Headlines and History - July 19, 2020

In the June 4th USA Today article “Black Unemployment 2020: African Americans Bear Brunt of Economic Crisis Sparked by the Coronavirus,” Charisse Jones reported, “While unemployment among white workers fell to 12.4%, unemployment for black workers rose to 16.8%, the highest in more than a decade and particularly crippling because they often have a more fragile safety net to rely on...And while unemployment rates reached record lows last year, the job gains were often concentrated at the lower end of the pay scale, making it more difficult for black and Latino workers to accumulate the savings or benefits that could help them weather the current economic storm.”

In the Center for American Progress report “Systemic Inequality and Economic Opportunity,” Danyelle Solomon, Connor Maxwell, and Abril Castro explained, “The U.S. economy was built on the exploitation and occupational segregation of people of color. While many government policies and institutional practices helped create this system, the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, and the New Deal—as well as the limited funding and scope of anti-discrimination agencies—are some of the biggest contributors to inequality in America. Together, these policy decisions concentrated workers of color in chronically undervalued occupations, institutionalized racial disparities in wages and benefits, and perpetuated employment discrimination. As a result, stark and persistent racial disparities exist in jobs, wages, benefits, and almost every other measure of economic well-being.”

Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must understand the history that shapes our headlines to make progress for the future.

#charissejones #usatoday #danyellesolomon #connormaxwell #abrilcastro #centerforamericanprogress #employment #unemployment #blackunemployment #covid19 #systemicinequality #economicopportunity #unequalopportunity #wealth #wealthgap #wealthdisparity #economicjustice #loveyourneighbor #justice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #reparations #facethepast #healthefuture #headlines #history #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative