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In the spirit of Black History Month, remembering key moments in black history, like the days of “Black Wall Street,” is critical in shaping the future for African-Americans. In the early 1900s, the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma was home to hundreds of black-owned business, many black multi-millionaires, an envied school system, and a remarkably high employment level. This affluent neighborhood was a microcosm of the American dream and a steeple for so many communities to strive towards.

In this great country of ours, many African-Americans, and more importantly African-American men, still feel the effects of unjust policies that systematically have left them behind. The unemployment rate for black men has often sat at twice that of the national average, and stands at 7.7% currently.

In an effort to address these issues I am proud to have introduced legislation, H.R. 52, Jobs, On-the-Job 'Earn While You Learn' Training, and Apprenticeships for African-American Young Men Act. This bill requires the Department of Labor to request labor unions, general contractors, and businesses that will rebuild infrastructure, transportation systems, technology and computer networks, and energy distribution systems to actively recruit, hire, and provide on-the-job training to African American men ages 18 to 39. It is a responsibility of mine to ensure that everyone in this country can take part in economic expansion and I will continue to work on behalf of all of my constituents to help those in need.