In a report entitled “African American Workgroup Report,” designed to coincide with the EEOC’s recent Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2012-2016, an internal agency work group of the EEOC detailed the following seven “obstacles” to equal opportunities in the federal workforce for African-Americans:  

• Unconscious biases and perceptions about African Americans still play a significant role in employment decisions in the federal sector.
• African Americans lack adequate mentoring and networking opportunities for higher-level and management positions.
• Insufficient training and development assignments perpetuate inequalities in skills and opportunities for African Americans.
• Narrow recruitment methods negatively impact African Americans.
• The perception of widespread inequality among African Americans in the federal work force hinders their career advancement.
• Educational requirements create obstacles for African Americans in the federal work force.
• EEO regulations and laws are not adequately followed by agencies and are not effectively enforced.

The report can be obtained at: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/reports/aawg.cfm.