Rev. Turman, Rev. Mathew Bode, Rev. Joyce Seals, Father Stanley Ulman

Despite the construction Boom, White Men Still Get the Most Jobs
New study shows that African-Americans & Women Remain Shut Out

After Chanting "Good Jobs Now" and praying for change, Faith Leaders & Allies announced the results of new study documenting segregation in the construction workforce in Metropolitan Detroit. Detroit has the worst representation of African Americans in the construction workforce of any metro are studied. The study recommends several changes, including directing federal highway money to job training for minorities and women.

MOSES, Gamaliel of Michigan, Smart Growth America and The Transportation Equity Network are calling for reform of what they call racist and sexist recruitment and hiring processes in the construction trades.

The continued dominance of white males in construction is particularly disturbing given the huge federal financing of highway and transit projects. In 2005, Congress passed a transportation measure that was the largest non-defense expenditure in American history. It contained still largely ignored provisions that could increase the percentages of minorities and women in these well-paying jobs.

Copies of the study and a media packet will be available at the media conference. The study will also be available after 9:00 am on August 30 at www.TransportationEquity.org

The 18 page study, "Missing in Action", focuses on 19 cities, including LA, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City, Albany, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Honolulu, Kalamazoo, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Saginaw, South Bend, Syracuse, Virginia Beach, Youngstown. It includes 10 recommendations for reforming racist and sexist recruitment and hiring processes in the construction trades. Among them are federal and state legislative remedies.

The study’s primary author is Dr. Todd Swanstrom of St. Louis University, a
co-author of "Place Matters: Metropolitics for the 21st Century" and a regional equity expert.

The Transportation Equity Network (TEN) is a project of Smart Growth America and Gamaliel. Gamaliel is an international faith-based network of 1,600 diverse congregations in 21 states.

MOSES and Gamaliel of Michigan are partners in TEN.