Current Event #1

I recently read a December 13, 2010 article from the New York Times.com by Steven Greenhouse titled “Study Shows Depth of Unemployment for Blacks in New York” His article is based upon a newly released report prepared by the Community Service Society (CSS) of New York, titled “Only One in Four Young Black Men in New York City Have a Job.” After reading the New York Times article, I then read the CSS report. The statistics are horrifying – the unemployment rate for African-American men in New York, age 16 to 24, was 33.5 percent from January 2009 through June 2010. By comparison, the unemployment rate for all young men (including African-American men), age 16 to 24, was 24.6 percent. As an eighteen year old African-American male and college student, this is a frightening statistic. Although my plans aren’t yet final, I hope to perhaps work in New York either during my summers or after graduation. I am now greatly inspired to learn more about the reasons why such a disproportionate number of my peers are unable to find jobs. I wish to prepare myself better and at the same time help to enlighten, educate and inspire myself and others to hopefully achieve better results.