From:
Roger Clegg, President
and General Counsel, Center
for Equal Opportunity
Message:
Luke
Visconti says that Linda Chavez and I are "bigots" in his Skanner Foundation
talk. We ought to be able to disagree with Mr. Visconti on issues like
affirmative action without being defamed in this way. Ms. Chavez and I believe
that no employee should be treated differently or given a preference on the
basis of race or ethnicity, so how does that make us
"bigots"?
Response from Luke
Visconti:
I reject your labeling my words as
defamation. I am using an accurate adjective (Readers: If you have not read the
speech Mr. Clegg refers to, please click here). It may not
be a pleasant one, but it's pithily descriptive: You and Ms. Chavez are
bigots.
Your organization and its pursuits
demonstrate a purposeful disregard of bias and racism in our society and the
resultant economic and access disparities. You're bigots.
By backing the
anti-affirmative-action initiative in Michigan called the "Civil Rights Bill,"
you worked to purposefully mislead voters. You're bigots.
You say that "no employee should
be treated differently or given a preference on the basis of race or ethnicity,"
but that happens all the time, or else white people wouldn't be
disproportionately wealthy and in positions of power. Best business practices
dictate that the best possible talent be deployed in the best possible position.
Given the reality of our society, that takes proactive and measured management
to overcome the bias in our system. This is called affirmative action.
Today we have a very poignant
story about a reprise of the famous Dr. Clark "black doll/white doll" tests (click here). It's a very
sad video, but it's also a call to action. Talent is distributed regardless of
bias and the damage done to certain groups in our society. Affirmative action is
how we overcome this damage to provide true equal footing. Affirmative action is
not charity; it overcomes systemic bias to build a sustainable business—and a
sustainable America.
Our April issue will be all about
affirmative action (Readers: If you're not a subscriber, please consider it). Your views
will receive a fair airing, but that's purposeful. I intend to air your views
and those of people like you—and tell my readers where you get your money. The
more people know and the more plain language is used, the less success bigots
like you and Ms. Chavez will have.
|
DiversityInc Bookstore |
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When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America
Author, Ira Katznelson, demonstrates that all the key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal era of the 1930s and 1940s were created in a deeply discriminatory manner. This was no accident.
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