Job Fair for "People of Color"

[dguy4evr]

Two questions here regarding the Job Fair for "People of Color" held in Detroit: http://www.mbkalliance.org/

1. What exactly is a person "of color"?
2. If this means non whites how is this any different than a job fair for
"Whites Only"?

I thought we were moving past discriminatory practices like this. If a white person attended this fair would his resume be treated as fairly as a "person of color"? I do not consider myself a racist so please do not label me as such. I only want thoughts from both sides of this issue.

[dtowncitylover]

Ok, so I'm not going to label you a racist but will in fact applaud you for asking questions instead of berating the event.

A person of color is a blanket term for those in most minority communities and usually applies to blacks and Hispanics, though can also mean native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islander/Hawaiians.

I've never heard of a "whites only" job fair, but I have heard of decades long discrimination against minority communities trying to get into the working/business world above an entry level/bottom shelf pay grade. I have also seen the statistics where the unemployment rates of black and Hispanics is double and even triple of that of their white counterparts.

I have also heard the bias against "black names". This is where men and women with "black sounding" names are continually passed over for candidates with more traditional names.

I don't see how this is discriminatory because as I white person, I know I am blessed that I don't need my own job fairs because the system was built for me. I don't think they want their own job fairs either.

I recommend the documentary "13th" on Netflix to everyone.

[Jimaz]

... I don't see how this is discriminatory because as I white person, ....

I don't see how this is discriminatory because I couldn't find where whites are explicitly excluded.

Does it say "whites need not apply" somewhere?

[dguy4evr]

I don't see how this is discriminatory because I couldn't find where whites are explicitly excluded.

Does it say "whites need not apply" somewhere?

Thanks for the input, this is what we need to be doing. I am asking for dialog on this subject. This is all about perception. This could be perceived as discriminatory only because of the phrase, "People of Color". My point is, if a job fair was posted as, " 'White Job Fair' " I think there would be total outrage from the, "People of Color".
Why not have a, "Detroit Only Job Fair"? I'm sure there are whites in Detroit that are in the same boat as the people of color.
Hope I'm making sense and not stirring the pot.
I would love to hear from someone that attends this fair.

[belleislerunner]

Open a box of Crayola crayons and if you see your color - you're a person of color.

I'm white and call myself a person of color. Feel free to do the same.

[dtowncitylover]

I don't see how this is discriminatory because I couldn't find where whites are explicitly excluded.

Does it say "whites need not apply" somewhere?

LOL Yes that's true too.

Dguy4ever, this is sponsored by a nationwide organization that seeks to help men of color get into the workforce and lead productive lives instead of becoming part of the school to prison pipeline.

Alot of white people bitch about "absent black fathers" and "personal responsibility" among the black community so when things like this appear they bitch that it's racist. That's not towards you dguy, because you at least want to understand.

And again a "White Job Fair" would never happen because whites have traditionally controlled the economy and therefore never needed to fight to get into the working world. I would be outraged if there was a "white job fair" because we don't need it.

[dtowncitylover]

Open a box of Crayola crayons and if you see your color - you're a person of color.

I'm white and call myself a person of color. Feel free to do the same.

Wow. And that's all I need to know about you.

While race is a social construct, it's a lot more complex than a box of crayons.

[Bham1982]

This is obviously a job fair for young black men, which, last I checked, have terrible workforce participation.

Yeah, I'm sure whites are welcome too, but the fair is specifically targeting a particular underrepresented segment of the workforce.

[Scottathew]

My father, who is white, worked at a machine shop in Troy. The shop owner, over decades of operation, never employed one black person. This was because he hated black people.

Racism still exists. It still prevents minorities from getting jobs in some situations. Combine the reality of the present with the history of the past and it's not too hard to see why organizations need to exist to help the interests of minorities.

[belleislerunner]

At the end of the day - it's no different than a job fair for engineering majors at Lawrence Tech. It's not saying that other majors don't deserve job fairs, or employment opportunities, that specific event is focused on a specific major.

This job fair is focused on underemployed or historically underrepresented applicants and seeking to give them employment opportunities. The more people who get jobs, whatever their pigmentation, is a net win for Detroit and the region.

[dguy4evr]

My father, who is white, worked at a machine shop in Troy. The shop owner, over decades of operation, never employed one black person. This was because he hated black people.

Racism still exists. It still prevents minorities from getting jobs in some situations. Combine the reality of the present with the history of the past and it's not too hard to see why organizations need to exist to help the interests of minorities.

