Thaddeus Howze gives an in-depth explanation of how Black men have been excluded from the jobs recovery in New York City.
The article that lead with the title “Black Men Missing Out on Jobs Recovery” made it sound as if Black men were not represented because they are deciding to be someplace else. That article’s title makes it sound as if they have other viable employment choices. They don’t.
No, I don’t intend to go into the nature of work and how it is being redirected overseas, (because it is, we know that and it is a problem), nor will we be talking about technology and how it creates unemployment. If you doubt that, check Google for the number of robots world-wide and the industries they have taken over.
My issue is that Black Men have 1.3 to 3.4 times the level of unemployment than other groups in the United States and I believe that is done intentionally (maybe subconsciously, maybe not) in either case it HAPPENS and that is enough for it to be an issue.
Let’s just, for the sake of argument here at the Good Men Project, where we are supposed to be willing to “speak the unspeakable” call this Black Male Jobless Recovery what it is:
- An opportunity for a racially-divided society to further disadvantage a segment of the population who are already disadvantaged by having Black skin and a history of chattel slavery in their past.
- Descrimination against a population who have struggled to reach some level of economic parity in this society. Starting from a humble beginning, they have risen to some level of prominence but as we will see, it was a precarious perch at best.
- An opportunity to attack those who might otherwise vote for a leader who is not White; a simple premise – if you are too busy struggling for your existence you won’t be worried about who the president is.
- An attack against a subgroup of the population that does not support the agenda of our corporate-driven government to drive the populace further into abject poverty
- A systematic exploitation of the lower classes and minority groups while reaping fantastic profits and providing minimal services to an over-stressed segment of the population.
I made a list for a reason, to make sure you understand that it isn’t just one thing that is affecting Black Men returning to the workforce but a combination of forces. The effects can be seen below:
- Long term exclusion from the workforce: Black professional men have an unemployment rate of 9-13% depending on the state. These are men who have degrees and/or significant years of experience. When they are unemployed they may be out of work for 6-18 months. Older Black men (50+) are unemployed even longer and may never be able to return to the workforce again.
- Graduates wait longer for work and work for less: Younger Black men who are out of work but recently graduated may have a slightly better chance at finding work but are still disproportionately represented at 18-25% depending on where you live in the nation. Their opportunities are slightly better since they may be able to be hired, for far less money, and often with no benefit packages.
- Starting later and making less: Young Black Men right out of high school may be unemployed in parts of the nation at 30-50% of the population of that area. This lack of early employment can affect the long time earning potential of these individuals as they get started later and start off earning less money than their peers who started work earlier.
- Racially-divided poverty levels: This long term unemployment promoted several terrible events in the Black community that are not discussed in common media. The Federal Reserve figured out that in the last three years, the net worth of the average American Family had fallen 40 percent over three years (2007-2010). Black families and their economic wealth have been devastated since the housing collapse and financial crash of 2008. The median wealth of White families is now $131,000 while the median net worth of Black families was $5,677 – about one-twentieth of white families net worth.
- Erasing the gains of decades: Black families have been driven back to the economic levels of housing and income circa 1970. Homes lost during the crisis were disproportionately felt among the Black and Latino communities who were purposely steered toward the high-interest, adjustable rate mortgage and other riskier arrangements. Lawrence Mishel, an economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute says “It’s like someone opened a drain on most of the economic progress made by black families in the last 30 years.
- Collapsing the already struggling Black Family: The economic hardships have had negative effects on existing Black families and on the potentials for forming new ones. Families whose holdholds have lost a wage-earner and whose income been cut due to long-term unemployment, lose financial stability, often lose their homes and when a home is lost, everything in it is at risk, as well. Long-term unemployment has affected entire enclaves of people of color forcing them from their homes and their communities. Families who were fortunate enough to have children in private schools are forced to return to, often lower quality local education. As funds tighten, maintenance issues like home repairs and automobiles slowly break down and are unable to be repaired or replaced. This increases stress and that increased stress breaks up families. Younger Black adults are forced to wait ever-longer as their college debts build up interest while they look for work that is slow in coming.
