Black Auto Workers Hit Particularly Hard By Recession

New York Times:

DETROIT -- Since millions of African-Americans began leaving Southern farms for Northern factories nearly a century ago in what is still known as the Great Migration, the destinies of many of them have been entwined with the auto industry's.

The car companies were hardly multiracial utopias, but they, especially Ford, employed blacks when many industries would not. Through the decades, the automakers and their higher wage scales provided a route to the middle class for many blacks, especially those with limited education, and their children.

Now, with Detroit reeling, many blacks find their economic well-being threatened.

By last month, nearly 20,000 African-American auto workers had lost jobs, a 13.9 percent decline in employment, since the recession began last December, according to government jobs data analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal Washington research firm. That compares with a 4.4 percent decline for all workers in manufacturing.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[ceasenake]

What is the point of the story? "Things are tough all over - especially if you are uneducated? "

Thanks for pointing out the obvious.

[TrueIndy08]

this is a sad story.... but maybe, just maybe... it will push blacks into more PROFESSIONAL type jobs... a college education goes a long way....

I'm black, and we were raised that education always comes first!

[ihaverights75]

I've been working for the UAW for 22 years. I've seen the racism. I just put up with it. I've got to feed my family. What can I do.

[Eric8869]

I would normally write something overwhemingly sympathetic on this story but after PROP 8 passing. Forget it.

[ebleyes]

Yes, 6% of California's population are the reason for passing prop 8. You're not helping with your comments so shut up.

[Independent voter]

Everybody is entitled to their opinon without being told to shut up.

[Mnemanth]

Let's venture the assumption that all of these "uneducated" poor "minorities" are smart enough to jump off the burning ship before going down with it.
Let's "what if" that all these high and mighty whiteys are sticking around because their too dumb or lazy to realize that they need to move on and find something else to do.
Maybe there's no fault, except that of the bean counters on one side or the other that play "statistics" to support their position.
Kinda puts a different spin on it...

[Erdgeist]

Republicans just never learn. Supply side economics doesn't work -- and never did. You can supply all the automobiles you want but if there is no demand for them, they will stand on the dealer's lot until Hades freezes over. Likewise if people fear losing their jobs in the future there will be no demand for much of anything except food. The economy as a result stops -- and then begins an economic death spiral.

So far the Republicans -- true to form -- have worked on the supply side of the economic equation in dealing with rising unemployment; not the demand side. They believe that demand will magically come out of the woodwork if only supply is supported, including the availability of loans. It won't happen.

Once that auto worker loses his or her job the chances of finding a job within six months to a year is about zip. This is where the government has to step in and if needs be, create a job. In order to create jobs during a depression, the British economist John Maynard Keynes said that it would be better to print a great number of five-pound notes, paying people first to bury them and then to dig them up, he wasn't kidding. Keynes understood that aggregate demand on the part of paid workers (not unemployed workers or the financial market) constitute the driving engine of the economy.

[TrooAmerican]

Whites inject race into everything because whites have all the power and continue to push minorities to the side at every possible chance they can get.
Given the opportunity, A White manager will layoff a black person 100% of the time over a white person.

[xmw]

Unfortunately your statement is so true. Not to inject race into everything but it is what it is. Because the idea that "black lives have no value" is still a sad and disgusting ideology. when I lived in Atlanta a co-worker told me that she felt bad because was told she got promoted because otherwise she would have to be laid off. That way only the two blacks in the department got laid off. I asked asked if she felt bad enough to bring it too light...no reply.

[Independent voter]

This anti-whitey vomit is so old, it has mold on it. Maybe you should try a new path - like accepting personal responsibility.

Black people, brown people, yellow people, red people, white people all want the same things. Some are more willing to work for it than others.

[robXdion]

Nah, but your anti-darkie vomit still taste like a delicious meal, doesn't it?

[kellygrrrl]

heckuva job bushie
mission accomplished

[silvercreeklady]

Why are African Americans "with limited education and children" hurting more than others? They still have their jobs...many have been out of work for a year or more.

[piquet]

I agree...am I supposed to delineate who deserves my sympathy based on race now? So the people I know shouldn't feel as depressed because African Americans lost their job too?
Stupid story. And the type of story that race baits in my opinion.

[pinseeker]

Do libs have to inject race into everything, why should anyone listen to MLK about content of character when liberals have to let us know everyones race. If it is race that always matters then lets cancel MLK day.

[robXdion]

Do you know any of these people's character? You're ranting because a story on people losing their jobs points out factual historical details and because those people happen to be black and that makes you uncomfortable? So you whip out the only historical black man you know about and use him as a canard to deride black efforts? Did you know MLK was pushing for economic parity and redistribution of wealth because he knew whites wouldn't let blacks succeed on "content of character" alone? Did you know his race got him killed and his character wasn't factored in? And of course you finish your bi.goted rant with a call to cancel MLK day. But who's the "let's" you mentioned? Do you mean white people? So MLK is great to quote for your purposes of deriding blacks, but when blacks press the issue of white pre.judice in spite of laudatory black character you want to end MLK day? So it's great to inject race into everything just as long as your tearing down blacks, but if you're pointing out economic inequalities you want to tear down MLK, character be dammed and thereby ruining your initial quotation? I think Limbaugh is calling you.

[Independent voter]

Want some cheese and crackers with your whine?

It is true that black people were treated horribly 150 years ago, but maybe it's time to live in the present. There are many people who were treated horribly in the history of the world (Chinese coolies, native Americans, women etc.), but not everybody makes a career out of it.

[Eric8869]

cause neocons are still predjudiced like you.

[xmw]

Thank you!

[xmw]

Yeah, I know...the truth hurst sometimes. Sorry, there's no band-aid big enough for this boo-boo. So we must live with the facts.