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Unemployment and Inflation Rates are Falling…Why Aren’t We Celebrating?

Published

4 months ago

December 20, 2023

For all of 2023, overall unemployment has been below 4 percent. These rates are lower than they have been for 50 years. People should be celebrating these low rates, but instead they are surlily looking askance at the Biden-Harris administration and their accomplishments. You don’t have to do much more than scratch a potential voter to find a disgruntled citizen. The statistics don’t much matter to them. It’s perception that counts more than anything. And perception is skewed by micro experiences. The sandwich at the fast food restaurant costs nearly $20 (not to mention you had the priciest sandwich, double fries and a big drink. The standard meal with drink and fries might have cost you $8); The electric bill was way too high.

It cost you more to fill up your tank than it did three years ago (but it was cheaper than last year, right). People are angry and looking for someone to blame. The President of the United States is their first target, although the President can’t be blamed for all the economic woes that people are experiencing (or in some cases not experiencing).

It is true that the unemployment rate released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics every first Friday is an imperfect measure of our employment situation. If you adjust the overall unemployment rate, at 3.7 percent, for those who have dropped out of the labor market, work part-time when they want to work full-time, and consider other measures of underutilization, the unemployment rate looks more like 7 percent. For African Americans, our 5.3 percent looks more like 10.96 percent, which is a Depression level rate for whites. Everything is better than it was a year ago and before the beginning of COVID. But better doesn’t mean equal or equitable. Better isn’t good enough.

The same is true with the inflation narrative. A year ago, we were battling an inflation rate of more than 9 percent, and people were panicking about rising prices, supply chain issues, and predatory profiteering. Now, the rate hovers around 3.2 percent. Progress, no? But the pricing that hits most of us hardest, day to day, is food prices. Food prices are up 25 percent since the beginning of the pandemic. The groceries that cost $100 two years ago cost $125 now. People feel it with specific items they are buying, eggs and milk for example. Economists can talk about good news, but too many people aren’t feeling good news in their pockets.

People aren’t celebrating because they want the right now, not the long run. Unemployment rates are lower than ever (but not low enough for Black people), inflation is dropping (but not quickly enough for those who are income challenged), and employment means little when wages are low, as they are for the millions who earn less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, or less than $15,000 a year for someone who works 40 hours for 50 weeks. Even at $15 an hour, or $30,000 a year, that’s hardly a living wage. And most low-wage workers cobble together two or three jobs, and don’t have health or other benefits.

It’s getting better after COVID. Half as many workers earn $15 an hour or less than a year ago. But wages rise slowly, and despite the “help wanted” signs that dot every urban street, too many workers say wages aren’t high enough to fully support them. So, the economic good news means little to them if their material conditions have not improved.

This is not the first time we’ve had macroeconomic good news and microeconomic angst. The data say one thing, people’s lives say another. People aren’t celebrating because even if they are doing great, their outlook is murky. This is troubling now but may be a deciding factor in the 2024 election.

The post Unemployment and Inflation Rates are Falling…Why Aren’t We Celebrating? appeared first on Forward Times.

The post Unemployment and Inflation Rates are Falling…Why Aren’t We Celebrating? first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.