I don't know how you feel about it - but me, when I hear my colleagues say "qualified minorities" I want to go into a real hizzy-fit. What the hell does that mean? Does that mean that ONLY minorities need to be qualified to be considered? More than not, it means that if you are a minority - and specifically AFRICAN-AMERICAN - you have to be over qualified to be considered! You have to literally WALK ON WATER!

As far as I'm concerned this is a "qualifier" used to maintain the status quo of discrimination, racism, and sexism not only in the workplace but in just about every aspect of our lives. Just look at what's happening in the Democratic Presidential campaign with the two front runners.

So, here's what we have. A white woman whose qualifications are never questioned. A white man whose qualifications are never questioned. And a Black man whose qualifications are always questioned. Now, aren't all three of them attorneys? Are all three of them current or former members of the US Senate? OK - Obama is younger and was never the First Lady of a State or the United States; and he has yet to be donned a Vice Presidential candidate - but does that make him less qualified to be the Presidential Nominee of the Democratic Party? Or President of the United States? It would be interesting to know what "qualifiers" would be used if Barack was not African-American.

I don't know, but I just get tired of the continued use of buzz words and phrases that are used to make our lives in the workplace more difficult. But, I do know this - in the event that Barack gets the nomination, he damn sure better win the White House because if he doesn't , the Democrats will say "we tried to hire a black - but he just didn't work out." If he gets in his ratings go even lower than our current President's - Lord Forbid - then America will no doubt say "See! Told you America wasn't ready for a Black President!" And if that happens and you think your workplace is bad now - JUST WAIT!! > > >SjP's truth continues

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Summary: After airing a video clip of Sen. Hillary Clinton talking about "gender equality" during a Democratic presidential candidates debate, MSNBC host Tucker Carlson stated: "It takes a lot of guts for a rich, privileged white lady who is one of the most powerful people in the world to claim that she is a victim of gender discrimination."

On the January 22 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, host Tucker Carlson responded to a video clip of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) speaking about "gender equality" during the January 21 Democratic presidential candidates debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, by stating, "It takes a lot of guts for a rich, privileged white lady who is one of the most powerful people in the world to claim that she is a victim of gender discrimination." Carlson then asked his guest, former White House counsel Lanny Davis, "Can you believe she said that?" In the clip, Clinton stated: We obviously still have problems of gender equality. You know, equal pay is not yet equal.

View the clip obtained from Media Matters for America > > >SjP's truth continues

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Did you know that your salary is nearly as much on average as your white counterparts! Girl, you are really doing it! According to this week's report of earnings - we only make $100 less than white women. That ain't bad!!! Now of course, our brothers did not do as well this quarter as they make about $200 less than their counterparts.

The statistics are amazing if not dreadful! Its hard to believe that a white man makes damn near as much money on average as a Black couple. According to the report, White men earn about $800 per week. Black men earn about $600 and Black women earn just over $500 weekly. Now that adds up to $1100 a week, just $300 less than what a white male earns by himself. And if that white man is married to a white woman - well they're bringing home - on average 1400 *#*#* dollars per week! Somethings wrong with that picture!

Now think about it. How much do the white counterparts with whom you work make? If you're world is like mine - you probably bring home a nice chunk of change - but your counterpart is probably bringing home a nice bundle of dollars! And I bet she's either younger, less experienced, and less educated than you are!

Anyway - here's an excerpt from the article regarding the report. The link to the article is below as well as the link to the full governmental report.

Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $599 per week, 74.9 percent of the median for white men ($800). The difference was less among women, as black women's median earnings ($539) were 85.3 percent of those for their white counterparts ($632). Overall, median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($507) were lower than those of blacks ($574), whites ($722) and Asians ($856).


Article
Report

And Asians make more money than everybody! Maybe we should have gone into the nail and hair business!

Holla Back! > > >SjP's truth continues

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Despite decades of civil-rights progress, workers’ complaints are rising

Many of us are marveling at how seemingly far our society has come given a man with an African American heritage is being considered a serious candidate for president. But in the workplace, attitudes toward many black workers are anything but inspiring.

Racial harassment is up to record levels in offices and factories across the country, and we’re not talking just the use of the “N” word. Racist graffiti, Klu Klux Klan propaganda and even physical threats including the display of hangman’s nooses are included among the intimidation tools.

“It is shocking that such egregious and unlawful conduct toward African American employees is still occurring, even increasing, in the 21st century workplace, more than 40 years after enactment of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964,” says David Grinberg, spokesman for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, also known as the EEOC.

Full article
By Eve Tahmincioglu MSNBC contributor
updated 6:24 p.m. PT, Sun., Jan. 13, 2008

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The sixth annual “Black Women on Wall Street” event, held June 19 at Merrill Lynch headquarters in New York City, attracted top African-American women in the financial services industry to discuss career strategies for advancement to the corporate boardroom. Co-sponsored by Merrill Lynch and the Executive Leadership Council, a nonprofit leadership organization for senior level African-American executives in the Fortune 500, the event attracted about 350 minority women professionals. Merrill Lynch chairman and CEO Stan O'Neal – a member of the Executive Leadership Council – offered the opening words and reiterated his company’s commitment to diversity, and then noting the power of networking as a “key element of success for all executives, but especially for women of color.”

