We are at the beginning of Black History Month and since we are also in the first month of a new presidency, it seems fitting to explore what impact the Trump presidency could have on black Americans. Trump only received about 8 percent of the black vote and recent research suggests that roughly three-quarters of blacks believe that race relations will become worse during his tenure. While it’s important to understand that blacks (not “the blacks” as he likes to call us) are not a monolith and hold diverse social and political views, it is probably safe to say that most blacks do not support or have faith in Donald Trump—with good reason.
Trump sold himself to the country as a successful business man who could bring back jobs. And while he has greatly exaggerated (or used the “alternative facts” that he and his administration are now known for) about the numbers of black unemployment, he is right about one thing. There is, in fact, a problem when black unemployment is and has been consistently higher than unemployment for the rest of the population.
Those who've been left behind by the economy elected Trump, largely, to reinvigorate it. They're right that the economy is not operating at its full capacity. A record number of the population are not participating in the labor force, and while 2016 ended with an official unemployment rate of 4.7%, among African-Americans it was 7.8%.
Yet this figure is the lowest it's been since August 2007 (7.6%) and February 2001 (7.7%). In fact, only once in the past 30 years has the unemployment rate among blacks been consistently lower: the years 1999 and 2000. The black unemployment rate has been double that of whites for most of the past six decades.
While there is not just one reason that this exists, it is certainly reflective of an economic system that has a long history of exploiting blacks.
The economic toll on black people during the long decades of oppression was staggering. Many immigrants -- Irish, Italians, Chinese and others -- came to this country and suffered discrimination, too. Eventually, though, doors opened for all of them and bias withered away. They, or their descendants, were able to take part in the economic life of this society and build wealth over time. For black Americans, that opportunity came very late, if it came at all. (Only Native Americans were as cut off from America’s ever-expanding riches.)
Since we can only acknowledge history but cannot undo it, our path forward must be to focus on how to make economic and social systems more just so as to improve the conditions of blacks in America. And there is serious doubt as to whether or not Donald Trump is willing to enact policies that would work toward prosperity for black Americans.
Last summer, the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) outlined a platform for economic justice for black people which included among other things: the right for workers to organize and form unions, and end to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a renegotiation of all trade agreements to prioritize workers and communities, federal state and job programs and financial support of black alternative institutions. Not surprisingly, there is almost no overlap between M4BL’s platform and Trump’s proposed policies. In fact, we know from his resistance to allowing employees at his properties to unionize as well as his pick for labor secretary that his agenda includes destroying, not strengthening, the labor movement. Likewise, while he has signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the TPP, it was most assuredly driven by his own motivations to protect profit and economic opportunity for the wealthy, rather than protecting economic opportunity for blacks and working class people.
As we enter Black History Month, it would behoove the new administration to revisit its economic agenda and incorporate these ideas into its plan, not only for African Americans but for all people who've been left behind by the technology-driven economy.
Sadly, it doesn't seem as if this administration truly cares about economic prosperity for most of us. Things like improving access to a quality education, investing in jobs programs and allowing workers to unionize will go a long way in creating an economy that works for everyone but will especially help black Americans. And when black Americans, who have been at the bottom of most social indicators for so long, finally thrive, it is likely that the rest of the nation will follow suit.