vendredi 23 septembre 2011

African American Middle Class Gains Evaporating in Metro Atlanta & Across U.S.

Bad news for blacks in Atlanta -- the economic gains made by African Americans in metro Atlanta is slowly slipping away. According to the AJC, the jobless rate in metro Atlanta and the entire state is far worse for blacks, particularly the black middle class.
Unemployment among black teens aged 16-19 in metro Atlanta was a staggering 56 percent last year. For black men it was 20 percent. Those figures roughly doubled the rates for white youths and men.

Last month, the national unemployment rate for blacks was 16.7 percent. That compared to 8 percent for whites, 11.3 percent for Hispanics and Latinos and 7.1 percent for Asians.

Some observers say joblessness is hitting blacks and the black middle class hardest, at least in demographic terms. In addition to high unemployment, blacks as a group have suffered more from the decline in the nation’s housing market and in their overall wealth. Source: AJC
Let's be realistic, if blacks could create the Black Wall Street in Oklahoma in the early 1900s, with virtually no technology at their fingertips, I know we can do that today by starting our own businesses, on a shoestring and gradually building it up over time. It means more retraining or even learning a new trade or skill. It can be done, but we must step up to the plate and do the dirty work to reach financial success. The government isn't going to return what we have collectively lost as a community.

More black students need to be in STEM class (science, technology, engineering and math). You will always need workers in those areas. Technologically and scientifically speaking we are moving forward, making breakthroughs, why should black students be left out of this trend? That's the message Jamal Simmons, former strategist to then-candidate Barack Obama, is stressing through his involvement with the Internet Innovation Alliance. Step outside your comfort zone and get a marketable skillset and fast There are jobs out there, but not enough qualified applicants.

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