It’s no secret that upward career mobility leads to higher wages and a better quality of life generally. Yet for Black Americans, we often are left behind in careers, rarely promoted or offered new positions. Black workers makeup 12 percent of the private sector workforce but can’t reap the benefits of their labor.
Why is that?
According to a Brookings study, the higher earning Black Americans relatively had high rights of military service while the lowest earners were often adults who had the highest incarceration rates. It’s clear that the systemic issues of the criminal justice system hold many of us back, but there’s a history behind limiting Black mobility.
Much of it stems from United State’s history of slavery and the mistreatment of Black Americans. Slavery set us on the path to face an ever-changing enemy in racism with new forms created all the time. From Jim Crow laws to Black Lives Matter, we are always fighting for our rights.
Experts bring solutions to this issue like moving to the suburbs, getting married or finishing high school. These solutions fail to acknowledge the realities of Black citizenship in America. What could actually work, however, are Black-led unions. They could bring the fair pay and benefits that we collectively deserve.