Who Do We Blame for the Black Unemployment Crisis: The White House or Congress

I had a conversation with Rev. Al Sharpton that took us back to the heated debate that Rev. Sharpton had with Cornel West on MSNBC last month. At any rate, the discussion revolved around who to hold accountable for the shocking and unacceptable increases in Black unemployment.

In my conversation with Sharpton, I mentioned the point during his debate with West where Prof. West yells the words “Where’s the bill?” My interpretation had been that West was demanding that Sharpton present evidence that Congress had put together a jobs bill to deal with disproportionate Black unemployment. But Sharpton, on the air, told me that he was actually the one asking West for the bill.

That’s when I began to think I was a member of the hip-hop group “The Geto Boys,” because I was sure that my mind was playing tricks on me. So, I went back to the video to make sure that I didn’t need to check myself into a psychiatric facility, and found that Sharpton was at least partially correct (as he expressed to me during a phone call during the commercial break). While West brought up the idea of putting a bill together, Sharpton made the accurate point that it’s not the president’s job to write the bill (since Congressmen are the ones who create laws, not the president) West, however, brought up the counter point that Rep. John Conyers has a bill ready, which I would personally love to see myself.

That’s when I spoke to my colleague, respected political scientist and Black politics expert Dr. Wilmer Leon. In our discussion on the matter, Dr. Leon explained that Sharpton is technically correct that it is up to Congress to write the legislation, leading to greater accountability on the part of the Congressional Black Caucus. He also made the point, however, that it is the president’s job to use his “bully pulpit” to speak in favor of such legislation.

According to Dr. Leon, the Congressional Black Caucus has been left frustrated by the fact that the White House has canceled at least 12 scheduled meetings with the CBC over the last two years (and 12 is a low estimate, from what I understand). This implies that while the CBC must be confronted about its lack of willingness to stand up for the economic suffering of the African-American community, the White House is being equally irresponsible.

White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett is the person that Dr. Leon mentions as being responsible for canceling the meetings, but I presume that President Obama plays a role in these decisions as well. At the end of the day, something has got to give and someone has got to do something. The Congressional Black Caucus must take a stand and produce legislation to deal with crippling disparities in unemployment and the White House must use its resources to support them.

If they do not, then millions of African-Americans may end up wondering why they shouldn’t just sleep in or go to work on election day, instead of showing up to vote. As I mentioned in my piece about the Great Black Disconnect from Obama, it’s hard to convince a group of people that can be convinced that they are incredibly important in the voting booth, yet not important enough to remain a priority for elected officials. The message must be consistent.

Written By Boyce Watkins

Source: African-American News & Issues