I get all this, I know that racism still exists. And it is because of the racist attitudes of some in the metro area that I am wondering if the language could be more PC and therefor not be inflammatory. I have talked about this to no end and it's always the same with some people they view this as exclusive and racist.
Anyone have any ideas as to how this fair announcement could be better worded?

There is this perception among whites that they have to tread very lightly as to any mention of people of color. Including labeling African Americans. Should they be called Blacks, Negros, or African Americans? The PC term seems to change constantly.

Please give some input without racist rants.

[Hermod]

Anyone have any ideas as to how this fair announcement could be better worded?

Upward Mobility Job Fair?

Job Fair for the Under-employed?

Detroit Futures Job Fair?

[dtowncitylover]

Upward Mobility Job Fair?

Job Fair for the Under-employed?

Detroit Futures Job Fair?

"Pathways to Success: Boys and Young Men of Color Opportunity Summit" works just fine.

I don't understand why white people are so defensive when stuff like this happens. It's a job fair. Be happy for these guys.

[southen]

There is this perception among whites that they have to tread very lightly as to any mention of people of color. Including labeling African Americans. Should they be called Blacks, Negros, or African Americans? The PC term seems to change constantly.

Uhhh as a white person dating an African American woman with a diverse group of friends I have never had this problem of changing terms. What is the context? I can't for the life of me see someone I know being offended by someone referring to their group as African Americans. I can however see someone being offended by Blacks [[see Trump) or being called Negros. I think common sense reigns supreme in this case.

There is nothing inflammatory about this job fair. Instead of labeling a fair for people of color as racist it might be better to look at a country with a history of racism and ask yourself why the unemployment rate affects people of color at a disproportionate rate than those who are white? Why is it that it is tougher for people who don't have caucasian looking names to climb the corporate ladder despite being just as qualified? That is the racism that needs to be addressed, not the name of a fair whose apparent goals are to address such inequalities. I think you might be barking up the wrong tree.

[Wesley Mouch]

LOL Yes that's true too.

Dguy4ever, this is sponsored by a nationwide organization that seeks to help men of color get into the workforce and lead productive lives instead of becoming part of the school to prison pipeline.
...snip...

I get that distinction -- but a 'job fair' is quite different from hosting targeted employment training and counselling.

At job fairs, you offer jobs. Not offering jobs to everyone is discrimination. I don't see how it can be viewed any other way.

Encouraging POC attendance is a great idea -- and I think you can do a lot to encourage POC to attend short of discouraging white participation.

There are plenty of whites that need jobs, too. And if you don't think they feel left out of the current job market, you might want to view the election results.

[southen]

Just so we are clear, Detroit is often used as the poster child for crime and a terrible education system and how it impacts young African Americans. We are always looking for solutions to help the community and make sure our young people don't get left behind or fall into a life of crime... We have one in the form of a job fair focused on a struggling group in the city and the reaction is "What about the white people?"

[Scottathew]

There is this perception among whites that they have to tread very lightly as to any mention of people of color. Including labeling African Americans. Should they be called Blacks, Negros, or African Americans? The PC term seems to change constantly.

I'm white and I don't feel that way.

There are two generally accepted ways to refer to race when its needed, "black" and "African-American". I've found that in nearly all occasions neither term is needed.

[belleislerunner]

My guess is "white people" get defensive about it because you tend to hear the "racist" label applied to white people more often than any other color group.

So they begin to think - I shouldn't be racist. I shouldn't focus on race. I should be colorblind. I should judge someone not based on the color of their skin but by the content of their character. So they try to think like that.

And then they see advertisements and job fairs that appear to be based on the color of someone's skin. Or a certain percentage of jobs/services billed to minority vendors.

And they get confused. Do you want to notice/be judged on race or not?

Hence the original OP's question.

[dtowncitylover]

My guess is "white people" get defensive about it because you tend to hear the "racist" label applied to white people more often than any other color group.

So they begin to think - I shouldn't be racist. I shouldn't focus on race. I should be colorblind. I should judge someone not based on the color of their skin but by the content of their character. So they try to think like that.

And then they see advertisements and job fairs that appear to be based on the color of someone's skin. Or a certain percentage of jobs/services billed to minority vendors.

And they get confused. Do you want to notice/be judged on race or not?

Hence the original OP's question.

No, being "colorblind" is just as harmful as being overtly racist. Why? Because if you see everyone one way, you are not recognizing the problems that might persist within their community. How do solve unique problems in certain communities if you don't recognize who they are? If there's high unemployment amongst black and Hispanic youths, then yes a job fair targeted towards blacks and Hispanics is a great thing and addresses the problem.

