Posted on 07/26/2013 8:21:04 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
PHILADELPHIA—Black America is largely unemployed, in debt and in prison, civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson told hundreds gathered at the annual National Urban League conference Friday, before asking them what they were going to do about it.
"If you're someone with credit card debt, stand," said Jackson. A segment of the audience stood. "If you're someone with student loans, stand," he said. Nearly everyone in the audience stood. "And if you're someone looking for a job, stand," he said. Many more people tentatively raised their hands.
"That's the state of black America," he said. "We are free but not equal. Free to be unemployed."
A host of big name civil rights leaders joined Jackson Friday in warning of the unemployment and incarceration crisis for black Americans, citing statistics including that more than half of male African-American high school dropouts are unemployed, according to an analysis from the left-leaning site Remapping Debate, and that of the over 2 million Americans in prison, half are black.
In June, the Labor Department's job numbers also showed that the African-American unemployment rate had risen from 13.5 to 13.7 percent, while the national employment rate had stayed even, at 7.6 percent.
Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said Friday that the unemployment problem was driven in part by employers who used credit checks in their hiring decisions.
"Credit checks have nothing to do with your ability to work," she argued. "Your credit is bad because you don't have a job."
MSNBC commentator and civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton argued that black Americans were facing higher unemployment rates because of where they work.
"Every since Obama has been in, there's been an increase in jobs in the private sector but black unemployment has increased. Why? Because we work in the public sector," he said.
In November, the National Urban League warned that the fiscal cliff would disproportionately affect African Americans because they make up a disproportionately large share of the public sector workforce.
A report from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute added to the Urban League's fears, finding that the greater number of African Americans in the public sector had also meant higher rates of job loss during the economic recession.
But the Urban League said here it is determine to stem the tide of job losses. A jobs expo at the conference included hundreds of employers, including Target, CVS and UPS. The conference, which has the theme "jobs rebuild America," also hosted a career and networking fair, with sessions on how to pitch a personal brand or the art of the interview. And the majority of conference-goers showed up in business dress, a detail not lost on Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati, a Philadelphia-based literary consultant attending the conference.
"If you notice how people are dressed, it's 8 a.m. in the morning and yet they're suited up, suited down, and ready for business," she said. "There are a lot of African American conferences around the country. But the National Urban League has said: 'This is what we are all about.'"
Just keep voting against those creepy ass cracker GOPers to remain comfortably on the plantation...
No S***!
Obama promised them the world and delivered only....
free Obamaphones. Except, that’s not exactly true.
Judging by the blacks that I see at the local Walmart, they are doing VERY well (better than I am, in fact). They pay for their groceries using a government taxpayer-funded credit card (EBT)...and they load their groceries into mostly brand new SUVs or luxury cars. And then they drive off, probably to nice, taxpayer-funded homes.
I’d have to say the blacks are prospering under Obama. After all, many of them never wanted ‘jobs’ in the first place.
LOL. That must be the drummer in the back with his “Hey I’m not really part of this freak show, I’m just here ‘cause I owe money” look.
pretty much...
Damn right, I am a culturist.....Some cultures are superior to others.....the good news is, you can choose your culture, you cannot choose your race.....choose wisely.
He should have asked how many of you suckers have been voting for white Liberals and black poverty pimps like me at a rate of 96% for the past 50 years?
If the answer is you,and you want to know who has put you in the dire straits you are in,go home and look in the mirror,because this pimp is going to my next fund raiser,oh I mean to my next rabble rousing March for something or other to fleece some more saps,oh by the way I have some good rap Cds by Jay Z for sale at the desk on the way out.
I know of a bright young black man who stuttered terribly and basically, could not speak two words without beginning to stammer. His mother said he would grow out of it and refused to take him to “paid For” speech therapy. His grades suffered when he was required to speak. He went to the local community college and became certified in physical therapy but was unable to communicate to his patients well enough to be successful.
He now works in a retail store for minimum wage. I’m glad he has a job.....hope he does well.
I grew up in challenging circumstances. To this day I don't feel comfortable without having cash on me and the farther I go from home, the more cash I need on me to feel secure.
Progressives have effectively outlawed true poverty. Our nation went through a half-century or so in which wages and standards of living were almost universally increasing.
The new "poor" includes cell phones, ipads, cars, and air conditioners. The government subsidizes poverty and makes it costly to make the sacrifices that would enable one to better themselves.
One motivator of doing the right things is the fear of the chicken coop. Who has that fear today?
The other barrier to self-improvement are those who perpetuate the idea that "acting white" is somehow a sacrifice of self, rather than a recognition that education and hard work are the keys to personal progress.
From David Copperfield: “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.”
Living within your means is not just a good idea, it's the law (of personal economics).
I agree with much of what you had to say there. I am trying to address the person who is trying to be productive and make it on their own. Yes, the government does step in and help. As you pointed out, and I agree, I think it destroys personal initiative in the process.
My current wife and I knew of a couple years ago who were both on government programs. One day the lady started listing what they were receiving in the way of government support.
By the time she was finished, she revealed that she and her husband were getting more money for free, than my wife and I were getting for working hard for 80 hours every two weeks.
Since that time they are off government services, but it was astounding to find out how much folks on government services get.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.