‘Black jobs’? Trump draws pushback after anti-immigration rant
By Rob Wile and Char Adams, NBC
What exactly are “Black jobs” — and are they really at risk from the recent surge of immigrants?
“They’re taking Black jobs now and it could be 18, it could be 19 and even 20 million people,” former President Donald Trump said in the debate Thursday about the role immigrants play in the U.S. economy. “They’re taking Black jobs, and they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.”
The available data, however, doesn’t indicate that immigrants are filling roles en masse that would otherwise go to American citizens.
And as Derrick Johnson, CEO of the NAACP, pointed out, “There’s no such thing as a Black job or a white job.”
“They’re hardworking Americans who are seeking to have quality jobs, and that should be the goal of this conversation,” he told NBC News. This election cycle — when researchers have found Black voters are being heavily targeted by political disinformation — it is crucial to not turn “communities against one another,” Johnson said.
This election covers many topics related to Black Americans, and you can find updates on our breaking news page.
Comments Are Welcome
Note: We moderate submissions in order to create a space for meaningful dialogue, a space where museum visitors – adults and youth –– can exchange informed, thoughtful, and relevant comments that add value to our exhibits.
Racial slurs, personal attacks, obscenity, profanity, and SHOUTING do not meet the above standard. Such comments are posted in the exhibit Hateful Speech. Commercial promotions, impersonations, and incoherent comments likewise fail to meet our goals, so will not be posted. Submissions longer than 120 words will be shortened.
See our full Comments Policy here.