I got a ride the other day on a shuttle van service and the driver asked me what I do.
I told him I write about careers and labor issues, and you are not going to believe what he asked me next:
“Why do you think blacks don’t have career ambitions?”
OK, I sat there with my mouth opened sort of in shock. I said, “what did you say?”
He actually repeated it.
I said, “what are you talking about. I know tons of blacks that indeed have career ambitions.”
The odd thing was we had just dropped off two African American passengers at large corporations in the town where I live. They were both going off to work.
I pointed this out to this guy who didn’t see the irony in chauffeuring around two seemingly ambitious blacks who were probably making way more than him an hour.
You could tell he realized he was pissing me off and started to back away from his statement. He said,”I was talking about the guys who hang on the corner.”
I can’t say I’m totally surprised that attitudes like this still exist. It’s part of our lives and definitely an undercurrent in the work world. Minorities still make up a tiny percentage of the high level positions in Corporate America. And I often get letters from readers wondering if they’ve been the object of discrimination.
Here are some numbers on the economic realities from the Urban League:
In terms of annual median income, black men earned less than three-quarters of what white
men earned ($34,443 vs. $46,807), roughly a $12,000 gap. Black women made 87 percent of
what white women made and $5,000 less than black men ($29,588 a year).
The driver of the shuttle was an older man, in his sixties. I had lunch with some friends today and one wondered if it wasn’t just a generational bias, one that they grew up thinking was the way of the world.
I’m not sure. But I am sure we still have a long way to go.
December 20th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Until last year, I lived in an urban neighborhood–the type some people easily use to bolster their inaccurate stereotypes. I noticed something during my nine years there. The number of youth with that “urban youth” attitude (with the mindset that most of life is stacked against them, that they are somehow repressed, that they will never get ahead, no respect for personal property–and, yes, they often hung out in groups on the corners or in the alleys) was high, but it seemed to affect youth of every ethnic group who shared some common factors.
[Note: these are my observations only, and not some scientific study.]
As much as I could tell, they came from homes that were in the lowest rungs of the socio-economic scale, there was usually an absent or abusive parent situation, and whatever family was available was either unable or unwilling to be concerned about the youths’ actions. I think those factors (especially the final one) are more important than ethnicity when looking at behavior models. Now, in our old neighborhood, 80% of the kids who fit that “urban youth” mindset were African American, but that was only becaue about 80% of the neighborhood shared that demographic. I ran into whites, Asians, and Latinos who all fit that “urban youth” descriptor, but I also met many fine young men and women from each ethnic group who would not let themselves be caught up in the ways of “the hood”. I’m sure they’ll go far, and they will likely be the managers and employers who will have to deal with people like your cab driver someday.
One situation really helped make me aware that the “urban youth” attitude had nothing to do with ethnicity. Two youths stole a bike from one of our sons while he was riding it on the front walk. I did what any dad would do: I tried to track them down, and (making a long story short), eventually found the lads who stole the bike: one was black and the other was white. I talked to the families. I described how much their theft affected our son (who loved to ride), and I made it clear I expected the bike to be returned or replaced. We agreed upon a date for the boys to do some chores at our house as a consequence. When the day arrived, the African American lad showed up on time and ready to work. The white boy never showed up.
After talking to him for a bit, and commending him on accepting responsibility for his actions, I dismissed him and sent him home. I told him to continue to make good decisions, and he would go far.
Two weeks later, he knocked on our door again. I was surprised to see him there, but even more surprised by what he had with him: he had tracked down the bike, and was returning it to us.
I will never forget that young man’s courage, or the character that was developing in him. I saw him numerous times after that event, and was able to exchange waves and greetings. He never, to my knowledge, was in trouble in the neighborhood again. The same cannot be said of the white boy. Let’s just say that we had some unpleasant encounters with him through the years, and he was also responsible for stealing a bike from another one of my other sons about six weeks after the first theft.
There are no easy answers, but I hope we can learn to make a difference–one life at a time.
December 20th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
what a great story. it seems somehow you touched that kid. good for you for taking another route to deal with their transgressions.
inspiring!
December 22nd, 2007 at 1:09 pm
up here where i live in northern calif, the bigotry is not really color based. It is prison, drug based. Even in this very small town, all jobs are based on a drug test and a background check. even working at a mini mart. so “that” part of society are the ones standing on street corners and cluttering up the alleys and welfare office.
