A group of historians from several U.S. universities — including NYU, Columbia, and Dartmouth — are submitting a letter to President-Elect Barack Obama (pdf), urging him to include women workers and people of color when he’s crafting his recovery package.

The letter specifically mentions investing in “health and care work” and is in line with our recent interview with economist Randy Albelda, about Obama’s “macho stimulus package.”

Below is an excerpt from the letter:

“For all our admiration of FDR’s reform efforts, we must also point out that the New Deal’s jobs initiative was overwhelmingly directed toward skilled male and mainly white workers. This was a mistake in the 1930s and it is a far greater mistake in the 21st century economy, when so many families depend on women’s wages and when our nation is even more racially diverse.

Women today make up 46 percent of the labor force. Simple fairness requires creating that proportion of job opportunities for them. Some of this can and should be accomplished through training programs and other measures to help women enter traditionally male-occupied jobs. But it can also be accomplished by creating much-needed jobs in the vital sectors where women are now concentrated.”