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Racial Discrimination Is (Still) a Thing!

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Over the years we have employed people from all around the world. The only racial problems we had were :-

On hiring a very talented artist who happened to be Nigerian one of our older employees, a woman objected and decided to leave rather than work with a black guy. The fact she worked with Chinese, Singaporea and Middle Eastern people made no difference to her, but black... Such a shame, her work was really first class.

Talking of Middle Eastern, our first problem, soon after we started up, our second step on the expansion ladder was hiring Hamid as lead artist. Two people took the huff that a muslim was hired to take a prestigious position that both thought they were in line for. It turned out one was professional jealously, the other had this thing with muslims coming over here to steal our jobs. Both came round in time to accept Hamid as the man for job.

Admittedly we were not a front of counter concern, but racism among staff can cause disastrous results?
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
I recruit, hire, and place people based on skillset and talent. Not race. Not sexual orientation.

I had a general manager turn in his notice today. I created a plan for my district based on skillset, talent, and people I thought would work well together.

In creating this plan and presenting in to the director of operations, I failed to recognize skin color. When presenting it, my supervisor said, "I would never say this...but..." and pointing at a prospective team I'd assembled, I saw that I had place two black managers in a white neighborhood restaurant.

I assembled a team that likes working with others, has complimentary skillsets, and would, as I see it, bring success to the restaurant. The fact that my DO, who is not a racist, felt the need to point this out, really enlightened me to the fact that racism is still a thing, whether I want it to be or not.

How do we educate others that a sandwich tastes the same regardless of whether a black, white, or Hispanic person makes it, or whether a black, white, or Hispanic person supervises the team that makes it and serves them?

I'm a fair-skinned person who would rather a darker-skinned person serve me a nice meal than being a totally lazy welfare recipient.

I've also had an agent of mine hire a team of Hispanics to do hard labor work projects for me, they seem to do good work at a lower price than what a team of all white people would charge me for doing comparable work.
 
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dianaiad

Well-Known Member
Just a thought....

But....

racists are not likely to object to the people they hate serving them at a restaurant. They would consider it the 'proper place' for them. When I was very young, my father told me about how his town handled a young black couple who wanted to move into their all white area. They wanted to honor the returned soldier (WW1 wounded warrior with medals), but they did NOT want him living in their town.

So they did two things. First, they purchased a five acre parcel just outside the city limits and built a house, and gave it to him. They assured the family that the school bus WOULD stop there for the kids, though. (at the time, the bus was a horse drawn wagon) Second, they got him a job as the manager of one of the local restaurants.

Now I have to tell you; this small town was really struggling with racism; very ambivalent about this young couple. They didn't want that hero to go away, but they ALSO didn't want a black guy living in the town. So this is what they did.

That family has become one of the most influential and wealthiest families of the area, btw...but it has taken them four generations. They still own that house and that land, which is now well within city limits, and they own several businesses...two of which the WWI hero established within five years of moving there. He is revered as a hero for what he did for the town during the Depression, what he has done for the town and the area later, and nobody had better even LOOK like s/he is going to give him or his descendants grief over skin color.

As embarrassing and racist as that incident was, please note: nobody had a problem with him managing a restaurant, even at the beginning. They didn't have a problem with him being a lawyer or owning the town movie theater later, either. People can learn.

BTW...this hero, turns out, is one of my great uncles through a few cousins...and it looks like most of the town is now related to him in similar ways.

People CAN learn, if you let them.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Should potentially offending hypothetical racists be considered a concern? Is worrying about the off-chance of losing a sandwich sale over skin color really worth it?

In a predominantly racist community, unfortunately, yes. Making such a decision can impact sales by customers abandoning my business to go to the competition. Word of mouth can have a profound impact in such a community in top line sales.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
If he 'felt the need to point this out,' then he's a racist. I wish that were not so, but....if HE is worried about black restaurant managers in a 'white neighborhood,' then he has problems in one of two areas: either he is worried about having black people serve white people (in which case his racism is directed at the black managers) or he has decided that the 'white folks' are ABSOLUTELY GOING to be nasty to the black managers, in which case his racism is directed at the white folks.

