As I get older, I become my cynical. This is probably why, when I see politicians actually doing something that would benefit black folks, I look at the calendar.

While I like seeing something done to specifically address concerns that adversely affect black folks, I realize that this is not a payback for past support but, more often than not, a minimal effort to garner black good will in hopes it will translate to votes.

This is what I see with an effort by a leading Democrat to increase black male employment in Washington, DC. New York Senator Charles Schumer will introduce legislation to get more black men in the workforce by offering job training and earned income tax credits as an incentive.

However, like I said, is see these as token gestures. If politicians are really interested in full employment for American people, they would be pushing for things like bringing manufacturing back to America, paying a living wage for Americans, not undercutting the American worker by hiring illegal labor (to avoid paying the prevailing wage) and incentivizing small businesses to hire more employees.

Now, don’t get me wrong — job training is vital. However, this is one step in a process, not a solution. If congresspeople like Schumer aren’t tackling these larger issues, as well, we’ll have people trained for jobs that are not really available.

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