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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (4969)	2/5/2001 3:13:39 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 82486

I already responded to this Yes, you did. I wish you'd respond to the scenario in my conference room: Someone from the outside noticed that our spokespeople are disproportionately white. We are sensitive to the implications of that so we form this committee to address the problem. The committee, typically, is a very diverse group in terms of race, gender, age, position in the organization, etc. The group is trying to analyze the problem. I'm part of this committee. I think that our customers see more white faces because we have tended to assign the role of making customer presentations to the more articulate people and our population of very articulate people tends to be disproportionately white. What is my source for this judgment. Well, simple observation of my colleagues over a long period of time. Why do I think this disparity occurs? I think it's a matter of education. Whites in my office tend to be older, more experienced, and have multiple degrees. The office has made a great effort over a number of years to provide upward-mobility opportunities for clerks and secretaries so we have a large number of young black women with a high school education and varying language and critical thinking skills. This large number tends to skew the communications skills curve towards the whites. Was racism a factor in the older, whiter colleagues being, on average, better educated. Most likely. So what do I do in this meeting? Decline to serve on the committee? Quit my job out of shame for being such a racist? Sit on my hands in the meeting hoping some black colleague will mention the communication skill disparity first? Keep my little insight to myself out of fear or hurting someone's feelings? Keep my little insight to myself out of fear of being labeled a racist? Suggest that we eliminate communication skills from the list of requirements for these communications roles? Sit on my hands while the committee decides to recommend that we assign spokesperson roles by lottery? Where did I go wrong? What do I do? Karen