Lack of Occupation
However, these numbers have not translated into action. A few prominent African-Americans, such as Cornel West, Russell Simmons, Kanye West and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., have made appearances at Occupy protests. “Occupy the Hood,” a recent offshoot, has tried to get more people of color involved. But the main movement remains overwhelmingly white: A Fast
Company survey last month found that African-Americans, who are 12.6 percent of the U.S. population, make up only 1.6 percent of Occupy Wall Street. African-Americans share white Americans’ anger about corporate greed and corruption, and blacks have a rich history of protesting injustice in United States. So why aren’t they occupying?