Government jobs are backdoor affirmative action for blacks..
Government jobs are back door affirmative action for blacks. michaeljung/shutterstock.com

We were told by Jill Stein and a number of prominent socialists that not only is there no real difference between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump but the former might be even worse. This way of thinking might be true for some, but it's certainly not the case for black Americans, whose middle class is largely supported by government jobs. And guess what Trump and the Republicans are aiming to deeply cut? Government jobs. (The Root has the whole sad story.) The Federal workforce is 20 percent black, which is 7 percent higher than the percentage of blacks in the US. This means government jobs are the closest thing we have to affirmative action.

Blacks are not ignorant of this fact, which is why they overwhelmingly and nervously voted for Clinton. They know who she is, they know she is not a progressive, that she is a neoliberal and is too close to Wall Street bankers; but they also know she would have protected those much-needed black jobs. The federal government gives not only black individuals an opportunity to obtain a stable and sound income, but that income also has a multiplier effect for black families and communities. We can call this the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Effect. If a black man or woman has a secure federal job that pays well (the kinds jobs that are easier for whites to obtain in the private sector), it also benefits those who are related or close to that black man or woman. Remove the revenue stream to that individual, and you will also hurt the wider circle of his/her black life.

If we are to get real about black poverty in this country, we cannot afford to hold on to our cherished principles and must always vote in the interest of those who will be harmed the most by the fiscal policies of conservatives and outright racists.