Black males have never gotten into the workforce, for a variety of reasons. Black women do much better, and blacks not educated in the US (such as Jamaicans) do better overall.
Foreign-educated immigrant Hispanics can at least read Spanish and learn basic English and can do basic math, and they show up for work. Meanwhile, blacks and an increasing number of rural and small town whites are virtually illiterate and can’t even add and subtract, and are usually on welfare and spend much of their time staying stoned or using the substance of their choice. Somehow, there’s always money for that.
Most posters here have ignored the fact that the even the Army can’t find enough native-born Americans to pass its basic skills test.
The whole problem is the lousy American educational system, which was dumbed down on the theory that this would help blacks and then further dumbed down to accommodate the neuroses of middle class whites who were afraid that their Precious Pearl might actually have to compete and be found wanting. And, of course, dumbed down mainly by the teachers’ unions, which make their main job that of protecting teachers who can’t teach and schools where nobody can pass the Army skills test.
That’s what the problem is, not the raw materials.
Black Catholics, most of whom have gone through Catholic school, on the average earn more than white Catholics. They’re a self-selected group, so they tend to be smarter; but the problem is that most blacks and lower income whites go to public schools, which teach them absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. This problem is entirely because of the teachers’ unions.
What's needed to bring the work ethic back is to connect work with learning, starting at age 14 or so. Go back to shop classes and community projects. After that, connect government help with work. Everyone should have the opportunity for one healthy but basic meal a day, a shower, and a cot to sleep on. That's it. Everything else should be in exchange for doing something.
When I was in those schools, I could see the bad effect handouts had. Organizations would give the kids, for free, amazing things...book fairs with books to keep, high quality book bags filled with healthy food, clothing, amazing field trip opportunies. The kids didn't earn any of it. How are they ever going to see the connection between getting something and deserving it?
Another thing that makes my blood boil is all of those wonderful charitable enlightened elitists with their holiday meals. They provide the food, they cook the food, they take care of cleaning up, then they go back to their suburbs. How about providing the food, having the guests from the inner city cook and clean up, and sit down and eat with them? That would be enabling instead of patronizing.
Grrrr......the whole thing makes my blood boil.