And what makes it worse i think is the fact that 2/3 of our population work in the prisions, so thier tolerance for those that have been in the joint is low.
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:55 pm
my 34 year old black son , wants a job and can’t find one that pays beyond 8.50 per hours part-time.
why because he is short , and somewhat handicapped, he is two associate degrees ,one in business and one in graphic arts. no one will let him in the door to prove he can do the work.
he has an eye motor problem which causes his hand to move from side to side and so he can’t look directly into your eyes as he interview for a job. people think he is retarded and will not be able to do the job. he graduated with honors and on the deans list.
this is one willing and able black man who badly want to work . we live in brevard county florida and the unemployment is low but prejudice in other forms come in to play , when you are black ,a man , short and part handicapped according to the world.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Hello Fishenden,
Have you looked into any programs for people with disabilities. Even though it does not impact his intelligence, he may be able to get some job placement help. I know Florida has quite a few such programs. Call the County in Brevard and ask them. But don’t do it until after the holidays. Even though County offices are open no one has their mind on work these weeks.
Email me if you get nowhere and hopefully I can help him out. (telleve@gmail.com)
It sounds like your son is a great man. (And it sounds like you’re a great mom!) Tell him to keep up hope and not give up. There are plenty of employers that are willing to give people a chance.
Good luck!
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:52 am
There is as much and exactly the same self denial among white and black people. There is as much and exactly the same self denial among Arabs and Jews. There is as much and exactly the same self denial among Sunni and Kerds. There is as much and exactly the same self denial among Turks and Armenians. There is as much and exactly the same self denial among……
The redundant mutterings of someone like myself is both annoying and pointless. So to is the very invocation of ‘prejudice’. The more that is spoken of such things, the higher the fences between people become. Undeniable history may be so very unkind to all heritage. And yet all heritage makes the same mistakes of being prejudice over and over again. A very strong lesson learned is about ‘racism’. In order to create racism, you need prejudice and the power to impose prejudice. If I declare all writers are evil and I am the only one that owns fire, then I will burn your written words.
My point to this vituperation is that those who impose prejudice are far more sinister and more the culprit of indecency than those who have prejudice. The man in the shuttle is obviously shallow and incapaable of any imposition. The young man with two degrees is just as shallow and incapable of imposition. THe ignorant people truely are the one’s who refuse to allow such a young man the chance he deserves. My all time favorite inspiration comes from Stephan Douglass. When asked by a young, black reporter how can society change it’s attitudes about what was then a new, free America he said ‘Tou are society. You should do to them what they do to you…Agitate’ Thank you.
A 46 year old, powerless fellow.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I was one of those people who thought that Bigotry no longer had a place in Corporate America. I thought that surely enough time had passed that most were looking at skills rather than skin. I was wrong…
I work for Verizon, and have a coworker who is a real Georgia Peach and is one of those people who seems to not have any prejudices until you get her away from customers. She accused the only Black person who works there of theft the first week she’d started the job. She uses words like “Taliban-Iraqi” for anyone of Arab descent, “Chings” for Asian, says “Blacks” like its a dirty word, and so on. The Black woman whom she accused of theft also tells others of some things she’s done, like playing with her hair and stating that “I didn’t know you could have soft hair”, being snide about her dating preferences (outside her race) and generally other things when she thinks no one else is listening. The boss was told of these things. He simply told the Black woman to “talk it out” with the Peach and made strong intimations that the Black woman would lose her job if she persisted with it after that.
So, the Peach is still here, the Black woman is still bitter, and everyone is uneasy about the situation or just doesn’t care. I can’t do anything because I’m kind of new myself and don’t see anything in complaining about the bias except a pink slip. The Black woman does have a strong point about one thing, though– it DOES seem that the Western Area Verizon stores only needs one token Black per store (or none at all) unless its an area with a very strong African-American population.
Sometimes, it makes me ashamed of being Anglo-American when things like this happen. I wish I could do more.
I digressed, but my whole point is: Maybe Black America if fully aware of that ceiling they’re “not supposed” to reach for, and fully aware of what happens if they try. Kudos to those who do it, anyway.
I thought we were progressing, but its the same old BS couched in rhetoric.