TONY COX, host:
Dealing with unemployment isn't limited to America. England also has a high unemployment rate, just over five percent. And people of color struggle there as well, especially in London, where the rate is above seven percent. That's where 43-year-old Phillip Mapoma lives with his wife and two young kids.
Things were tough back when he got married 13 years ago. His wife was working but he wasn't. The search to find a job lasted months and began to take a toll on his marriage and his manhood.
Here's Phillip Mapoma in his own words.
Mr. PHILLIP MAPOMA: My wife and I got married and I wasn't working at that time. I just graduated from college with a degree in architecture and I was convinced that I would get a job in no time. We were so excited getting married and we went to - had a fantastic honeymoon in Thailand and Bali. And we came back and we were and, you know, we're just so in love. She was so understanding. And she was just saying that, you know, listen now, I don't mind being the breadwinner, you know, because I know in no time you'll get a job.
As the months went by, I think she became a bit worried as to whether I was really looking hard enough and, you know, whether I was actually getting comfortable with, you know, being supported by a woman, and also whether I was actually just taking advantage of her.
But obviously, you know, from her point of view, you know, she was at work and I was at home. You know, and she didn't know what I was doing. I could have been sitting up there with my feet, you know, on the table, watching TV. You know, well, anything of that sort, even though I tried as much as I could, you know, to make sure the house is clean and I did my share of cooking. Because I wanted to be, you know, the modern black man that wasn't afraid to, you know, to cook for his wife, to clean the house and so forth. But I was finding it very, very frustrating, and so was she.
It wasn't so much about being unemployed or my wife earning more money. It was really about being a man. And I realized that my job was where I derived my significance. And she always said, you know, honey, I love you. You know, and you know, we'll go through this together. But I always thought that I couldn't imagine how she could look at me with pride.
You know, in England, it's very much harder for a black man to progress up the career ladder and get a good job. You'll find that it's much easier for a black woman to be successful in London than a black man.
I think the most important thing to remember is that as long as you are doing your best and that, you know, you're not just sitting on your butt doing nothing, but you are going out there, whether it's cleaning or as a laborer, or whatever it is - as long as you are doing your bit to provide for your family and to further yourself, whether it's taking up, you know, an additional course at college. But in addition to that, it's for the black woman to be of supportive and understanding of what black men go through and efforts that they are making, trying to advance themselves in very, very difficult circumstances.
Things now are absolutely fantastic. I'm working in a really good job. I'm really enjoying myself. And my wife took some time off, you know, once she had the kids. And she's back at work, working part-time now. But, you know, we're both loving it. When we look back at the early years on what we went through, she's able to appreciate what I went through as a black man and what I still go through in the challenges I face. And I'm able to also be a bit more supportive of her in the home while I, you know, I do my bit outside of the home as well.
COX: That again is Philip Mapoma, a housing manager and a writer living in London. Philip chronicled his experiences of being unemployed in a commentary he wrote for Essence magazine published in April of last year.
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COX: Just ahead, fewer folks than ever are joining labor unions. And how would you like to pay an entrance fee to drive enter to the city? The president has a plan that does just that. Plus, the latest word in Washington in our Political Corner. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.