The Cynic
A cynical spin on the news.
Friday, September 10, 2004

It's Black, It's White

Okay, no Sept. 11 remembrance blog entry from me. I'm an American, I'm a native New Yorker. Osama bin Laden is an asshole but then so are the people calling the shots here. God Bless my great city, God bless those who sacrificed. I will never forget but it hurts too much to remember.

Moving on.

Interesting thing at work this week. My job is big on the whole diversity kick, on the surface it could have some sincerity but it's mostly contrived. Basically it's upper management trying to remind themselves not to hire too many white men.

Well there's some yearly award the rewards the company with the greatest diversity leadership and one of my superiors nominated the company's diversity committee. I must admit, I LOVE the diversity committee because usually its one person on a desk calling out others for being insensitive racists. I wish I woke up before noon because I'd make all these meetings just to hear the banter from this wonderful person (and no sarcasm there, I really think she's wonderful).

Anyway, in the nomination letter my superior mentioned me and a black....errr African-American photographer.

First of all, I hate the term African-American. I understand my parents were hatched in the respective African nations of Philadelphia and Elloree, South Carolina, but in spite of that I like being black. Black is nice a simple, doesn't take up too much space in a headline, it's clean and concise.

But there we were...on an island...myself and a co-worker...Two tokens in a bowl of spare change. I'd understand the need to mention the few minorities in the office but it was such an incomplete listing. My office is actually more diverse then they are willing to give themselves credit for.

Why there's a full-blown Mexican artist among the staff (henceforth referred to as "non-black" by me and a fairly white person in the office) and there are two people of Asian decent, one East Asian (China) and one West Asian (India). Plus tons of fairly independent women and another really strange but strangely intelligent black man.

Given where I live, we're doing okay in some areas. In all fairness, however, our middle management is borderline embarassing in regards to diversity. It's so bad that the recent hiring of my boss, another white guy, actually IMPROVED diversity because at least he's a young white guy who desparately tries to be hip.

I'm glad this letter was sent, I needed something to talk about at the next lunch meeting. I want to know if we're hiding some of our minorities and are we completely oblivious to the overbearing amount of white guys who make the decisions. I mean not too long ago we were ALMOST going to put up a picture of an older black man holding up a piece of fried chicken on the front page?!?!?!

(Okay, the fact that he was opening a fried chicken joint is insignificant, it closed three weeks later anyway.)

So this is my latest and last fight, with five months remaining in my tenure I want the company to credit all the diversity they have and work to make that diversity count for something other than fodder for an award we're not going to win (rightfully so).

Rant over.

(P.S. Holly, Email me again please!)



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


About Us

I take the news
and drag the truth out of it.


Previously...

Vacation's OVER!

The old guilty conscience

Off Day #3...

So Far So...Interesting

My Monster Commercial

Job Search

He's Dead Bitch...

The Face of the GOP??

Still WJC...

Saddam Update...



Archives


02/08/2004 - 02/15/2004

02/15/2004 - 02/22/2004

02/22/2004 - 02/29/2004

02/29/2004 - 03/07/2004

03/07/2004 - 03/14/2004

03/14/2004 - 03/21/2004

03/21/2004 - 03/28/2004

03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004

05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004

05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004

05/16/2004 - 05/23/2004

05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004

05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004

06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004

06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004

06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004

07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004

07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004

07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004

07/25/2004 - 08/01/2004

08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004

08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004

08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004

08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004

09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004

09/12/2004 - 09/19/2004

09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004

09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004

10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004

10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004

10/17/2004 - 10/24/2004

10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004

10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004

11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004

11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004

11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004

11/28/2004 - 12/05/2004

12/05/2004 - 12/12/2004

12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004

12/19/2004 - 12/26/2004

12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005

01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005

01/09/2005 - 01/16/2005

01/16/2005 - 01/23/2005

01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005

01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005

02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005

02/13/2005 - 02/20/2005

02/20/2005 - 02/27/2005

02/27/2005 - 03/06/2005

03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005

03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005

03/20/2005 - 03/27/2005

03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005

04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005

04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005

04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005

04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005

05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005

05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005

05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005

05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005

05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005

06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005

06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005

06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005

06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005

07/03/2005 - 07/10/2005

07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005

07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005

07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005

07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005

08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005

08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005

08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005

08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005

09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005

09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005

10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005

10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005

10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005

10/23/2005 - 10/30/2005

10/30/2005 - 11/06/2005

11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005

11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005

11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005

11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005

12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005

12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005

12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005

12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006

01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006

01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006

01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006

01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006

02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006

02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006

02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006

03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006

03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006

03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006

03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006

04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006

04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006

04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006

04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006

05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006

05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006

05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006

06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006

06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006

07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006

07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006

07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006

07/30/2006 - 08/06/2006

08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006

08/20/2006 - 08/27/2006

08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006

09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006

09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006

09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006

09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006

10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006

10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006

10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006

11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006

11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006

12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006

12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006

12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006

12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007

01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007

01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007

01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007

01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007

02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007

02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007

02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007

03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007

03/18/2007 - 03/25/2007

03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007

04/01/2007 - 04/08/2007

04/08/2007 - 04/15/2007

04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007

04/22/2007 - 04/29/2007

04/29/2007 - 05/06/2007

05/20/2007 - 05/27/2007

06/03/2007 - 06/10/2007

06/10/2007 - 06/17/2007

06/17/2007 - 06/24/2007

07/01/2007 - 07/08/2007

07/15/2007 - 07/22/2007

07/22/2007 - 07/29/2007

07/29/2007 - 08/05/2007

08/05/2007 - 08/12/2007

08/12/2007 - 08/19/2007

09/23/2007 - 09/30/2007

09/30/2007 - 10/07/2007

10/28/2007 - 11/04/2007

11/04/2007 - 11/11/2007

11/11/2007 - 11/18/2007

11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007

12/23/2007 - 12/30/2007

01/27/2008 - 02/03/2008

03/02/2008 - 03/09/2008

03/09/2008 - 03/16/2008

03/23/2008 - 03/30/2008

04/13/2008 - 04/20/2008

04/20/2008 - 04/27/2008

04/27/2008 - 05/04/2008

05/04/2008 - 05/11/2008

05/18/2008 - 05/25/2008

06/22/2008 - 06/29/2008

06/29/2008 - 07/06/2008

01/18/2009 - 01/25/2009

01/25/2009 - 02/01/2009

02/01/2009 - 02/08/2009

02/15/2009 - 02/22/2009

05/02/2010 - 05/09/2010

01/20/2013 - 01/27/2013

08/09/2015 - 08/16/2015

08/16/2015 - 08/23/2015

08/30/2015 - 09/06/2015

home


Syndicate

Syndicate The Cynic


Where to Go




Credits

Powered by Blogger