opinion

Jobs for black men matter

There are about 9,000 unemployed black men in Wilmington. And they have lost all hope of ever finding a job.

There is nothing in their refrigerator, there is no rent money, there is no place to go and nothing to do. They can never marry the mother of their children because there is no income. Their children fail in school because there is no nurturing and safe home for them to do homework, get fed, get clean clothes, have a bath, or have a role model to look up to. They have lost all self respect and self esteem. Their children don't even respect them, so they do what you would do.

They revert to survival instincts as a last resort.

And they do so out of desperation and a sense of rage that has been simmering for decades. The result? A new and unwanted title for Wilmington. And the rage is now a powder keg that is about to explode.

But it's all their fault, right? They are lazy, shiftless, unreliable, dangerous people aren't they?

No.

They are smart, organized, creative, and industrious businessmen. They just focus their talent in the only direction left to them. They have told me they would give it all up just for a real job that offers a career.

Have you ever see a black man cry?

I have. I work with a group that offered real jobs to five black ex-cons. They wore dread locks and were covered with tattoos. And to a man they broke down in tears, and for long seconds were unable to compose themselves just to utter the words "Thank you! Nobody has ever offered us anything in our lives."

When black men go to work in Wilmington they come off the public dole. So the expense side of the city budget goes down. They become taxpayers. So the revenue side of the budget goes up. They cease their criminal activity. So the crime rate in Wilmington plummets and Wilmington loses its ugly title. They move in with the mother of their children and provide a safe nurturing atmosphere for their children who can now do their homework in peace. So our academic performance begins to rise. A lower crime rate means it is safe to come into the city at night. It is attractive for businesses to locate in Wilmington because it is safe and we have good schools. So now we stop the endless cycle of poverty begetting poverty. And once again we live up to our motto: "Wilmington, a place to be somebody."

So forget about adding more cops, blaming things on our teachers, or sweeping our problems back into prisons or using "voodoo economics" to balance our city budget. The one thing that will solve most of these problems is putting black men to work. We can make Wilmington an enterprise zone and establish financial incentives for business who will hire black men to locate here.

Sounds prejudicial doesn't it?

So what.

You will be surprised what a little self respect can do.

Black jobs really do matter.

Bob Elder is the Director of Marketing for Santora CPA Group and has worked more than 45 years in the financial services industry.