This just in from the “No Shit, Sherlock” files (and the New York Times): In Job Hunt, College Degree Can’t Close Racial Gap

Johnny R. Williams, 30, would appear to be an unlikely person to have to fret about the impact of race on his job search, with companies like JPMorgan Chase and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago on his résumé.

But after graduating from business school last year and not having much success garnering interviews, he decided to retool his résumé, scrubbing it of any details that might tip off his skin color. His membership, for instance, in the African-American business students association? Deleted.

“If they’re going to X me,” Mr. Williams said, “I’d like to at least get in the door first.”

So the Times lays out what us educated Black folks out here looking for jobs have known since Reconstruction. I guess it does sound like more of an epidemic with academic studies and such proving this behavior, but if it’s been going on for so long, why the sudden interest? Because unemployment rates nationwide are at an all-time high?

But wait, there’s more:

Similarly, Barry Jabbar Sykes, 37, who has a degree in mathematics from Morehouse College, a historically black college in Atlanta, now uses Barry J. Sykes in his continuing search for an information technology position, even though he has gone by Jabbar his whole life.

“Barry sounds like I could be from Ireland,” he said.

I’d have went with B.J. Sykes, but hey, whatever works. The Times article actually lists two of my Morehouse brethren as examples of this “highly-educated-Black-man-can’t-get-work” syndrome. One of them actually brings up Barack Obama as a possible reason he can’t get a job:

“There is resentment toward [Barack Obama's] presidency among some because of his race,” said Edward Verner, a Morehouse alumnus from New Jersey who was laid off as a regional sales manager and has been able to find only part-time work. “This has affected well-educated, African-American job seekers.”

Quite a stretch. Granted, I am one of these well-educated, African-American job seekers, and it has been a real chore. From dealing with mushmouthed technical recruiters (and y’all know how I hate those) to places who see my work and think I’m brilliant, but then bring me in and suddenly the tune changes, I’m certainly feeling the pinch. And of course, right around the holidays, a lot of companies might not be looking to hire anyone full-time, so that makes it doubly challenging.

I’m keeping hope alive, but that can only go so far. Can’t pay rent off of good vibrations, you know.