I want to share an observation about the job market in my home city of Atlanta. This is not based on statistics or reports, but on what I see every day as I move around the city. For years, people of color—especially Black folks—worked in industries like construction, hospitality, manufacturing, and caregiving. These jobs helped families survive, buy homes, and build stability. Today, many of those jobs are no longer available to us in the same way, and it raises serious questions.
Atlanta will host the World Cup in 2026. Construction is everywhere. Stadium upgrades, roads, hotels, apartments, and commercial buildings are going up across the city. Yet as I travel through Atlanta, I rarely see Black workers involved in the building that is happening. This is troubling. Construction was once a reliable industry for Black men. It provided good pay, skills, and generational knowledge. Now, even with high demand, our presence is minimal.
The same shift is happening in hospitality. Hotels, restaurants, and service industries once employed large numbers of Black workers, especially Black women. These jobs weren’t perfect, but they offered steady work. Today, many of those positions are filled by others, often immigrants, while Black workers are overlooked or pushed out. Even caregiving has changed. Black women were caregivers for families and their children for generations. Now, women are brought in from Europe and referred to as “nannies,” while Black women struggle to find similar work.
So what is happening in the job market? Why can’t our people get jobs in industries we once helped build? These changes did not happen overnight, and they did not happen by accident.
I am reminded of a conversation I had around 2001 with Dr. Mike Abbey, an oncologist of German heritage. We were working out at the gym, talking about life and the future. During our discussion, Dr. Abbey stated that things were being done by design that would affect Black people economically, socially, and in other ways. He spoke honestly, without malice, and with clarity. Dr. Abbey was a man I respected deeply. Today, as I sit writing this blog, I find his words to be true, even though our conversation took place more than twenty years ago. Dr. Abbey is no longer with us, but his warning still echoes.
This is an ever-changing world, and there are important things we must note. We must keep up with new and evolving technologies. We must begin to trust each other again. We must move beyond only working in industries and start controlling certain industries. We must build strong communities, not just neighborhoods. Most importantly, we must teach our children early—very early—about saving, investing, ownership, and entrepreneurship. Waiting until adulthood is often too late.
I want to close with a call to action for those who are serious about making positive changes for our people. Talking is not enough. Posting is not enough. We need commitment. If you want to start a real dialogue and work toward real solutions, contact me at m.dixon.vgm@gmail.com. This narrative comes from vmgreview, a platform created to inform, challenge, and encourage meaningful conversations that lead to action.
And remember the words of Les Brown: the next time you have a bacon and egg sandwich, the chicken was involved, but the pig was committed. We don’t need more people who are simply involved. We need people who are committed to this much-needed forward movement.
Marvin Dixon/Founder
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