College Degree Doesn't Guarantee Jobs for Blacks

Whether choosing to use a more universal-sounding middle name on a resume or making an effort to appear “non-threatening” during interviews, African American male college graduates are having to work twice as hard to find employment during the Great Recession.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for Black male college grads 25 and older is double that of their White male counterparts. Surprisingly, the joblessness rate for Black college grads is more significant than for those without higher education, according to a recent New York Times article. “Education, it seems, does not level the playing field – in fact, it appears to have made it more uneven,” it says.

You’d think educated brothers would have it a little easier in the age of Obama. Not so, say the men featured in the NYT article. If anything, because of resentment towards Obama, it’s been more challenging to find work, they say.

When asked to identify their race on job applications, most of the men interviewed said they always choose not to answer.