#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Rep. Robin Kelly Unveils Bill Targeting Abysmal Jobless Rate Among Young Black Men Estimated At 24%

Episode Date: June 17, 2019

#RMU Extra: Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) has sponsored a bill with Congressman Dick Durbin (D-IL) that looks to tackle the astronomical unemployment rate among young African American men between the ages of 16 and 19. According to Rep. Kelly, the jobless rate among this particular demographic is 24 percent — seven times higher than the national average. Rep. Kelly’s HERO (Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities)for At-Risk Youth Act gives tax credits to companies that are willing to hire and train young workers between the ages of 16 and 24 Kelly told Roland, “This could be a first step into productive employment and we look at it as a step out of violence.” She added this piece of legislature could offer “hope and opportunity” to underserved communities. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. You can make this possible. Congressman Robin Kelly, how you doing? I'm good. How are you? Doing great. Let's talk about jobs and young folks. Obviously, when you look at the unemployment rate, it is down for African-Americans. Obviously, it's twice that in whites in this country. But it's a little different situation for young folks. How bad of a problem is this? Well, as you say, it seems like we have recovered and unemployment is down, but the unemployment rate for young black men between 16 and 19 is still around 24%, more than seven times higher than the national average.

So it's still a problem. And depending on where you go, like on the south side of Chicago, I would venture to say it's even higher than that. So this bill that you are sponsoring, along with Senator Dick Durbin, exactly what is it going to do? Well, we have a few bills together, actually, but I think you're talking about the Hero for Risk Youth Act. Right.

It gives tax credits to companies that are willing to hire and train young workers between the ages of 16 to 24. This could be a first step into productive employment. And we look at it as a step out of maybe violence and giving hope and giving opportunity. And to that point, that's one of the things that always bothers me. When we're having these conversations about violence, we have to deal with the reality of economics, of poverty. Those go hand in hand with the levels of violence. John Hope Bryant of Operation Hope, he always says you don't see riots in communities with credit scores of 700 or higher. Definitely. Well, we have legislation that talks about legislation and talks about police community relations.

But it also talks about how we have to invest in the communities. People have to have opportunities to pick up job skills or mentors or furthering their education and not picking up guns. So it's very, there's definitely a connection. What is the number of jobs that could very well be created for young folks? I know when a few years ago when Hilda Solis was Labor Secretary, there was an effort in the Obama administration to try to add two to three hundred thousand or more. They were trying to get companies to also volunteer in the program. But how many jobs are we talking about that this bill could somehow create or spur? Well, let me first say, without the bill, there's about 13,000 to 15,000 jobs opened in the Chicagoland area. In my district, which is urban, suburban, and rural, many of my manufacturers in particular are looking for people.

And you don't have to have a college degree, maybe only two years, maybe only high school um but you have to have some uh technical acumen that's what a lot of them are talking about because you know manufacturing is not what it used to be there's technology that goes with it so without this build there are jobs but it's just we have to train people as far as work ethic how to even apply for jobs and then some of the technical skills. So I'm not, I can't give you an exact number, but if you think about all the corporations in Chicago, all the manufacturers in the Chicagoland area, I could say, I could see it being, you know, a hundred thousand jobs. There are jobs for everyone. Speaking to that particular point, one of the things that I think is critically important for us to also deal with is that we have a lot of folk.

We have so much focus on four year colleges, folks passing SAT, ACT. What I keep hearing from people, especially employers, is that we have a skill set deficit, that we have a generation of young folks who can pass tests, but who literally don't know how to use these. And so how do we also deal with that when we talk about our high schools developing skills that can then be used for some of these jobs? Well, I like when there's conversation around going back to vocational training and, of course, technical training. We need that also. But I hear that over and over, too. And we have to make it just as sexy or just as honorable to develop your skills. If you want to be a plumber, a technician, or whatever you want to be that does not require

four-year college, those people are not any be that does not require four-year college. Those people are not any less than the people with four-year degrees. And frankly, I give this example. My husband and I have four kids between us. My three daughters all graduated from college, and my son probably has three years of college, and I think he makes more than anybody. You know, so, and also, I think you need to push if you want to be an entrepreneur. That's great, too, working for yourself as long as you have the skills. And I hear a lot about we need to keep work ethic, too. I hear a lot of complaints around that. But we have to make continuing education, not just about college.

All right. Congressman Robin Kelly, we really appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Hey, fam, I want you to like, share, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, youtube.com forward slash Roland S. Martin.

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