After several reported meeting cancellations by the Obama Administration in the past two years, the Congressional Black Caucus and President Obama were in a room together and talked guess what: African American unemployment.
In an hour long meeting this past Thursday, CBC members urged President Obama to focus on the unemployment issues of African Americans in hard-hit cities.
It was the first meeting between the full caucus and the president, a former member, since Obama took office in 2009.
After the meeting, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), the caucus chairman, said he believes Obama understands the “urgency” of near-record black unemployment, and that he’s “trying to heal this economy” for everyone. Despite this, he said the Caucus is focused on continuing the push for African American unemployment to be addressed without any apologies.
“We are not satisfied that the poor and the vulnerable are hurting,” Cleaver said. But, he added, “We are satisfied that (Obama’s) attention is on that.”
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