Whereas a competitive economy for the United States requires the participation of a robust Black workforce;

Whereas unjust Black labor, first through forced slave labor, and later through dangerous, undercompensated, and sometimes abusive employment, has been essential to the historic success of the American economy;

Whereas the Black unemployment rate is consistently higher than the overall United States unemployment rate, with the Black unemployment rate at the time of this resolution’s introduction being 3 percentage points higher than overall unemployment;

Whereas full-time Black workers’ median weekly earnings historically lag behind the total average median weekly earnings, and as of 2023, Black workers take home only 87 percent of average full-time workers’ median weekly earnings;

Whereas graduation from high school and higher education institutions are directly correlated with higher incomes and stronger job security, and Black Americans lag in completion of higher education, in part due to systemic racism within America’s school systems;

Whereas many States continue to have insufficient labor standards, low minimum wages, harmful right-to-work laws, inadequate unemployment systems, and a lack of State-level protections against discrimination, all of which hurt Black workers and families;

Whereas Black workers face a higher likelihood of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the workplace compared to injury rates for all workers;

Whereas studies show that a significant percentage of Black workers continue to face discrimination or harassment in the workplace on account of their race or ethnicity, resulting in decreased safety in the workplace, and disadvantages to economic mobility for Black workers;

Whereas Black workers are more likely to be union members than non-Black workers, and have long been important participants in the American labor movement and the fight for better conditions, more just compensation, and the right to organize;

Whereas Black women are disproportionately affected by the same issues that affect Black men in the workforce, including making only 69 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men and having higher unemployment rates than Black men;

Whereas expanding apprenticeships and preapprenticeships must be part of any strategy to build careers for Black youths, as apprentice and preapprentice programs have proven to be a practical and efficient method for high school and college students to improve personal economic outlooks; and

Whereas educational opportunities for Black youths should encompass a broad range of options to fit the diverse needs of young people entering the workforce, including making vocational and trade schools, technical colleges, higher education institutions, community colleges, job training programs, apprenticeships and preapprenticeships, and work-study programs more affordable and accessible: Now, therefore, be it