With these devastating effects and many others, I turn to the answer of why many of these men are not working:
- Fair hiring practices are only available in some jobs: Some of these men worked for the government. Their work paid well and was very stable, often employed for decades. Since many government agencies had to meet pre-defined quotas of people of color in their government-controlled workspaces, so there was far greater representation in those workplaces than in private corporate offices. Those offices now, many under Republican-ruled govermnents, laid off huge numbers of employees, often disproportionately Black workers. The longer those workers are unemployed, with the depressed private market, the greater the likelihood they will fall off the grid (out of public life and sight of mainstream America, permanently marginalized).
- A large portion of Black men work in industries that are currently frozen: Many of these men worked in construction and other blue-collar related work. This work has been frozen since the housing bubble burst and there is no major drive to begin working on the hundreds of thousands of infrastructure projects the nation could be engaged in employing these men. Roads nationwide are in absolutely terrible shape, rated a D by most city infrastructure development agencies but without government support those programs are not able to be staffed. Bridges, power lines, sewer systems, forest planting, and energy grid infrastructure programs also would employ thousands of Black men if they were being developed. Hell, such a series of programs would employ millions of Americans, period. Yet, nothing is done. Why?
- Education, one of the challenges in the Black community, is one of the primary factors used in determining employability: One of the largest groups are the young, undereducated, high-school educated, or black men with limited work experience. These men may make up to 50% of the adult Black male population in most inner cities. These men are destined for the service industry, at best, but the service industry in America is already overburdened and unable to employ such relatively lower-skilled employees in great numbers.
- Good old fashioned racism with a twist. We don’t have to tell you why we won’t hire you. With all of the technology being directed toward employment, self-selection is not discussed in any great detail. This is the process, using new technologies like web searches, online and video resumes to pre-screen employees. How convenient it must be such technologies let you know right away whether you are dealing with a White or Black potential employee. The same can be said of social media, with its emphasis on photographic images and the insistence of companies to FORCE potential employees to release their social media passwords. It is not a mistake you cannot find pictures of Black employees online. It is sometimes their only chance at getting an interview in an increasingly segmented and diversity-averse workforce. Yes, they are still Black at the interview. But at least they are not PRE-SCREENED out of a chance to appear at one.
- Last but not least, they are Black Men in America. No social group is more maligned, more imprisoned, more frisked, more often stopped and searched, has more media attention directed to misrepresenting, demonizing, shown in overalls and handcuffs, beaten in public without any form of penalization for the police, killed in police shootings even when they are unarmed, over-sexualized in media, rage-represented in films as over-the-top violent and overall considered the most dangerous citizen in America, whether educated or incarcerated. There are no positive representations of Black Men in common media, no healthy representations of Black Family since the Cosbys, few professional representations other than sports, music or comedy, and fewer healthy relationships are emphasized with the focus on Black rappers (and their rump-shaking video dancers), Black musicians (and their libidinous lifestyles) and Black sports stars with their misogynistic lifestyles and often dubious tastes in White women.
What American has a rational representation of Black Men in his head that has not been poisoned by the media representation of Black men as violent, uneducated, disobedient, recalcitrant, difficult, and incompetent in the workplace? When I hear news stories that mention Black Men can’t find work, I am not surprised, and no one else should be. There are so many factors that have only been exacerbated since Barack Obama became the President of the United States, and supposedly removed the racial barriers to anyone being anything in America. The “Obama Effect” was supposed to inspire Blacks to greater levels of achievement, but it seems to have had a corresponding effect in workplaces to drive diversity OUT of places of employment.
