Washington ( CNN ) -- The thorny intersection of race and the economy topped the political agenda Wednesday as President Obama huddled with key African-American leaders at the White House . Obama held what has been dubbed an `` urban economy summit '' in the Oval Office with a group including the Rev . Al Sharpton , NAACP President Benjamin Jealous , and National Urban League President Marc Morial . National Council of Negro Women Chairwoman Dorothy Height , who is 97 years old , declined an invitation to attend due to the winter storm pounding the Washington area . The group urged Obama to spend money initially reserved for bank bailouts on areas suffering from chronically high unemployment , according to sources familiar with the attendees ' plans . The investments should be `` place-based rather than race-based , '' Jealous said . The cornerstone of the civil rights leaders ' plan calls for $ 150 billion in TARP ( Troubled Asset Relief Program ) funds to be redirected to state and local governments to hire workers to provide critical services in underserved communities . The White House has not yet proposed tapping the TARP fund for a new jobs program , with the exception of potentially using it to help expand credit lines for small businesses . The nation 's first African-American president remains extremely popular among black voters . A number of African-American leaders , however , are increasingly upset with what they perceive as the federal government 's inattention to the needs of economically hard-hit minority communities . `` We do not seek any special kind of edict or special kind of thing from the president because he 's African-American , '' Sharpton said . But he said African-Americans do `` expect to be included in the process '' as Congress debates a new jobs bill and are seeking `` substantive change '' and not mere `` feel-good moments . '' Jealous blasted what some political observers have characterized as a GOP strategy of complete opposition to Obama 's agenda . The Republicans are using obstructionist `` tactics from the last century '' previously employed against African-Americans and now used `` against working people , '' he said . `` It 's not enough to say no , no , no when people ... are suffering , suffering , suffering , '' he said . `` It 's not enough to just hold up progress . '' While the national unemployment rate is now 9.7 percent , the jobless rate among African-Americans is hovering around 15 percent . Over 40 percent of black teenagers are unemployed , according to the National Urban League . Obama has previously argued that the administration 's $ 862 billion stimulus package , as well as its other job growth initiatives , would benefit many of the country 's hardest-hit communities . The plan presented to Obama was expected to include recommendations to : . • Expand the small business administration 's Community Express Loan Program ; . • Provide a stronger focus on communities with high unemployment ; . • Invest $ 500 million for housing counselors to work with people who are delinquent on loans ; . • Expand summer youth jobs programs by investing up to $ 7 billion to employ 5 million teenagers ; . • Create 100 `` urban job academies '' to train the chronically unemployed . CNN 's Suzanne Malveaux and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .
Obama meets with Rev . Al Sharpton , top officials from NAACP and Urban League . Group urges Obama to help areas with chronically high unemployment , source says . Score: 6 African-Americans not asking special treatment , but inclusion , Sharpton says .