CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- As Chicagoans spend this Labor Day enjoying the last days of summer, one Illinois congressman is raising awareness about the dearth of African Americans in various trade jobs — and he’d like to see something done about it.
Danny Davis of Illinois’ 7th Congressional District said it was Chicago Black United Communities and the Black Independent Political Organization that approached him, asking him to get the word out about what he calls the “absolutely paucity” of Blacks in certain trades.
“In some of the areas, there are absolutely no Blacks at all. They’re all basically white or non-Black,” Davis told WBBM.
By comparison, Chicago’s population is 30.1% Black, 32.8% white, 29% Latino and 6.4% Asian, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“You wouldn’t think that in a city like Chicago, this would be the case,” Davis continued.
As a result, he’s calling on the trade unions and governments at the local, state and federal levels to take some corrective action.