The sad truth is the president being Black has only ensured that no other Black Male will be given any opportunity to affect the lives of White people as long as Obama is in office. White people in power cannot do much about him. They can spend billions to try to run him out of office. They can suppress the workforce artificially saying there is no work in order to damage the economy and perhaps paint a spin that Barack Obama is not doing his job. But beyond that, they’re stuck.
But to employ a Black man as long as there are White men out there without jobs? They can control who they hire, never have to report why they don’t hire Black men, even if they interview them, and ultimately will NEVER hire a Black man as long as there are White men, White women, Black women (a two-fer, black and female, covers two diversity groups AND has half the racialized-cultural baggage that Black men have had engineered around them) and then any other acceptable minorities, Asians, Visa-holding foriegners, Mexicans, and then Black men… Count on it.
It’s not personal or that’s what they tell People of Color. It’s what been done here for four hundred plus years; making life as hard as it can legally be for People of Color. At one time that meant the only job a Black man could get was working on sleeping cars on trains (Pullman Porters, look it up.) Nowadays, if we aren’t shooting Black men, imprisioning them, or marginalizing them, then it’s legalized invisibility. “We just don’t find any ‘qualified Black workers’” is the phrase on every big companies lips.
I call it as I see it. Bullshit.
And let me save you from yourselves by writing back and telling me, I am only painting half the story, that there ARE violent, dangerous, misogynistic, monstrous Black men out there and they should NOT be allowed the same opportunities as good, virtuous, Church-going White People because I am not interested in that lie today.
There are plenty of (dare I say a lot more than most people realize) good, hard-working, family-oriented, non-violent, capable, educated, loving Black Men out there who have lost their jobs, not because they were incompetent, but because they were Black and the axiom “Last hired, first fired” is one they have had to live with their whole lives. For some of the best Black men who are out there working, that one axiom defines their entire work existence, for good or ill.
So spare me the rants about how I am misrepresenting Black people as PEOPLE worthy of recognition because you don’t know any, haven’t seen any, and likely never thought there could BE any. Today, I want you to take my word that they exist and deserve the same opportunities as anyone else who is willing to work in this nation.
♦◊♦
If you have some indignation left, use it to help a Black family get back to work. Shame your local mega-corporations who don’t have any Black employees, especially where YOU work. Direct your rage at a system that is attacking a Black President, the only one this nation has ever had, and have worked since the day he took office to drive him out for the simple reason that he was Black (This means you, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner). Gather that bile and repudiate THOSE forces.
These are the same forces Black men contend with everywhere no matter how powerful they are in this nation. The treatment Barack Obama gets doing his job is the same kind of treatment Black men put with everywhere they work, if they get to work, no matter how skilled they may be, no matter how knowledgable they have shown themselves to be. There is always someone who is certain they can do better and its usually a White man who has never done anything of note to warrant having an opinion at all.
White men get the benefit of what I call the “illusion of competence.” They are assumed to know everything about anything, especially if they have a degree or two. Let them have a doctorate and they are considered nearly all-knowing no matter what their doctorate might actually be in. They are an unimpeachable authority. No matter how educated a Black man may be, no matter how many years he may have under his belt, he suffers from the socially-defined “illusion if incompetence,” that somehow he achieved his office by “affirmative action” or some other program that unfairly catapulted him ahead of “deserving” White men who didn’t get a particular job. A Black man should be second-guessed by anyone with the power to say “but” even if they have never done the job that Black man is doing. No, you don’t have to admit this is part of the social fabric. Why start now?
Anytime you see a Black man doing a job, know he is probably there doing that job because he was the best he could be, more often than not, because he had not choice in the matter. It’s either be the best or lose your job. People of color don’t talk about this, ever. But we all know the expression: “To be considered half as good, we have to be twice as good.”
Black men contend with the cultural limitation they are inferior in every way and yet managed to get and keep jobs for decades, against forces who daily assault their skill, their competence, their self-esteem in an effort to drive them from whatever every other American has no problem feeling entitled to.
