Black Recruiting Numbers Plunge by 30%

There was a time when the black community viewed the military as a bastion of meritocracy and social advancement but that seems to be changing drastically and quickly. Consumer Strategist, Lawrence C. Ross Jr. believes the leading reason for this change is that black Boomer and Gen X friends and family are telling their black Millenial offspring to say “no” to enlisting.

According to Pentagon data, prior to the conflict in Iraq, over 20% of military recruits were black. Today that number is only 13%. In the past many blacks joined our armed forces in order to receive funding for college but for many the military’s incentives are no longer worth it. Part of the answer is probably due to an expanding middle class, higher education levels and the lack of support for the Iraq war.

I’d also add that many young blacks today feel disenfranchised with our government. With good reason, our young people don’t see the government doing much for them so why should they, in turn, put their lives on the line? Our government and military are going to have to make some major changes in order to regain black support and enlistment in the armed services. And they’ll not only need to convince potential recruits they’ll also have to convince their main influencer: friends and family.