Full article
Published: September 12, 2007 in Knowledge@Emory > > >SjP's truth continues

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NPR Tell Me More
January 7, 2008

White women are making far greater strides in the workplace than their African-American female counterparts, according to a recent report. Denise Beckles, a corporate diversity educator, is joined by Cynthia Good, CEO and co-owner of Pink magazine, and Carol Evans, CEO and president of Working Mother Media, to discuss how to level the playing field.

Entire NPR Broadcast > > >SjP's truth continues

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Sojourner's Place participates in the following weekly or periodic memes.

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As the think tank for the Afrosphere, the AfroSpear is a collective of black bloggers from around the world who convene online to discuss, strategize, and develop solutions to problems affecting people of the African Diaspora. Each blogger brings a constituency of readers that stretches around the globe, many of whom are activists in their own local communities. Through the convergence of mutual interests, AfroSpear bloggers are able to organize and mobilize their constituents to take action in bringing these issues to national and international attention.

The AfroSpear is a national and international group of Black self-determination bloggers collectively using their blogs and influence to improve the lives of Blacks politically, socially, economically, culturally, and even spiritually. AfroSpear bloggers use their blogs and their voices in various different ways, depending upon their expertise and preferences, to promote the goals of the AfroSpear.

The AfroSpear maintains a highly credible and effective advocacy voice for Black people that is heard loudly, clearly and influentially throughout the Diaspora. The AfroSpear does not discriminate on the basis of national origin, religion, gender, sexual preference, native language, ethnicity or disability, but its members are Black bloggers who are prepared and determined to consistently use their AfroSpear blogs and their voices in a collaborative AfroSpear effort to pursue the political, economic, social, cultural and even spiritual improvement of the lives of Black people throughout the Diaspora.

The AfroSpear only moves on a campaign when there is a unanimous agreement. In lieu of a unanimous agreement, offshoot efforts, such as the Afrosphere Action Coalition come together to take action on pressing issues. The AAC has come together for campaigns such as the Jena 6 March in 2007, and the 'Hillary Concede Now' campaign in 2008 to name a few.

The Afrosphere/AfroSpear has been cited 93 times in the media from 2007- to early 2008. A special blog dedicated to keeping track of these references.

Read the History of the AfroSpear

AfroSpear Membership



Speak the Truth!

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Much obliged for checking out the SjP Original Recipe Menu.

"Slave" Narratives

The "Slave" Narratives was intended to be weekly open thread where you can come and discuss, holler, scream, and rejoice about your experiences on "your side of the plantation" (translation: working while Black; Black in the workplace; etc.). Might see this on the menu again - but, this is kind of like cooking chitlins...love 'em but just don't have the time or inclination to clean 'em.

Ain't I a Woman Salute

Never know when this menu favorite might be served up real special for you. Its a series of posts that present an African-American woman whose greatness and impact was or is largely overlooked by the history books or media. I hope you will find this series to be enlightening, educational, and inspirational in celebration of the lives of African-American women who made and are making a difference.

Emblem of the Helping Hand
Can never say thank you too much or too often. So each time old SjP reaches a "blogging milestone" this dish is served up especially for those you helped me get there. Just my way of serving up a whole lot of "Much Obliged and Paying it Forward".

Some Things on My Mind

This SjP Special Stew puts it all out there in one single post. Cause sometimes one post just won't allow me to speak my mind or use all of my spices!

Black and Missing Wordless Wednesdays

This weekly special is a reminder to us all that there are Black-folks who go missing, too. Got a special seat reserved for Nancy Grace each week - but, she ain't come by yet.

Sunday Inspirations
This here is another weekly special started right here at Sojourner's Place. Created for my very own Mother, Sunday Inspirations is a week meme that anyone can participate in. It's served up "family-style" for those of us needing an extra helping get us through the week ahead, the trials we may face, and yes, to say Thank Ya and testify!

You might want to check this menu out from time to time, cause you just never know what old SjP might be cookin' up.

Obliged to you for hearing me,
and now old SjP ain't got nothin' more to say...
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
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Join the International Campaign to

Fight Against these Effigies of Racial Hatred!

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They take my kindness for weakness. They take my silence for speechless. They consider my uniqueness strange. They call my language slang. They see my confidence as conceit. They see my mistakes as defeat. They consider my success accidental. They minimize my intelligence to "potential". My questions mean "I'm unaware". My advancement is somehow unfair. Any praise is preferential treatment. To voice concern is discontentment. If I stand up for myself, I'm too defensive. If I don't trust them, I'm too apprehensive. I'm defiant if I separate. I'm fake if I assimilate. Yet, constantly I am faced with work place hate. My character is constantly under attack. Pride for my race makes me, "TOO BLACK".

Yet, I can only be me. And, who am I you ask?

I am that Strong Black Person [Woman]. Who stands on the backs of my ancestor's achievements, with an erect spine pointing to the stars with pride, dignity and lets the work place in America know, that I not only ability to play by the rules, but I can make them as well!

Black History 365
~Arthur Unknown ~ > > >SjP's truth continues

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