rolling out pounded
the pavement to give voices to the people deep in the trenches of the
job search. We wanted to give our readers first hand accounts of how
the economic crisis is affecting African Americans who are more than a
mere statistic.
Regardless of educational
levels, job training or walks of life, no one seems to be immune to
budget cutbacks, job layoffs and rising unemployment rates. Millions of
Americans crowd into employment offices from state to state seeking
some sort of reprieve from a rapidly worsening economy. Hear their
stories:
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Sewanu Kponau
Length of unemployment: Over a year
Employment experience: Specializes in building maintenance and construction
How is the recession affecting you and your employment search?
“It’s difficult to talk to anybody. The moment you call,
they say go to the website and fill out an application. And you do not
hear from anybody else. Even if you try to ask what kind of openings
they may have in the future, nobody wants to talk to you. That’s
the biggest problem I see with this new Internet access. I visit folks
who know I’m unemployed, so every now and then, they might feed
me. That’s the only way I keep my bills down. If you go to the
grocery store, you spend $100 and [it doesn’t last] for more than
a week. [Christmas] is written off completely. I already told my
daughter she [won’t receive] hardly anything.”
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James Lee, 27
Length of unemployment: Laid off for two days
Employment experience: Car salesman for two years
How is the recession affecting you and your employment search?
“It was good to me when I first [started], but now, its
suffering. I worked for commission [at my old job]. I look at it as an
opportunity to do something bigger and better when you look at the time
I spent on a daily basis opposed to the time I could be doing other
things. I try to bargain shop everywhere I go right now.”
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Charles Lamb, 57
Employment experience: City of Atlanta sanitation worker
Length of unemployment: Laid off since Dec. 3
How is the recession affecting you and your employment search?
“People out here are hurting. I stay motivated because I know
Christ. You got to be real with Christ. I’m always out here
reaching out and helping people. I don’t turn people away. You
can turn somebody away and it can be Christ and you wouldn’t know
it. I volunteer. God got me out here working for him doing things for
other people. And that’s what I want to continue to do until he
calls me.”
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Pamela Grant, 40
Employment experience: 15-year daycare worker
Length of unemployment: Since August 2007
How is the recession affecting your employment search?
“I been looking but it’s impossible to find work.
I’ve been praying a lot. When I wake up in the morning, I know I
have to find something. I can’t sit at home. I suffer from
depression. I’m bi-polar, and I’m a manic depressive. So
I’m already going to the doctor to deal with that. I have to
motivate myself to get out the bed and look for a job. Some days I can
get up and some days I can’t. With no income coming in,
it’s damn near impossible to survive.”
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Shameka Stevens, 27
Employment experience: Property management
Length of unemployment: Two-and-a-half months
How is the recession affecting your employment search?
“I’m fortunate. My husband is working. At this point,
I’m looking for temporary jobs to try and get by but it’s
hard. With it just being my husband and me, it’s cheaper to go to
McDonald’s than go to the grocery store. I’ve always been a
noodle fan…this is one of the times where you have to humble
yourself and dig deep into yourself to keep things going. God and my
husband keep me going.”
After
hearing from these individuals, hopefully we understand the importance
of ensuring that we encourage our kids to go to college, develop a
skillset or even join the armed services. It is important to the health
of the black community that we remain strong and vital during these
humbling times. -carlton wade
