How about a "we are good enough to compete without special privileges" certification?

Democrats to minorities: "Get to the back of the bus."

Get hired on merit not color.

Just more proof that Multiculturalism = Racism

How about just looking at their resume and work history? *GASP* You mean, then they would actually have to be hired based on skill set and merit?! Well, we can't have that now can we?! NO! We must make race a factor so that everyone can see that we don't make race a factor when hiring. *insert big overdramatic eyeroll here*

This is the most counterproductive certification ever.

Not that I would ever be in a position to hire this particular person, but in situations involving purchases of goods and/or services, if competing companies appear to be otherwise equal, I consciously base my decision NOT to buy on this sort of thing.

Robin -

Unfortunately, the only way she's going to get work from a great many companies is to wear her race on her sleeve. Federal contracts require that so much of the subcontracting work go to "certified minority firms", and there is no doubt in my mind that many megacorps have the same kinds of policies so they can "show our commitment to diversity".

In other words, the desire to be seen as having moved past race is requiring people to declare their race as a qualification.

In other words, the desire to be seen as having moved past race is requiring people to declare their race as a qualification.

That is what I was trying to say. You just said it more eloquantly.

Our university hired a Nigerian to fill a special diversity scholar position. Some of the African-Americans in the Minority Affairs office thought she was a poor choice; the American-born minority students would not be able to connect with a foreigner.

In other words, she was too different to be diverse.

Brian:

"Unfortunately, the only way she's going to get work from a great many companies is to wear her race on her sleeve."

I agree completely; the reason I bring up my particular behavior in the free (as opposed to government subsidized) market, is that I wonder if other people are doing the same? I've been doing this for many years, and happened to mention it to my mother the other day, who said she does the same sort of calculation.

Is BP really getting any value from all those "Look at us; we're so GREEEEEN!!!" ads?

I dunno, if people want to buy from Hispanic-only stores, Black-only stores, Jewish-only stores, White-only stores, Gay-only stores, Straight-only stores, whatever-stores, let them.

If someone wants to advertise themselves as being a part of a particular community, and if that makes other members of that community or supporters of that community shop there, why the hell shouldn't they?

Now, the downside of this is other people might look at that letter and say, "My diversity list? Give me a break!" and NOT buy the services, but that's the way it goes, isn't it?

... oh, I forgot to say, I agree that forcing people to hire minorities or majorities or anyone else is dumb.

I'm just saying, if that's what they want to do, that's what they should do.

... oh, I forgot to say, I agree that forcing people to hire minorities or majorities or anyone else is dumb.

I'm just saying, if that's what they want to do, that's what they should do.

...there is no doubt in my mind that many megacorps have the same kinds of policies so they can "show our commitment to diversity."

And avoid lawsuits claiming they're discriminating against minorities in the hiring of contractors.

I consider it a possibility that one day we may be forced to allocate a percentage of our income to a minority based business.

jk, that already happens in government aerospace work. Contracts have a fixed percentage, specified by law, for minority set-aside. The way it works out is that the big companies, the Boeings, Lockeed Martins, and Raytheons, get the prime's share, and then most of the rest is set-aside. So if you are in the aerospace biz and you are trying to build up a small company, you absolutely must have minority ownership, or you will never get any business. It's become a running joke; a lot of guys will, when starting a company, make their wives the CEO and majority stockholder. Now, don't get me wrong, there are women in the biz who deserve that title. But there's also a fair number of cases where the wife is a figurehead who attends a lot of meetings for appearances' sake, but does little else.

Of course this Latina gets a twofer: race and gender.

Does no one see the irony (or at least the inconsistency) of a MAJORITY with sufficient political power to simply declare themselves a "minority" in order to suck up the gravy?

I worked in the contracting world (blessedly briefly, it's terrible) and we often teamed with organizations for no other reason than they were minority, veteran, or woman owned. The government requires that you subcontract a certain percentage to companies with those set-asides. You have to, you have no other choice.

Isn't having to put both your race and your gender on an application of violation of fair hiring practices? If businesses realy are required by law not to discriminate in their hiring practices with respect to race or gender, etc., then why do we have to check those little boxes on the forms?

It shouldn't matter, right?

Steve B:

By law, it matters. The government gives preferential weight to applicants who check certain boxes. In fact, Montgomery County just passed a law saying that local government would give preferential weight to an applicant with a physical, psychiatric, or developmental disabilities. (See .

This would mean that applicants with one of the above disabilities will receive the same preferential weight as veterans. The government requires that people who fit certain demographics (veterans, disabled veterans, minorities) by given more points on their applications. That would mean that if two identical applications, one from a veteran and one not, were submitted, the veteran would get the position.

In the contracting world, companies are required to subcontract a certain percentage of work (usually a certain percent of the overall award) to companies that are 8(a) classified (small businesses, woman owned, minority owned, veteran/service disabled vet owned, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) businesses, etc.). What most large companies do is find a company that has more than one classification and partner with them.

Whether or not it should matter is rather moot since it's required by law. Companies are often required to submit their demographic information, which is why a lot of job portals require you to (or ask you to) check your gender and ethnicity.