By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Oct 26th 2010 11:52AM
Filed under: News, The Economy, Credit Report
A new report from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee shows a disturbing trend for African American men. According to the study, 53.3 percent of the black men in the city of Milwaukee had no job during the year 2009. This rate was more than double the 22.3 percent unemployment rate for white males in the area, and nearly six times the national average unemployment rate of 9.2 percent.
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Blacks in the News
Dion "Rocko" Williams, the rear-tire carrier for Hendrick Motorsports, is one of just a handful of African Americans working today in NASCAR's pit crews. (Jeff Willhelm/Charlotte Observer/MCT)
MCT
Charlotte Observer
BlackVoices.com
Blacks in the News
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, left, arrives with Joe Preston Jr., the chairman of Consumer Affairs Committee Pa. House of Representatives, at One Hope Center in Pittsburgh's Hill District to accept the endorsement for governor by local African -American leaders, Monday, Oct. 25, 2010. (AP Photo/John Heller)
Blacks in the News
Dion "Rocko" Williams, the rear-tire carrier for Hendrick Motorsports, is one of just a handful of African Americans working today in NASCAR's pit crews. (Jeff Willhelm/Charlotte Observer/MCT)
Blacks in the News
Dion "Rocko" Williams, the rear-tire carrier for Hendrick Motorsports, is one of just a handful of African Americans working today in NASCAR's pit crews. (Jeff Willhelm/Charlotte Observer/MCT)
Blacks in the News
Dion "Rocko" Williams, the rear-tire carrier for Hendrick Motorsports, is one of just a handful of African Americans working today in NASCAR's pit crews. (Jeff Willhelm/Charlotte Observer/MCT)
Blacks in the News
In this publicity image released by Sesame Street, a brown muppet representing an African-American girl is shown during the taping of the "I Love My Hair," video for the children's program, "Sesame Street." The video was inspired by the five-year-old daughter of "Sesame Street" head writer Joey Mazzarino. (AP Photo/Sesame Street, Zach Hyman)
Blacks in the News
In this publicity image released by Sesame Street, a brown muppet representing an African-American girl is shown during the taping of the "I Love My Hair," video for the children's program, "Sesame Street." The video was inspired by the five-year-old daughter of "Sesame Street" head writer Joey Mazzarino. (AP Photo/Sesame Street, Zach Hyman)
Blacks in the News
Shauna St. Clair from Georgetown Hospital help instruct African-American Seniors about stroke signs and what steps they should take, during a community meeting at Hattie Holmes Wellness Center in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Blacks in the News
Shauna St. Clair from Georgetown Hospital helps instruct African-American Seniors about stroke signs and what steps they should take, during a community meeting at Hattie Holmes Wellness Center in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Blacks in the News
** TO GO WITH EEUU HISPANOS MUSULMANES ** In this photo taken Sep. 10, 2010, Laila Franco, 8, left, daughter of Alvaro Franco, 28, and Candice Elam, 28, praying in the back, poses for pictures, at her home in New Jersey. Alvaro Franco is a Colombian permanent resident in the United States who converted to Islam 14 years ago. His wife, an African American woman, converted to the Islam seven years ago. (AP Photo/Mariana Cristancho-Ahn)
Blacks in the News
** TO GO WITH EEUU HISPANOS MUSULMANES ** In this photo taken Sep. 10, 2010, Alvaro Franco, 28, right, and his wife Candice Elam, 28, pray at their home in New Jersey. Franco is a Colombian permanent resident in the United States who converted to Islam 14 years ago. His wife, an African American woman, converted to the Islam seven years ago. (AP Photo/Mariana Cristancho-Ahn)
Blacks in the News
The unemployment rate for black men in Milwaukee is substantially higher than it was the year before, rising 13.4 percent in just one year. Since 1970, the rate of joblessness for black men has more than doubled. Mark Levine, the author of the study, presents a series of reasonable recommendations for dealing with the unemployment problem, including the strengthening of re-entry programs for felons, government funding of green jobs and finding more effective ways to deal with the wave of mass incarceration that has taken place since the 1970s.
I wrote an
open letter to President Obama on AOL Black Voices regarding the problem with black unemployment. Some construed the letter to imply that I do not support the president, but that would be incorrect. At worst, my support for any political figure is conditional upon him/her addressing the needs and issues that affect African Americans. Thus far, the Obama Administration does not appear to have made black unemployment and mass incarceration serious priorities, and this is disappointing.
The fact that none of the Washington politicians have put massive black unemployment on their radar screens presents sufficient cause for many African Americans to be unenthusiastic about the upcoming mid-term elections. Sure, the Republicans would be worse than the Democrats, but neither group appears capable of significantly impacting the lives of African Americans. This doesn't mean that African Americans shouldn't vote, but it does mean that millions of black folks will presume that the state of their own existence won't be changed if they take time out of their day to visit the voting booth.
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Overall, the solutions to the massive black unemployment problem are going to have to start at home. Individual community organizers should demand that their elected officials deal with the unemployment issue. Additionally, it is imperative that we teach our children about the systems that are designed to destroy them. The prison system, educational system and economic system are not structured to favor the African American male. Therefore, you must prepare your black boys to be focused, strong and disciplined.
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. 
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By: william on 11/02/2010 7:10PM
I lived in milwaukee until very recently. I am a Black man. In the 20yrs I lived there I lost 4 houses, 20 vehicles, and paid thousands of dollars in fines and penalties for unreasonable and unfair fines and taxes. Milwaukee use regulartory laws to contain and redistribute Black wealth. White employment is always considered to be the prime objective in city,county,and state gov. and buisnesses always use the race card to promote contracts but never deliver on jobs to Black people esp. in the construction market. Alderman Hines the Black president of the city council is always conducting some kind of study or writing some letter to promote a higher standard of living for Blacks in the city but his efforts are nothing more than a song and dance act for the camera His real agenda has been to appease white buisness and the rich to stay in his large city salary position. Here is a list of some regulartory laws Milwaukee uses to steal Black wealth
Overnight parking - odd side and even side parking restrictions, Home inspections for violations- city orders that mandate property repairs, Parents fined for children misconduct, Police ticketing for driving violations,WE energies utility cost on inner city properties and there are many more. I accept and understand that law and order are correct and needed to maintain and support a community but the law in milwaukee is used to maintain White wealth at the expense of Black wealth
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