The Lowering of the Unemployment Rate Among African Americans in North Omaha

OMAHA, NE - MAY 2: After the third day of a job training program at Metropolitan Community College, Keith Mitchell, Jr., 47, surveys the city from near a vacant lot next to the homeless shelter where he lives just north of downtown in North Omaha on Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Omaha, NE. Mitchell is registered sex offender who has begun to find focus in his life. He had been out of prison since 2014 and was trying to find a good job and failing. He said the last 10 years in prison helped tame a reckless spirit. He recently returned to his hometown after spending a few years in central Florida. "I want something to overshadow my record," he said. "I've been playing catch up my whole life. I'm tired of playing catch up. Right now, I'm at a breaking point." Over the past decade, concentrated efforts by various organizations in Omaha have helped drastically drive down the unemployment rate among African Americans, particularly in North Omaha, which is majority Black. While Donald Trump brags about how he has helped lower the national unemployment rate among Blacks, the city of Omaha has shown how a small group doing targeted employment bootcamps and workshops can help boost statistics with minimal help from the local, state, or federal government. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)