Its Friday lets work our brains a little
Valerie Jarrett leads Barack Obama's influential black advisers
A close friend and confidant of the US President-elect known as "Obama's big sister" is leading a new generation of affluent blacks preparing to ride to power in Washington on the back of his election victory.
So I gave you the above article yesterday and I want to talk about it today. I guess the thing that I find most troubling is that somehow many people believe if the Obama administration is majority black or minority that it is somehow favoritism.
After all no one ever thinks that when an administration is majority white. The thing is that in this country whites are a quickly shrinking majority and secondly jobs in an administration have to do with your affiliation.
As a black graduate from a top tier school (not quite Ivy but one that has the nickname of Harvard of the South) I know there are enough blacks to fill many of the post in the administration and do the job well. As the article says there are tons of black professional groups and alumni associations, especially at schools like Harvard and Stanford. I have a few friends who are graduates of those school professional school who say the alumni associations are the real deal.
The thing is, I don't beleive that Obama plans on a majority black administration, but I do believe if he did whites would assume favoritism which bothers me somehow. I mean before Clinton and W one would be hard pressed to find color in the white house staff except for roles that were historically black. However no one in America ever even question if there were qualified blacks, browns, and women out there.
Some people will say well the country is only 10% black on average, but really I think its more when you add in mixed raced folks who can now claim other. And even so I've worked in a place and been the only one and well that isn't reflective of the country's mix.
Anyway what do you think? Do you think its fair? I mean white people are always complaining about how blacks should suck it up and how affirmative action is not needed, but now it seems that they may be the victims of unfairness, now its a problem. Minorities and women have been crying foul for years and been told suck it up. But now when the numbers or appoints could not be in their favor whites cry unfairness.
Like I said I beleive there are enough black and brown folks to run the administration well. What say you ?
Be EZ,
OG
A close friend and confidant of the US President-elect known as "Obama's big sister" is leading a new generation of affluent blacks preparing to ride to power in Washington on the back of his election victory.
So I gave you the above article yesterday and I want to talk about it today. I guess the thing that I find most troubling is that somehow many people believe if the Obama administration is majority black or minority that it is somehow favoritism.
After all no one ever thinks that when an administration is majority white. The thing is that in this country whites are a quickly shrinking majority and secondly jobs in an administration have to do with your affiliation.
As a black graduate from a top tier school (not quite Ivy but one that has the nickname of Harvard of the South) I know there are enough blacks to fill many of the post in the administration and do the job well. As the article says there are tons of black professional groups and alumni associations, especially at schools like Harvard and Stanford. I have a few friends who are graduates of those school professional school who say the alumni associations are the real deal.
The thing is, I don't beleive that Obama plans on a majority black administration, but I do believe if he did whites would assume favoritism which bothers me somehow. I mean before Clinton and W one would be hard pressed to find color in the white house staff except for roles that were historically black. However no one in America ever even question if there were qualified blacks, browns, and women out there.
Some people will say well the country is only 10% black on average, but really I think its more when you add in mixed raced folks who can now claim other. And even so I've worked in a place and been the only one and well that isn't reflective of the country's mix.
Anyway what do you think? Do you think its fair? I mean white people are always complaining about how blacks should suck it up and how affirmative action is not needed, but now it seems that they may be the victims of unfairness, now its a problem. Minorities and women have been crying foul for years and been told suck it up. But now when the numbers or appoints could not be in their favor whites cry unfairness.
Like I said I beleive there are enough black and brown folks to run the administration well. What say you ?
Be EZ,
OG
Comments
You know how it is...think of all those years Blacks were saying how the judicial system was a joke and our complaints fell on deaf ears...and then OJ (first time around) happened. OMG...all of a sudden it was an outrage. All of a sudden whites found that perhaps juries were not always impartial. Things just HAD to change!!! So I'm not surprised at all that this would be a concern. They are going to spin this any way they can to cast him in an unfavorable light.
"However, the jobs that they do get will not be the "historically conventional" ones that blacks have been given, such as urban development or civil rights, said Mrs Jarrett."
In other words, no more token jobs but real and influential appointments.
Obama's constituents have just as much right to be appointed a cabinet position as the man that headed George Bush's vice presidential search team. That man eventually picked himself, and did so without controversy.
For years appointments and promotions have been made from secluded and segregated golf courses. Now they'll be made from the basketball court. SWISH!
SLC
He will hire the best and the brightest because these are the people he attracts. I don't think we'll see a Black "dominated" Obama cabinet because that isn't what he's about.
I also feel alot of this is fear of some so-called "backlash" and that's ridiculous. Why the fear? Because there is an understanding that equality has still not been achieved on the whole in this nation.
But some whites & non-whites are very upset of this election, but it speaks clearly that people are TIRED of this color crap. I was speaking to a mother on the phone at work about her child & she gave props to Obama's win. I concurred & she said that she knew some of "us" that went in & voted for the other candidate.
I'm not shocked to hear of it, but you are just gonna have those that believe what they want & you'll just never please the masses.
Thanks for working your brains today!!
-OG