African Americans also known as Afro-Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States bearing origins from any of the black populations of Africa. There was huge discrepancies of occupation of black Americans and the natives in distribution of work as it is has been discussed by (Amott and Matthaei, 158) which is summarized herein below on the distribution of African American workers from 1900-1060:
- The trend in agricultural sector shows a decline in its populace involved in agriculture actively.
- In the manufacturing sector, the trend is upwards with the percentage representation of African Americans increasing with time.
- Private household’s service has a declining trend as women have been revolutionized with time and are now involved in other jobs outside the house.
- Private household sales also experience a decline due to women moving to the public domain (Amott and Matthaei, 156).
- Clerical occupations have an up swing due to African Americans getting adequate education and now match the standards required of these jobs.
- Professional and technical jobs also see many African Americans engaging in due to the revolutions and anti racist movements that broke the yoke of discrimination.
- Managerial, administrative and official positions have seen a decline due to hardcore racism that is still attached to holding such positions with regards to African Americans.
Some of the reasons why the African American has been in the bottom ranks for jobs are discussed here below:
Racial segregation: it has a declining trend due to anti racist movements which have received considerable impacts in America. By 1640’s, a racial caste system began to develop and the blacks were coerced into life lifetime servitudes as slaves ((Amott and Matthaei, 143). This was reinforced by the Virginia law which stipulated that the child of any slave automatically became slaves too without regards to whether the father was also slave or not.
This law portrayed racism, greed, piety and sexism intensifying vulnerability of women to exploitation. Colonists who owned property also classified African Americans into economic and subordinate cartels. This led to escalations in racism with ideologies that prevented the people from the southern from forming unions against the white elites from the region. Europeans developed racial superiority theories to afford justifications to race promotions hence claiming rationality and self control. Others included voter restraint/disenfranchisement in the southern states, deprival to economic achievements or national resources.
Overt Discrimination: Deliberate racial discrimination which comes from hiring is still evident. Employers were reluctant to offer interviews where they suspected the applicant to be a black. In fact, as revealed in chapter six of this book young Black men were generally taken for criminals and denied jobs by employers.
However, the legacy of racism, slavery and discrimination, African Americans were top in educational, economic and social disadvantage in a variety of areas as compared to European Americans.Unbelievable political, economic, and social concerns revolving around the generation that was segregated captures inadequacy in health services; institutional racism, criminal justice, and others resulting from accommodation, policing, education, and employment.
Systemic or Institutional Reasons: With disregards to the individual attitudes, systemic/ institutional reasons remain pronounced at the time obvious discrimination was present among the greater African American workers population who were not employed (Matthaei and Amott, 150). The discussed exposes gravity of the deliberate decisions made by the employer.
Most jobs could be got only through connections. The book cites how personal networks helped job seekers and the one who hired. The fact that African Americans had less personal contacts intensified their discrimination in getting a job. Majority of our people, entry level has lost its meaning. It means dead end’, says Rodney Glenn.” Education: They were denied education hence no provisions for alternatives. Union representation was poor –they were not allowed to form unions.Hence their voices could not be adequately championed.
Civil rights movements strived to achieve self reliance both economically and politically. They were able to achieve it through the Black power movement which was formed in 1966 whose main objectives was to be liberated from the authority of the whites.
Work Cited
Amott, Teresa and Matthaei, Julie. Race, Gender, and Work: A Multi-Cultural Economic History of Women in the United States Quebec: Black Rose Books Ltd. 1991.