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Peaceful Dave's avatar

"๐˜‰๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ข ๐˜‹๐˜Œ๐˜ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฏ'๐˜ต ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ."

In around 1984 I worked for the government in Georgia. A friend, who was a black man received a well-deserved promotion to a supervisory position. He was a natural leader. Near simultaneously there was an announcement in the local newspaper that there were to be X number of promotions to manager, supervisor and journeyman positions for black people.

His comment to me was, "I'll just be got damned. It's hard enough for a black man to get respect around here and now I'll be seen as a token n****r." Sadly, he was right.

The thing is it needed to be done. Deserving black people had been held back and it was the only viable remedy. It was one of the numerous things done to tear down systemic racism. America is the most ethnically diverse country in the world. Name a tribe, we've got um. And we've tried the hardest to fix the system with laws, policies, training programs and such. Are there still "doodoo-heads"? Sure, but we are trying had to reduce, if not eliminate the damage they can do. Should there be an expiration date on DEI to eliminate thought and accusations of tokenism? When?

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Miguelitro's avatar

I think the only way forward is to have a โ€œsub rosaโ€ diversity hire philosophy that is widespread without an โ€œofficialโ€ one that has the cruel effects on your Black friend.

I have opposed โ€œofficialโ€ affirmative action programs for decades precisely because I put myself in the shoes of those people who worked their asses off deservedly to get ahead only to be written off as โ€œdiversity hires.โ€ I can think of nothing crueler to have that hanging over you.

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