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Workplace Diversity
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 21:37 | Civil Rights
A USA Today Op-Ed piece debated the impact of the Supreme Court ruling on the New Haven, CT firefighters on diversity in the workplace:
Two things are immediately evident from the court's ruling.One is how difficult this issue is for cities trying to do the right thing, and for courts trying to sort out what's legal and what's not.The other message from the decision is that rigid tests are a lousy way to fill leadership positions in public safety departments.There will be a time when affirmative action is no longer necessary, but the paucity of minority officers in fire departments like New Haven's is just one bit of proof that the time hasn't come.
The opposing view was that race should be irrelevant:
Where does the line lie between ensuring equal opportunity and engaging in reverse discrimination?The purpose of our anti-discrimination laws is to make race as irrelevant as possible. Their underlying assumption is that all races could succeed if decisions were made based on merit and not someone's heritage. But everyone also understood that not every workplace would end up "looking like America."Using race to make decisions about promotion should be a last resort, not the first option after learning that the demographics of the successful candidates were not to your liking.
On Air: The Best of Tavis Smiley
Comments
Diversity in the Workplace
Tavis, I don't know. I am only 41 and I can't get past some of the things that we are still going through on jobs. I work for a faith-based institution builded and founded on the concept of Jesus' missions. I have only been employed there for 4years I have seen white kids newly graduated from college come in to the organization with little to no experience and get titles of director and vice president. And I got young adults in their 20s saying we don't need affirmative action or the NAACP. We need to come to grips with the suttle issue of White privilege. We need to get educated and stop taking the long trip around everything. As an African American woman I am shame. I hurt really bad dealing day to day with the issues on my job that are blatant racism (white privilege). No people that are beauticians, barbers and people that are not out in this workplace environment don't have to deal with what the professionals have to deal with. Day after Day i SEE THE YOUNG WHITE YOUTH BEING MENTORED AND RISEN ABOVE THE EVERYDAY AVERAGE AFRICAN AMERICAN WORKER. Where is our voice? Tennessee is an at will state, your job can let you go at their will. No matter what and the EEOC is not worth a flip.
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