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The Future of Oil and Natural Gas Industry is Ripe with High Paying Opportunities for Minorities

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “We expect that in this workforce of future, African Americans and Latinos will supply almost 40 percent of the workforce…” Mike Sommers, president and CEO, American Petroleum Institute

Published

7 years ago

April 17, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In a year when the American Petroleum Institute (API) marks its 100th anniversary, the oil and natural gas industry continues to look towards the workforce of the future nationally and globally that will emphasize the inclusion of African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities.

API, America’s largest trade association for the oil and natural gas industry, is working diligently to encourage minorities and women to become petroleum engineers, geologists, welders, electricians, accountants, business managers and to secure other high-paying and family-sustaining jobs that have routinely gone to white males.

Under the guidance of President and CEO Mike Sommers, the Institute continues to make strides toward changing the landscape by putting in place strategic and definitive initiatives that address diversity and inclusion.

For his part, Sommers has brought two decades of political experience to API, including his role as president and CEO of the American Investment Council (AIC), an advocacy and resource organization established to develop and provide information about the private investment industry and its contributions to the long-term growth of the U.S. economy and retirement security of American workers.

Prior to joining the AIC in 2016, Sommers served as Chief of Staff to Speaker of the House John A. Boehner (R-OH) and in other capacities in House leadership for more than a decade.

A Naperville, Ill., native and graduate of the honors program at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Sommers served at the center of nearly every major policy decision in the last decade.

He successfully negotiated bipartisan achievements on landmark legislation, including the Trouble Asset Relief Program in 2008, the resolution of the fiscal cliff in 2013, the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2015 and trade promotion authority in 2015.

Sommers also served as Special Assistant to the President at the National Economic Council at the White House in 2005.

In an exclusive joint interview with the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the National Alliance of Hispanic Publications, Sommers detailed how the country’s natural gas and oil industry plays a central role in the U.S. economy – supporting 10.3 million jobs and keeping energy affordable for families and businesses.

Studies have revealed that the industry will realize close to 1.9 million new job opportunities by 2035, with hundreds of thousands of them projected to be filled by African American and Hispanic workers, he said.

“America’s natural gas and oil industry is committed to meeting and exceeding those projections, ensuring job opportunities reach every community – because we know a diverse workforce is essential to fostering the innovation and collaboration we need for a stronger industry, and a stronger country,” Sommers said.

The half-hour question and answer session revealed Sommers’ and API’s vision going forward.

NNPA: What are the top facts that you’d like the public to know about the natural gas and oil industry?

Sommers: The first thing the public needs to know about the oil and natural gas industry is that it supports 10.3 million jobs in this country.

The other thing is that while energy production has gone through the roof over the course of the last many years, our emissions [in America] have gone down. In fact, the United States now has the cleanest air in a generation, while worldwide emissions have gone up 50 percent.

That’s really thanks to the innovation that has occurred in this industry.

While in this country, costs continue to go up for education, health care and housing, household energy costs have gone down 10.5 percent in the last ten years and that’s truly because of the innovation and work this industry has done to make sure consumers have access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy.

NNPA: What are some of the ways the industry is reducing its environmental impact?

Sommers: The environmental issue is one of the top issues we deal with on a daily basis in this country.

This industry has reduced our environmental footprint not just from the perspective of the emissions reduction… A whole generation of change has resulted in cleaner air in this country and that’s something we’re very proud of.

In addition, we’ve reduced the environmental impact in places where we actually produce this energy.

Over the last 20 years, we’ve reduced the size of well pad by almost 90 percent and that’s good for the environment, good for American production and good for the American consumer.

NNPA: Currently, the unemployment rate among African Americans is nearly twice as high as that of the white labor force, while the median income for African Americans is approximately half as much as whites.

Similar stats are true for the Hispanic community, so what can API do to change that dynamic within the oil and natural gas industry and help ensure that these communities hear about opportunities in your industry?

Sommers: This industry currently supports 10.3 million jobs but that is only going to grow as the energy revolution in this country continues to expand.

We’ve done numerous studies on this and we actually expect that much of the new labor force coming into this industry is going to be supplied by African American and Hispanic workers.

What we’re doing is working very closely with our industry partners, particularly with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute to make sure that black and Hispanic workers in the industry know what those opportunities are.

So, we’re working very closely with others in the industry as well to make sure folks understand where they can get these great paying jobs; these are middle-class sustaining jobs and jobs that will supply the workforce for the future.

NNPA: Do you have any advice for young people who are thinking about pursuing a career in STEM or the natural gas and oil industry in general?

Sommers: STEM education is key. We have a number of partner organizations in this field where they’re helping to ensure that young Hispanic and African American students have access to a STEM education.

