Metro

Al Sharpton urges Eric Adams to host ‘summit’ addressing high unemployment among black NYers: ‘Moral issue’

By
Social Links for Carl Campanile
Published March 7, 2024
Updated March 7, 2024, 9:22 p.m. ET

Civil rights activist The Rev. Al Sharpton demanded that Mayor Eric Adams host a “summit” at City Hall to address high unemployment among black New Yorkers, while also fighting a movement to eliminate controversial corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

“This is a moral issue,” Sharpton said Thursday while noting that the 9.4% unemployment among black residents in the city was almost triple the number of white residents.

He said the issue is particularly pressing among “black and brown” outer-borough residents.

Rev. Al Sharpton demanded that Mayor Adams host a City Hall "summit" to address high unemployment among black New Yorkers.
Rev. Al Sharpton demanded that Mayor Adams host a City Hall “summit” to address high unemployment among black New Yorkers. National Action Network

“For black unemployment to be almost three times as white unemployment… is inexcusable,” he said during a press conference at First Baptist Church in East Elmhurst, a neighborhood that was among the hardest hit during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sharpton, an ally of Adams, challenged the city’s second black mayor to address the issue.

The civil rights leader spoke to Adams earlier Thursday morning, and said the mayor indicated he was “receptive” to holding a summit to address joblessness.

The head of the National Action Network said he was equally concerned about what he described as a “white backlash” to “DEI” programs — standing for diversity, equity and inclusion to boost minority hiring and advancement in corporate America and academia.

He said the backlash could increase unemployment for “black and brown” people.

Sharpton said Adams was "receptive" to the summit.
Sharpton said Adams was “receptive” to the summit. Paul Martinka

Opponents said DEI programs exclude whites and Asian people in hiring and promotions.

Rev. Patrick Young, pastor of First Baptist Church, noted that 20 percent of residents in his community lived in poverty and 60% of their incomes goes to cover housing costs. The church delivers food and clothing every Saturday.

Other speakers included former city Comptroller Bill Thompson, among others.

Regarding Shaprton’s appeal, City Hall spokeswoman Amaris Cockfield responded, “Under Mayor Adams, New York City has a record number of private sector jobs,  [and] recovered the nearly 1 million private sector jobs lost during the pandemic two years ahead of schedule.

“But the mayor has been crystal clear that we can’t continue to have high unemployment in our Black and brown communities, which is why this administration created the Office of Community Hiring, which will create 36,000 jobs annually for low-income New Yorkers and those who live in economically disadvantaged communities. We will continue to build on our strong record of effective fiscal management, bold investments in M/WBEs [Minority and Women Business Enterprises], and an inclusive economic recovery for working-class New Yorkers,” the Adams rep added.