The Conservative Fantasy History Of Civil Rights
Leslie Odom Jr.: We Are Not All Artists the Same
According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, black unemployment dropped by .4 percentage points, from 16.1 percent to 15.7 percent. The number is still nearly double that of white unemployment, which lies at 8.8 percent.
Black male unemployment actually saw the steepest decline among all race/gender groups, dropping from 17.6 percent to 16.3 percent. The number is still 83 percent higher than white male unemployment (which is 8.9 percent).
Black women saw a slight increase in their unemployment rate, which went from 12.6 percent to 12.7 percent. The unemployment numbers for black women are 74 percent higher than those for white females (at 7.3 percent, lower than any other group in America).
Black teens saw mild relief from their unemployment crisis, but not very much. The unemployment rate for black teenagers dropped from 49 percent to 48 percent, but still remains more than double that of white teens (23.6 percent).
The numbers on black unemployment at least appear to be holding steady, but can be misleading due to the fact that quite a few Americans have simply stopped looking for work. Also, improvements in the black unemployment numbers must be balanced against the reality that black Americans are consistently unemployed at a rate that is nearly double that of the white American population. As I mentioned in my open letter to President Obama, this state of affairs cannot be allowed to exist much longer.
Related:
+$1.15 Billion in Aid to Haiti Held Up by US Gov't Bureaucracy
+Dr. Boyce Video -- Why is the Black Man Always a Suspect?
As the face of our government has changed and Republicans are now in control of the House of Representatives, there must be consistent and progressive grassroots efforts to deal with the black unemployment crisis. We should never get to the point that we believe that improving a horrible situation is as good as creating an equitable situation. Therefore, the push toward developing task forces and other initiatives to address wealth and unemployment gaps must surely continue.
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: (7)
Add a comment
By: Brady on 11/06/2010 3:25PM
Yes you are correct, "it all depends upon how u look it". First, one must "read" the BLS report, themselves, thats the first step. become knowlegable.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t02.htm
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: zranrine on 11/07/2010 9:43PM
A real and factual article that readers really enjoy. In modern society, buying replica handbags has become a trend. Strolling in the marketplace or surfing online, we can't shun coming across replica handbags wholesale or those on retailed sale. Our site offers a wide range of replica designer handbags in style, high quality leather and special design, especially prepared for women with good taste and elegance. Good work! Your post is an excellent example of why I keep comming back to read your excellent quality content that is forever updated. Thank you!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Darell on 11/08/2010 10:41AM
We've been using some of the ideas from Http://bit.ly/savingclips since my wife and I both have been unemployed for the past 6 months. The ideas we've picked up have been pretty helpful and practical.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: ohmanthisiscrazy on 11/08/2010 11:25AM
I know Im going to get fried by other bloggers for this one (and I dont care) but black unemployment has been in the double digits almost as long as I have been alive. Where was the outcry about unemployment back then? Why now? My mother always taught me to take all advantages that are available to achieve higher learning. Black folks have so many opportunities to get education yet most of the time they choose not to use it. Foreigners (including Africans) have come over here and surpassed us in just about everything. What I want to know is why? At first I thought it was about race but as I grew up, I actually saw and heard black people say they wouldn't pursue higher education for various STUPID reasons. I swear we black people are our own worst enemy.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: William on 11/08/2010 3:41PM
WHITE MAN; take your sorry pale a*# somewhere and sit in a corner and shut the f@+# up. You don't know s%$# about Black Americans and you seem to no less about White racism in America. You need to. stop writing on this web site and showing us all what a dumb a*# you are. Dr. Watkins does not play the race card he simply state the facts and the truth. The (so called) White Race in America is the overwhelming majority. They receive the majority of every benifit that the Goverment dishes out i.e., unemployment, social security, medicare, etc. They control the majority of jobs and employment opportunities. They control the interviews and pre-employment tests. And they control who is hired and who is fired. They also control the education systems in America. America is a Racist Society. Acknowledge that fact first. I don't know who is the dumbest, you or OHMANTHISCRAZY...I think its a TIE!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Roland on 11/25/2010 2:49PM
William, "White Man" doesn't deserve airtime, and OMTIS misses the whole point: IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER HOW MUCH EDUCATION YOU GET, YOU STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A WHITE DOMINATED SOCIETY! I was unemployed for almost a year, and I know many, many well qualified African Americans who have been passed over, not because they weren't qualified, but because in some cases they were MORE qualified then the White person giving the interview. I think one of the biggest problems is that we as a people have made ourselves irrelavent by not working to become a more active voting bloc, by not seeking to establish more quality businesses, and by allowing our family structures to deteriorate. And for all those White folks who are so put off by what they perceive as the "race" card: Hearing a white person cry racism is like listening to a rapist complain that someone called them a deviant. Ironic.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Roland on 11/25/2010 2:48PM
William, "White Man" doesn't deserve airtime, and OMTIS misses the whole point: IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER HOW MUCH EDUCATION YOU GET, YOU STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A WHITE DOMINATED SOCIETY! I was unemployed for almost a year, and I know many, many well qualified African Americans who have been passed over, not because they weren't qualified, but because in some cases they were MORE qualified then the White person giving the interview. I think one of the biggest problems is that we as a people have made ourselves irrelavent by not working to become a more active voting bloc, by not seeking to establish more quality businesses, and by allowing our family structures to deteriorate. And for all those White folks who are so put off by what they perceive as the "race" card: Hearing a white person cry racism is like listening to a rapist complain that someone called them a deviant. Ironic.
Reply to this Comment | Report This