You're missing the obvious. Keeping his job is exclusively dependent upon driving sales and profitability in the restaurant. He is accountable for the restaurant's numbers. If the restaurant fails, he is in danger of losing his job as a result of a decision he made.

Wanting to keep one's job and provide for their family does not a racist make.
 
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SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Actions always speak louder than words. Going ahead with the planned appointment of two African-American managers in a white neighbourhood is the most effective next step.

I didn't disclose this in the OP or prior to this post, but I am staying the course with my decision. The girl I'm promoting to take over the restaurant works very well with the manager I'm bringing into the restaurant (one of the two whose names the DO pointed to), and their skillsets compliment one another's.

I fully believe that operational excellence will compensate for any loss in sales by way of profitability and if I can make a few racists see that two black managers can maintain a clean, friendly and efficient operation...better than the competition, well that's a win-win.
 
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Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
I didn't disclose this in the OP or prior to this post, but I am staying the course with my decision. The girl I'm promoting to take over the restaurant works very well with the manager I'm bringing into the restaurant (one of the two whose names the DO pointed to), and their skillsets compliment one another's.

I fully believe that operational excellence will compensate for any loss in sales by way of profitability and I can make a few racists see that two black managers can maintain a clean, friendly and efficient operation...better than the competition, well that's a win-win.

All other things being equal, I'd rather get food from a clean restaurant that's been well scrubbed and cleaned by black workers than get food from a dirty restaurant with white workers who violate food safety health code ordinances.

There probably very few racists who'd feel otherwise.
 

Watchmen

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
And, that matters because of what?

No, racism is not a thing it's just a thing for the liberals whom need to get people to hate each other for various reasons or think they automatically will. Your white neighborhood won't give a single **** unless people aren't doing their job.
Making employment decisions based on race is unlawful.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I recruit, hire, and place people based on skillset and talent. Not race. Not sexual orientation.

I had a general manager turn in his notice today. I created a plan for my district based on skillset, talent, and people I thought would work well together.

In creating this plan and presenting in to the director of operations, I failed to recognize skin color. When presenting it, my supervisor said, "I would never say this...but..." and pointing at a prospective team I'd assembled, I saw that I had place two black managers in a white neighborhood restaurant.

I assembled a team that likes working with others, has complimentary skillsets, and would, as I see it, bring success to the restaurant. The fact that my DO, who is not a racist, felt the need to point this out, really enlightened me to the fact that racism is still a thing, whether I want it to be or not.

How do we educate others that a sandwich tastes the same regardless of whether a black, white, or Hispanic person makes it, or whether a black, white, or Hispanic person supervises the team that makes it and serves them?
Try telling that to a black neighborhood patrolled by white officers.

I don't necessarily disagree with you but sometimes I think racial grouping is a two way street. Basically damned-if-you-do damned-if-you-don't.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Yes it is. It’s about where to place managers. That’s an employment decision.

No. Position, pay, schedule, work environment... these are employment decisions.

Where to place managers...business decision.
 

Watchmen

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
No. Position, pay, schedule, work environment... these are employment decisions.

Where to place managers...business decision.
The law disagrees with you. Where a manager is placed is part of his/her position. Certainly in impact business too, but any business that places a manager in a particular location BECAUSE OF RACE will be liable for discrimination.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
How do we educate others that a sandwich tastes the same regardless of whether a black, white, or Hispanic person makes it, or whether a black, white, or Hispanic person supervises the team that makes it and serves them?
IMO, largely on how we react towards them ourselves, including in conversation. If someone we're talking with says something racist, how do we react? Ignore it? Get angry and lash out? Or maybe we can be more subtle and sorta indicate one way or the other that we don't approve of that kind of talk?

After all, "You can catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar".
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
The law disagrees with you. Where a manager is placed is part of his/her position.

Nope. As long as their position...i.e. assistant manager, co-manager, general manager, etc. doesn’t change and their rate of pay doesn’t change, it is not considered a change of employment status. Inter-store transfers are commonplace in the business and are legally considered business decisions, not employment decisions.
 
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