If there is anyone who should be angry it’s Black men who are being held from finding work, due to the accomplishments of one Black man, President Obama, trying to show we are equal in every way that matters. Yes, I spoke the unspeakable. Post-racial society, my ass. Racism isn’t dead yet. Not even close.
So spare me your rage and indignation. I am too busy choking on my own.
References:
Unemployment falls … but not for blacks – http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/06/news/economy/black_unemployment_rate/index.htm
Foreclosure Crisis Erases Hard-Won Wealth, Dreams Even In Center Of Black Affluence – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/31/foreclosure-crisis-prince-georges-county_n_1243151.html
A good credit score did not protect Latino and black borrowers – http://www.epi.org/publication/latino-black-borrowers-high-rate-subprime-mortgages/
Fed report on family finances issues inconvenient truth for both parties – http://articles.philly.com/2012-06-18/business/32282953_1_family-wealth-mitt-romney-fed-report/3
Fixing the Black Male Unemployment Problem – http://www.bet.com/news/national/2011/10/17/fixing-the-black-male-unemployment-problem.html
Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Unemployment climbs among black men even as nationwide jobless rates level off – http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2010/04/unemployment_climbs_among_blac.html
Study seeks to explain disproportionately high unemployment numbers in Black communities. – http://www.theblaze.com/stories/study-seeks-to-explain-disproportionately-high-unemployment-numbers-in-black-communities/
Image of young man working courtesy of Shutterstock
This phenomenon is not apparent from the surface. However, I will chime in as black male in a position with a bit of responsibility and where I get to advise the management team at my job. So, I work intimately with a lot of these white managers and white supervisors. Some of them are incompetent beyond belief. Not only are they incompetent, some of them only have a high school diploma. In fact, some of these people are such a liability to the corporation. Anyway, the market is judging my company harshly – the income statement is taking a beating.… Read more »
Its not that I cannot find work, it is that work cannot find me. It cannot because it can no longer use me without there being compensation for it (a.k.a. slavery). It does not want to compensate, therefore, it no longer recognizes me (the “black” man).
I once believed that a master’s degree equated to one being more than capable of excelling in any opportunity provided and that such opportunities were rewarded on the whim to those who reached professional academic standing (like I did). I always hoped that America operated to reward those that worked hard and worked honestly for a living (as it now is not the case) and that it was the example nation for all others to follow by adhering to the practice of social and economic equality for all. I am an African American male under 30yrs of age (or an… Read more »
This is absolutely true – thank you for putting it so well. Black men – hang in there.
You couldn’t be more correct. I’ve worked in the NYC area most of my career and remember see many black male professionals sitting on the subways cars next to me. I see practically none these days. Some days I see absolutely ZERO. They’ve all just disappeared. Gee, I wonder why? Why hire a black male when you can hire a white woman, darker Asian man or woman or, of course, a white male? It’s systemic and part of a bigger, malignant picture being painted by the ALEC-loving, white male corporate establishment; drive the black race into oblivion.
I truly appreciate your article . All the facts are clear there wasn’t a lie that was told. As a Blackman in America I know because I have lived this article . I Thank you for the boldness and honesty in this article.
Read more at https://goodmenproject.com/good-feed-blog/black-men-left-out-of-job-recovery-with-malice-and-forethought/#lZUMYRYlUCbCLBdi.99
I truly appreciate your article . All the facts are clear there wasn’t a lie that was told. As a Blackman in America I know because I have lived this article . Thank your boldness and honesty in this article.
