the true answer because if your forefathers would have felt the way you do now; we'd still be in slavery today.
President Obama has been blocked at every turn by hate from both parties, but yet he carries on. He has been called names by millions and you, just a few. So how do you think he feels. He was voted in with hopes high and the republicans and hate groups vowed to stop, hold up, and literally destroy him from the inside out. You say he's done nothing?
He's taken more punishment than you can imagine!
You should be proud of being black and your President and show this to the young ones because they have no one else. Do you think voting for racist will change this?
To be ashamed of what God made you is an insult to him! The blame falls on you.
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By: Donna Love on 9/24/2010 9:05PM
Once again I am a white female who is on disability raising a disabled child. I was raised poor and still am poor. Most of the country is living in poverty. We do have it better than other countries though. President Obama whom I will always support is working for all people who are trying to survive and living in poverty. I live in the south and I am not a racist. Everyone that I know has not really had work since most of the lower and middle class are struggling and have had no work. The south has always survived due to the hurricanes when they hit our area. The rich don't want to spend their money in the south. It's a shame when construction workers etc. are praying for a hurricane to bring work to the south. The oil spill has not helped us and still people contine to spend money at BP. Has anyone considered all of this?
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By: BG on 9/13/2010 11:25PM
Also, our AG Eric Holder, deserves a Certified and Registered Letter.
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By: ThePlayer on 9/13/2010 11:31PM
Doc Boyce, IMO, I believe that in the community, we Black men, need to get off our collective butts.
While we have had centuries of inequality, there is no excuse that in the current day we cannot seem to determine a course of action to take to make our own communities better.
As a Democrat, who voted for Mr. Obama, and who has no regrets, I believe it is improper to criticize the works of the President at this time, because it just plays into the political fodder which the conservatives own.
In reality Mr. Obama has been in office 20 months, and has successfully approached and attacked most of his major agendas spoken about on the campaign trail. It has took the country 96 months to reach the brink of diaster. The logic doesn't fit that he in nearly one-fifth the time frame which it took us to have a diasterous economy should be able to completly address each and everyone of the issues which the country was facing at the time of his election. Two wars, banking system failure, housing market failure, layoffs and related unemployment.
We used to say that integration meant annilhilation. Meaning that the cost of having integration meant the end of self sufficent business men and women in the Black community. We also used to stress the three R's - reading,
'riting, 'rithmitic. Both of these steadfast manners of living successfully have been garnered by the wayside for fast money, fast results.
When I hear of a report that in NY (I cannot remember if it was NY state or the city) that only 25% of the Black young men are High School graduates, how can there even be a future for the Black community. Or when I look at the young men sagging and showing their collective azzes, how will they get a job, unless its their own hustle, and I don't mean a street corner hustle.
Willie Lynch's analysis of how to have the slaves destroy one another is prevalent as ever. With our young men shooting each other as well as everyone else in the community inclusive of young women and children, we need not worry about d white man. We need to get ourselves together, first.
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By: gary on 9/14/2010 3:51AM
You make some excellent points, but you condemn conservatives...why? I am continually amazed how the poverty pimps bemoan conservative values at the detriment of Black America. Conservatives would overhaul the welfare system as we know it; eliminate poverty by moving people into the middle class with emphasis on education, a work ethic, and personal responsibility. No one ever escaped poverty by relying on government handouts and a victim mindset. Conservatives (regardless of race) and White America are not the problem, it is the primrose path minorities are being led down by the likes of watkins, Sharpton, etc.
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By: ThePlayer on 9/14/2010 9:16AM
In Re: Gary
My values are American, not Democratic nor Republican. I vote Democratic primarily because in the recent past of the 20th century politicos aligned with the Democratic party have provided more social change in government than that of their Republican rivals.
Starting with FDR and social security and all the New Deal legislation, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act under the Johnson administration, and the Health Care Reform Act under the current administration, the Democratic party has, in recent times, shown an affinity for the common person in the country.
Republicans conversely have fought all of the above legislative acts mentioned in the fore-mentioned paragraph. Blacks have always voted for their best interest. Prior to the 20th century Blacks routinely voted Republican. Why? Figure it out.
I don't disdain Republicans, I disdain ignorance, dummies and stupid conversations, as well as hatred on all levels, self and otherwise.
I don't have to align myself with a political agenda to have common sense, and common sense tells me that if anyone opposses equality, health care for all in the world's richest economy, then I don't want to align myself with those persons or that politcal group.
If things were equal the Republican mantra of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps," would be de riguer for the entire country. As the '60's response to that statement initiated, "suppose you don't have any boots to pull up?" The world ain't equal, that's a given, but as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, after being prodded by Mr Buffet has shown, that to those to whom much as been given, then much is expected.
If you have plenty, share. No one is asking to give away all you've earned, however if you have been blessed with plenty, it's human to give, if not spiritual.
No man nor woman alive wants someone to give them things. Sure there are beggars everywhere, but most people if given the chance are honest, are hardworking. Republicans seem to share a common belief that if persons do not look like them, or share their exact values, then those persons are lacking substance.
The conservatives have a book out, "Do As I Say, Not As I Do," an examination of Democratic aligned persons like Michael Moore and Nancy Pelosi who are relatively wealthy, and attacks them because they relate to the common person. It's like it's against the law to make money in this country, and yet have compassion for your fellow human.
Republicans attack Hollywood personalities who have wealth in the same manner. At the end of the day Republicans seem to be the most self-serving, selfish people in this country. I've got mine, now you get yours. Period. This mentatlity automatically creates a schism and strong party line division. I don't want your money, I want my own as a Democratic, and it's not morally reprehensible to share.
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