This is the problem with "All Lives Matter". All lives do matter however historically speaking black lives have always mattered less because of the system's treatment of them. That's why "black lives matter" because they do, not because white people's don't.

[Jerry Van]

I don't see how this is discriminatory because I couldn't find where whites are explicitly excluded.

Does it say "whites need not apply" somewhere?

Well, then why would it be defined as being for "People of Color" if it were not meant to differentiate people of that persuasion, from those known
commonly as "white"? Of course it's discriminatory. Do you really believe for one second that if I, a white guy, were to attend this job fair, that not one person would, at the very least, question my eligibility???

It's as if I were to start an organization named the National Association for the Advancement of White People.... then claim that "people of color" are not excluded. How many white girls do you see in the Miss Black America pageant? Not that they'd be excluded..... would they? Who are you kidding?

[dtowncitylover]

Well, then why would it be defined as being for "People of Color" if it were not meant to differentiate people of that persuasion, from those known
commonly as "white"? Of course it's discriminatory. Do you really believe for one second that if I, a white guy, were to attend this job fair, that not one person would, at the very least, question my eligibility???

It's as if I were to start an organization named the National Association for the Advancement of White People.... then claim that "people of color" are not excluded. How many white girls do you see in the Miss Black America pageant? Not that they'd be excluded..... would they? Who are you kidding?

How is it discriminatory when white people have CONTROLLED the the United States economy and business sector for the past 240 years?! And for the first 80 years of our nation used free black labor to succeed at it!!

There is no Nat. Assoc. for the Advancement of White People because whites, as a whole demographic, have been able to succeed in America because the system is built for whites to have power.

This entire thread is white privilege, because instead of being thankful you don't need separate job fairs, a national association, or FFS a beauty pagaent [[never mind Miss America is chock full of black women but GOD FORBID people dare celebrate black beauty!!!), you want to gripe on those who do need such things because...?

[canuck]

No, being "colorblind" is just as harmful as being overtly racist. Why? Because if you see everyone one way, you are not recognizing the problems that might persist within their community. How do solve unique problems in certain communities if you don't recognize who they are? If there's high unemployment amongst black and Hispanic youths, then yes a job fair targeted towards blacks and Hispanics is a great thing and addresses the problem.

This is the problem with "All Lives Matter". All lives do matter however historically speaking black lives have always mattered less because of the system's treatment of them. That's why "black lives matter" because they do, not because white people's don't.

So true. That is why the Affirmative Action programme was well phrased a long time ago.

It should be viewed as a supplemental tool for the community. If your doctor tells you you are diabetic and you need insulin, are you then going to tell him why not give your wife and kids the same if they don't need it.

[canuck]

How is it discriminatory when white people have CONTROLLED the the United States economy and business sector for the past 240 years?! And for the first 80 years of our nation used free black labor to succeed at it!!

There is no Nat. Assoc. for the Advancement of White People because whites, as a whole demographic, have been able to succeed in America because the system is built for whites to have power.

This entire thread is white privilege, because instead of being thankful you don't need separate job fairs, a national association, or FFS a beauty pagaent [[never mind Miss America is chock full of black women but GOD FORBID people dare celebrate black beauty!!!), you want to gripe on those who do need such things because...?

How about the dame in W Va that welcomed the grace and beauty if the new First Lady over Michelle Obama; the"Ape in Heels". This is 2016 My friends,.. Really F...up

[belleislerunner]

Everyone has the choice to wake up each morning and choose their attitude to be either a victim mentality or choose to be an overcomer mindset? Why would you choose to be a victim?

That choice determines your destiny.

Stop making excuses for your life and change the outcome. You'll never convince an overcomer to be a victim. Or sympathize with a victim mentality. It's a poor choice.

Nothing is more annoying to an overcomer than blame or excuses. They're just broadcasting bad behavior.

[dguy4evr]

How is it discriminatory when white people have CONTROLLED the the United States economy and business sector for the past 240 years?! And for the first 80 years of our nation used free black labor to succeed at it!!

There is no Nat. Assoc. for the Advancement of White People because whites, as a whole demographic, have been able to succeed in America because the system is built for whites to have power.

This entire thread is white privilege, because instead of being thankful you don't need separate job fairs, a national association, or FFS a beauty pagaent [[never mind Miss America is chock full of black women but GOD FORBID people dare celebrate black beauty!!!), you want to gripe on those who do need such things because...?

So much for establishing a non inflammatory dialog. Have at it folks, sorry I brought this up.