LEGL 4500/6500 - Employment Law ..........................................Dr. Bennett-Alexander

University of Georgia

Terry College of Business
 
 

In the past few days, I have come across the same situation several times. Since I think it is basic to an understanding of differences among people, as well as my experience indicating that it is a common occurrence, I think it should be addressed.

I work hard to try to help shed light on racial, gender affinity orientation, and other diversity issues. I start with the assumption that most people do not intentionally try to treat others differently, but it happens nonetheless. I further assume that if someone does not want to treat others differently (generally less well) and their attention is brought to the fact that they may actually be doing so, they will likely stop doing it. Following the logic of this and dealing with it in reality are two very different things. This is especially true when it comes to racial issues.

I have found that many whites, when shown how they may be treating non-whites differently, are unwilling to believe the difference may be race-based-or even that there are differences at all. If we can't even begin to deal with how to remedy the problem. More specifically, if whites cannot agree that blacks in this country do not live a life of equality, then they will never be able to get to the issue of how to remedy this situation they say they do not want to exist. Many can acknowledge that blacks had previously had a hard time of it, based on laws requiring or permitting discrimination or based on social custom, but they seem to think it has all disappeared and we're all over that part of our history now. Let me give a couple of examples.

I conducted a diversity session recently in which I asked attendees what messages they received growing up about race (and other issues not here relevant). Virtually all whites said they received the message (though, they were careful to say, not from their parents) that whites were superior to blacks and that they should not mix racially. We then viewed a video clip of :True Colors," a CBS Prime Time piece on how differently similarly-situated blacks were treated from whites. The experiences of a black male and a white male were videotaped with tiny cameras attached to their hats. The differences went from rather innocuous to quite startling. From it taking longer for the black to be waited on in a store to him being quoted higher prices and downpayments for the same car; from the black being followed around in a record store as if he were stealing (the white was not), to being told no job or apartment was available, while the white was told exactly the opposite moments later.

Even though the young, white attendees had said they were brought up to believe that they were superior to blacks and shouldn't mix, they offered up virtually every excuse other than race for the difference in treatment between the two similarly situated men. How did they think the same feelings of superiority that most whites receive in a myriad of ways growing up manifests itself? Does it just stay a concept and is never acted on?

Of course not. It is manifested in a zillion ways every day, many of which were demonstrated on the CBS piece. If we keep looking for big manifestations like open, derisive, hostile discrimination, we'll miss most of the discrimination that takes place.

I've had whites come up to me and say that they have experienced the same thing I have, but it couldn't be race because they were white. The implication is that I am wrong in thinking what happened to could have been based on race. Saying it happened to them only says it happened to them and race wasn't the reason. That doesn't mean that in my case it also wasn't the reason. Makes Me Wanna Holler by Nathaniel McCall and Rage of the Privileged Class by Ellis Cose are two recent books that are excellent sources shedding light on why blacks could conclude race is still a factor in their everyday lives. Saying race has nothing to do with something doesn't make the race-based differences nonexistent. It merely makes it impossible to work to make things right. Unless that's what we want, we'd better be more open to trying to understand and appreciate the experiences of others.

Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander, Esq., is an associate professor of employment law and legal studies at UGA's Terry College of Business and a founding partner in BJD Consulting, Diversity Consultants.