Save your troll-speak for someone who is listening. And since you obviously aren’t, this is for people who read what you wrote and agree with it. All I can hope is they will consider my opinion before they agree with yours. I am a Black man who worked in Corporate America for 24 years. I achieved a fair level of prominence becoming a Chief Information Officer and a Vice-President of a small university. I do not listen to rap music. I do not subscribe to violence. I do not wear saggy pants. I served my country honorably in the US… Read more »
“What American has a rational representation of Black Men in his head that has not been poisoned by the media representation of Black men as violent, uneducated, disobedient, recalcitrant, difficult, and incompetent in the workplace?” Black men should overcome those negative stereotypes and prove them wrong. Black men should also meet or exceed the employer’s expectations, adhere to company standards, and get along well with coworkers. Black culture — Hip pop, rap, Ebonics, gangs, drugs, saggy pants, etc — is not mainstream and is viewed negatively by most Americans. I don’t think employers purposely discriminate against BM, I think they… Read more »
Great article. This is a dissertation topic that has been on my mind since my first day of doctoral program. Hopefully the participants selected to interview for my dissertation will shed some more light on this issue.
You are right on the money with your comments, i have been to almost a dozen interviews in 2012, all with white people, I was always qualified, always well dressed, as a voice over actor i am always well spoken. I am lite skinned, 6 2 with broad shoulders and a deep voice…I never got hired! white sometimes cannot even look me in the face, the white women always have a look in their eyes of something like fear combined with disbelief that bi even got this far. the women white women in HR in this country long ago gave… Read more »
I just want to say that this article has (for the time being) saved my life. I was actually beginning to believe that I WAS incompetent and unworthy of being a contributing member of this society. I am a 26 year old black male who has never had the opportunity to work a full-time job, and I have not been able to find a part-time job in some time. I know that I only have an associates degree from a career college, but I know people who BARELY graduated from high school who have been able to find full-time jobs.… Read more »
Great Article. I want to add my two cents. There are many well educated, college degree, upstanding black gentlemen in this America society. Employers need to concentrate on hiring the people with good skills and not put discrimination into the hiring equation. I should be use to it by now when i see blacks and latinos being discriminated against but it always surprises me. If i am a boss or hiring manager I would not care if a person is the color green, orange, purple, red, or any other color under the rainbow. What matters is if the person can… Read more »
Some people have asked why did I take such a harsh line on this particular article. Partially because what I am talking about is not acknowledged by anyone in a position to do anything to rectify this problem. But this is not a new problem. Indeed, it is one that has been socialized into the very fabric of society. Black men cannot and should never be successful, for within their potential for success, breeds an inherent fear among a white populace that was once upon a time outnumber by their slaves ten to one. The very need to demonize people… Read more »
This here is the kicker “What American has a rational representation of Black Men in his head that has not been poisoned by the media representation of Black men as violent, uneducated, disobedient, recalcitrant, difficult, and incompetent in the workplace?”.
I share your disappointment and outrage and I also believe the notion of a post-racial America a bit silly. From Trayvon Martin to Stop and Frisk in NYC we continue to see evidence that this is not the case.
Thanks for sharing.
Hey, cheer up, this nation leads the ENTIRE WORLD in having black men in prison, and a lot of those guys are working full-time for major corporations, sometimes making as much as a couple dollars for a day’s work.
Wait, hang on… what’s that thing called where you put chains on black people and make them work without really paying them? I could swear there’s a name for that…
Exactly the point Noah. The development of the penal-industrial complex’s great wealth power and influence in the US is allowing them to compete and undercut legitimate businesses using what is effectively slave labor. So businesses in the US are competing against foreign workers and industrialized slavery. See: Penal Industrial Complex for the shameful numbers: http://bit.ly/QCZr9Q
Well said. I don’t really have anything meaningful to add, I just felt like you deserved some supportive comments for this piece. Also, I think you have a really cool name. That seems to short, so I guess I can add a mention of a really amazing black man I used to know. He was the best math teacher I ever had and the only one who ever made algebra enjoyable. He didn’t use any tricks or games or colorful pictures, and he didn’t need to: He had such an amazing enthusiasm for numbers that you couldn’t help getting caught… Read more »
Very well said! There wasn’t a lie that was told . As a black man in America I know it ‘s true because I’ve lived it! Thank you for your bold and honest statements.