Since Donald Trump's inauguration, the U.S. economy has created a whopping 1,017,000 new jobs for African Americans, including many right here in Ohio. Today, the national black unemployment rate is at an all-time low of 5.5 percent. Unemployment for black women is even lower, at just 4.4 percent. More importantly, the overall black-white employment gap is smaller than it has ever been. It is great to see so many African American men and women back in the workforce more than ever before, in fact.
In addition, President Trump's "Opportunity Zones" initiative is spurring even more economic growth in underdeveloped communities around the country. Through targeted tax incentives, the initiative is projected to generate approximately $100 billion of new private investment in communities that need it most.
That focus on expanding economic opportunity for minorities has been a major priority for the Trump administration. That's why the president was so committed to reforming the criminal justice system. By eliminating the sentencing disparities caused by the horrendous Clinton-era crime bill, which disproportionately affected African Americans, President Trump is giving thousands of unfairly sentenced black inmates a second chance at the American Dream.
Just adding a few of my words here, this helps correct Bidens horrendous crime bill from 1994.
The FIRST STEP Act also included significant reforms to address recidivism, such as helping prisons improve their rehabilitation programs and allowing non-violent inmates to earn early-release credits for good behavior more easily. Thanks to this legislation, non-violent inmates will now be equipped with the professional and social skills they need to become productive members of society following their release.
President Trump also understands that the foundation of economic success is a quality education. That's why he signed a $360 million grant to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities last year by far the most that any president has ever appropriated for HBCUs. Even America's first black president, Barack Obama, never allocated that much money to HBCUs.
These facts are undeniable, and I'm truly excited to help spread the word as part of the Black Voices for Trump coalition. President Trump has empowered African Americans throughout his presidency by implementing long-overdue economic and social reforms that have generated upward mobility in our communities. Black Voices for Trump will provide those who have directly benefited from these reforms with a massive platform to share our stories of "Promises Made, Promises Kept."
After all the progress African Americans have made under President Trump, it's difficult to even imagine going back to the Democrats' failed, big-government policies that have held us back for so long.
As the president promised recently while recounting the positive impact his initiatives and accomplishments have had on the African American community, the best is yet to come.