(ThyBlackMan.com) Like a forest fire that is never satisfied, the woes of the national economy are spreading through the black community in the form of double-digit unemployment and are wreaking havoc. In a display reminiscent of the great forest fires of the west, black wealth is being consumed in much the same way the forest fires consume dry underbrush and timber.
The fires of the western states’ forests are different, however, from the economic fires of the black community in that there are firemen risking their lives to extinguish them, while wealth in the black community is knowingly being consumed; our traditional firefighters have yet to pull fire trucks out of the station. In the past, “black political leaders” and civil rights organizations would at least sound an alarm. They would raise their collective voices in concert and say in a demanding way, “Black double-digit unemployment needs to be addressed!”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that more blacks received pink slips, on a percentage basis than any other working group during the month of October. Black unemployment was up in every category, except one. Overall, black unemployment increased from 12.9 per cent last month to 13.1 per cent. Black male unemployment saw a decrease to 13.0 per cent from 14.0 per cent. The 13.0 per cent rate matches June.
Black women took the brunt of the overall increase in black unemployment with their rate increasing to 11.5 per cent from 10.0 per cent. Black teenagers, the age group from 16 to 19 years, continue to be mired in the highest numbers of any group. Their unemployment rate increased to 36 per cent from 35.1 per cent. In considering these numbers, you have to remember these are the official numbers. The real rate of black unemployment and indeed the national rate of unemployment which increased to 7.3 per cent from 7.2 per cent are conservatively higher by as much as 2 – 5 per cent.
There is no escaping the cumulative affect economically and otherwise these rising unemployment numbers are inflicting upon the black community. One of the most vulnerable communities economically in the nation is now approaching, come January, 2014 which is only two months away, the start of seven uninterrupted years of double-digit unemployment when you include the Bush administration and the start of the Great Recession of 2008. Who would have thought with an African American president in the White House and a Congressional Black Caucus of 43 members that this would be the case?
What is remarkable about the suffering of this president’s most supportive constituency is that it is rarely talked about and receives almost no national media attention. There are no high level meetings taking place in the nation’s capital or anywhere else and there are no protesters standing outside the White House demanding the president and his administration address this issue directly.
I would think however, within a community of reasonable people and I am not suggesting black people are unreasonable, by saying this; nevertheless within a community of reasonable people, they would at least start seeing the wisdom of coalescing around a solution ( http://www.Jobcreationnow.com ). Of course, any solution should have as its priority the end of the affects nationally of this downturn and job creation. At least the discussion of a solution, if nothing else, will shine some light on these horrible numbers. And so it goes.
Staff Writer; James Davis
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