That’s not the only place where you can have an entry point into the oil and natural gas industry. This is an industry that needs all kinds of workers; many of our companies are competing with people like Google and Facebook and folks within Silicon Valley, so STEM is important but those are not the only jobs.

We need welders, pipe fitters and we partner with unions like the North America’s Building Trades Unions to make sure there’s training for new employees in this industry, so they understand how important safety is and they get the skills they need so they’re ready for this highly-trained workforce.

We need everyone from scientists to engineers, but that they understand how important putting a hard hat on is and getting ready for this workforce.

Those are the employees this industry needs, particularly as this energy revolution continues to grow in the United States.

Sommers: Again, these are family sustaining wages. In this industry [the requirement of a college degree] is simply not true. Of course, if you want to be an engineer, scientist or geologist, that will require higher education, but we also have training programs that we built out with the Building Trade unions where you can get an 8-week certificate from the unions and you can become a welder in some of the most prolific oil and natural gas basis in this country almost immediately.

These are jobs you can get right out of high school. We are building a workforce for the future and they are paying great wages.

NNPA: What are the top policies you’re advocating to ensure affordable energy and job opportunities?

Sommers: The two key, big priorities this year are that we need Congress to work on an infrastructure bill so that we can build infrastructure to support the energy revolution that’s going on in this country.

So, infrastructure is key; the other thing we need is to make sure that we have markets for these products that are being produced with American resources. So, we need access to pipelines and make sure that the infrastructure is in place.

We also need markets for our products and that means the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement which is a key priority of this Congress and this president that has to get done as quickly as possible.

We expect that in this workforce of future, African Americans and Latinos will supply almost 40 percent of the workforce.

That’s the reason these training programs and partnerships that we’ve built over time are going to continue to be key components of our advocacy to make sure that the workforce that we supply to the American consumer is safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy.

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Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled

BLACKPRESS USA NEWSWIRE — “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”
The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

23 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Oakland Post

By National Women’s Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center released its annual State Child Care Assistance Policies report, finding that the number of children placed on waiting lists for federally funded child care assistance nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025 — and that number has only continued to grow.

The report serves as a key resource for state lawmakers, advocates, and policymakers by tracking state child care assistance policies and identifying where states are strengthening support for families and early educators — or falling behind.

“This deeply troubling increase in the number of children on child care waiting lists is the result of a failure to invest in this crucial sector,” said Karen Schulman, senior director of state child care policy and author of the report. “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”

Key findings in the report related to waiting lists for child care assistance include:

• 17 states had waiting lists or a freeze on intake for child care assistance in February 2025, up from 13 states in February 2024.

• Approximately 106,700 children nationwide were added to waiting lists between February 2024 and February 2025, bringing the total to 225,500 children in February 2025 — a 90 percent increase compared to February 2024.

• The numbers climbed even further between February 2025 and summer/fall 2025, with more than 175,000 additional children added to state waiting lists in just a few months — a 78 percent increase.

• At least seven states newly began placing families on waiting lists or freezing intake, while at least 10 additional states saw their waiting lists grow, after February 2025.

The report also includes state-by-state data on key child care assistance policies, including income eligibility limits, parent copayments, provider payment rates, and eligibility policies for parents searching for work.

Click the link to learn more: Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025.

The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy

ROLLING OUT — Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport.
The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

The seven-time major champion read frustration, not a real goodbye, in the world No. 1’s words

By David Kesiena | Rolling Out

When the world’s top-ranked player said she wanted to walk away from the sport, Venus Williams chose empathy over alarm.

Aryna Sabalenka’s blunt remark after her French Open quarterfinal collapse rattled plenty of fans, but Williams heard something different in it. The seven-time Grand Slam champion treated the comment as the raw reaction of a hurting athlete rather than a serious signal about her future.

The collapse that triggered the comment

Sabalenka looked headed for a routine win over Diana Shnaider. She took the opening set 6-3 and built a commanding lead in the second, climbing to 4-1 and later serving for the match at 5-4 while sitting just two points from victory.

Then everything unraveled. Shnaider stormed back to steal the second set 7-5 and bageled the world No. 1 in the third, with Sabalenka dropping 12 of the final 13 games in gusty conditions that reached around 26 mph. The 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 result sent Shnaider into her first Grand Slam semifinal and extended Sabalenka’s long wait for a maiden Roland Garros title.

In the aftermath, Sabalenka did not soften her feelings. She told reporters she had no thoughts and no emotions left and felt like quitting on the spot. She described being stuck in a deep, dark mental hole during the match, unable to find her way back.

What Venus Williams said about Sabalenka

Williams reacted with understanding. She admitted the moment made her sad and said she had been swept up in Sabalenka’s emotions, feeling a surge of empathy for her. She praised the Belarusian for laying everything bare on court, where every feeling shows.

Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport. Rather than scold her, Williams offered a gentle observation about the rhythm of professional tennis. She suggested players might benefit from a little more time to gather themselves before stepping in front of the cameras, a quiet acknowledgment that athletes are routinely asked to dissect painful defeats before the sting has faded.

Sabalenka walks it back

The story did not end on that bleak note. Within days, Sabalenka signaled she was not actually quitting, framing the press-conference outburst as heat-of-the-moment honesty rather than a plan. At the time of the loss she had also left the door open, saying she would see how she felt in a few days and hoped to get back on track mentally. The walk-back lined up with how Williams had read the situation from the start.

It is not the first time a Paris quarterfinal has pushed Sabalenka to her limit. In 2024 she exited at the same stage and skipped her press conference entirely because of illness, with the tour later releasing her quotes on her behalf. The pattern underscores how heavily this particular tournament has weighed on her despite deep runs in recent years.

For now, attention shifts to the grass. Wimbledon offers Sabalenka a quick chance to reset, and a strong showing there would turn this French Open meltdown into a footnote rather than a turning point.

Originally published by Rolling Out — https://rollingout.com.

The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue

THE CAROLINIAN — Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.
The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

By Judaea Ingram | Special to The Carolinian

RALEIGH, N.C. – Music filled the air as families danced through the crowd, children gathered around activity stations, and community members explored wellness resources from local organizations. Black-owned businesses lined the streets while people stopped for chair massages, conversations, and moments of connection inside the wellness suite.

At the center of the event stood a simple but powerful reminder:

“You Matter.”

For Darkness RISING, those words represent far more than a slogan. They reflect the organization’s mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community while creating spaces centered on healing, honesty, and hope.

Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.

The organization hosts a variety of programs and events throughout the year, including block parties, wellness workshops, mixers, kickoff events, community classes, and Darkness RISING: Live — a free annual arts and wellness festival now celebrating its ninth year.

The festival combines entertainment with healing-centered resources, featuring live music, dancing, singing, food trucks, Black vendors, children’s activities, mental health resources, wellness spaces, and opportunities for open conversations about mental health.

While the events may feel celebratory on the surface, organizers say the deeper purpose is creating safe spaces where people can feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of judgment.

Darkness RISING also provides free nationwide resources, including a Black Mental Health Resource Packet, a Black Mental Health Provider Database, and its “Find Me a Therapist” initiative, which helps connect individuals with culturally competent care.

The organization’s work is rooted in addressing longstanding inequities that continue impacting mental health access within Black communities.

Historically, segregation, redlining, racial discrimination, incarceration, poverty, and unequal healthcare access have contributed to higher rates of behavioral health challenges while simultaneously limiting access to proper treatment and support. Darkness RISING approaches those issues through what organizers describe as a transformative justice lens, focusing on healing rather than punishment and creating equitable wellness opportunities for marginalized communities.

Its REBUILD program specifically supports justice-involved and formerly incarcerated people of color through free therapy and wellness support, while the REBUILD Youth program focuses on young people impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs.

For Rudolph, therapy became life-changing after decades of incarceration and years of rejection after returning home.

“Came home in 2015, started my own computer company, investing in real estate, did the normal thing and got some jobs here and there and was met with rejection after rejection and people telling me I am not a good person,” Rudolph shared. “Even had a rejection in church.”

He said one of the hardest battles became overcoming the mental barriers created during incarceration.

“I got in touch with a couple of friends, and they explained to me how I had to get over the mental hurdles and get rid of the way my prison mindset was in order to survive and become successful,” he said.

Rudolph later moved to North Carolina hoping for a fresh start, but the struggle continued.

“Things were looking bad,” he said. “Could not get a job. The struggle was real.”

Eventually, therapy and support through organizations like Darkness RISING helped begin his healing process. He said working alongside other justice-involved men through therapy gave him the ability to rebuild mentally while finding community with people who understood his experiences.

Stories like Rudolph’s reflect the foundation behind Darkness RISING’s mission: ensuring people feel seen, supported, and worthy of healing regardless of their background or circumstances.

Community members who attend the organization’s events often describe them as emotionally transformative.

Some participants say Darkness RISING encouraged them to seek therapy for the first time, while others say the organization gave them a safe space to openly discuss struggles they previously kept hidden.

“I have been encouraged by the beautiful, generous, brave and open individuals who come together and use their talents to create art, share personal experiences and provide hope to those who may be struggling with mental health,” one participant shared.

By combining art, wellness, education, and community outreach, Darkness RISING continues changing how mental health conversations happen within the Black community.

Not through silence.

But through healing, honesty, connection, and joy.

Originally published by The Carolinian — https://caro.news.

The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.