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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2014)
4 July 22,2014 jtìortlanò (Obstruer Page 7 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Community Diversity training is a step we should embrace by R oy J ay M ost re c e n tly , there have been ar ticles and comments about Mayor Charlie Hales, C hief Police Mike Reese and other police offic ers attending a race diversity con ference for white men in Welches that cost an estimated $56,000. Now there two sides to this c o in . C ritic s c o m p la in th a t taxpayer’s m oney was spent for a few days to have a select group o f white m en, in a rem ote location, hear and feel the m essage o f being com fortable with diversity. On the other side, there are som e people o f color in an uproar as to why the conference only included white men. L et’s face facts, Portland and Oregon are known as the w hitest city and state on the west coast. It’s nothing to be asham ed about nor nothing to brag about. The secret here is how both public and private sector leadership know how to be inclusive rather than exclusive. But the demographics o f Port land and the en tire state is c h an g in g . T h is is not y o u r grandfather’s state. You c an ’t use the sam e m ethods in to d a y ’s game. By learning about diver sity, M ayor Hales, C hief Reese and others have taken some im portant steps in a journey that will help m ake our entire com m unity better. Many people do not realize that diversity in your w orkplace and neighborhoods affect you in many different ways. A well-known Port land law firm told me several years ago that one o f the reasons that they were able to land a huge national retailer Was sim ply be c a u se th e y h ad a d iv e rs e workforce including women, gay, lesbian, African Am erican and Latinos. They went beyond tradi tional “good faith” hiring efforts and decided to walk the walk and talk the talk. It paid o ff in big dividends. W hen strategic evaluators are looking at cities and regions for business expansion, investm ent and other opportunities they look far beyond the custom ary facts and figures. Is your com pany, your city, your organization a leader or a follow er? So let’s get back to the $56,000, a drop in the bucket and good investm ent for the future o f our com m unity. A fter all, I have seen charity g o lf tournam ents that cost five to ten tim es more with little if any benefit for the end user. A retreat to help you becom e a better leader and grasp issues o f race with a much clearer under standing and appreciation speaks volumes. Please do not think that C hief Reese and M ayor Hales are taking b o ld s te p s . S im p ly go to D iversitylnc.com and read the ar ticles entitled “Ask the W hite Guy.” This website, magazine and blog were started well over 30 years ago by a white guy who recog nized the need and benefit o f in clusion. He simply decided to take it to the next level and has millions o f readers and partners. It is im portant for everyone to try and have an understanding o f our neighbor’s culture. E veryday you need to put on a jacket to embrace others o f different gen ders, cultures and lifestyles. Portland is changing and the old system will kill us all and put us further behind other cities that are not drinking the same old Kool Aid. At the same tim e, hopefully, the next step is to have a diversity w orkshop retreat in which people o f color can also sit and becom e more informed and educated about how to live in a m ore harm onious atm osphere. This cannot be a one day street. A nyone that sim ply tells you that it’s all the w hite m an ’s fault has the same dumb m entality as the person that p o in ts to A frican A m ericans and Latinos and want to label them all as “ less than.” Yes, Portland has many Donald Sterlings in our community. They are in all colors, shapes and sizes. It is our community responsibility to help remove the cancer o f racism before it spreads to our children and grandchildren. A weekend retreat on diversity for city officials is just a start, but commended. Roy Jay is President and chief executive officer o f the African American Chamber o f Commerce as well as the Alliance of Minority Chambers. Struggle Bipartisan coming together for progress As co-sponsors o f the law, a bill ment, such as ex-offenders, youth advocated and championed by the who are in or have aged out o f the National Urban League, they helped foster care system and the long craft bi-partisan legislation that re term unemployed. sponds to the education, skills, and Passage o f this legislation repre employment needs o f millions o f sents a special victory for communi by M arc H. M orial individuals who are unemployed ties o f color where unemployment Just when it seemed or under-employed and face mul continues to outpace the national C o n g ress w as no tiple barriers to employment. average. In June, overall unemploy longer capable of work The advocacy work by the Na ment fell to 6.1 percent and the rate ing together on any tional Urban League and its affili forwhites is nowat 5.3 percent. But level to serve the best ates was the impetus for many o f African American unemployment interests o f the Ameri the local youth provisions that remains in double-digits at 10.7 per can people, on July 9 are part o f the law, as well as cent. The rate for Hispanics is 7.8 members ofboth parties in the House provisions for funding to non-profit percent. Most disturbingly, Afri o f Representatives joined forces to organizations that operate effective can American and Hispanic youth pass a new bipartisan jobs bill, the workforcetrainingprograms. These continue to experience extremely Workforce Innovation and Oppor include a focus on the needs of high rates o f unemployment. tunity Act. youth, aged 16-24, including high The jo b p ro v isio n s o f the With the passage o f this legisla school drop-outs, and individuals Workforce Innovation and Oppor tion, millions o f unemployed and with multiple barriers to employ tunity Act will help reduce youth under-employed workers and urban youth o f color can now receive the job and skills training, as well as the support services they need to chart Fill Out & Send To: a path to a better future. The vote in the House was 415-6. The Senate passed the bill in June with a 95-3 majority, and it is now headed to Attrr. Subscriptions, PO Box 3137, Portland OR 97208 President Obam a’s desk for sign $45.00 for 3 months • $80.00 for 6 mo. • $125.00 for 1 year ing. (please include check with this subscription form) The decade-plus struggle for C o n g ressio n al renew al o f the N ame : ____________ nation’s preeminentjob training leg islation was finally won thanks in T elephone : _____________ _____________ large part to the tenacity, commit A ddress : _________ ___________________ ment and leadership o f Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ofN ew York and Rep. Chaka Fattah o f Pennsylvania. 503-288-0033 O U U d lllU C ' Jiortlanh ©bsertter or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com X unem ploym ent, strengthen our economy and give millions ofyoung people o f color access to the educa tion and skills needed for success in work and in life. The legislation also comple ments the National Urban League’s extraordinary $ 100 million, five-year Jobs Rebuild America initiative, which is bringing together resources from the government, business and non-profit sectors to help bring jobs and hope back to hard-pressed com munities - reducing unemployment, creating jobs and expanding eco nomic opportunity in 50 communi ties throughout the nation. The reauthorization o f the law also a victory for bipartisanship and responsible government action, two things that have been lacking re cently in Washington. As President Obama commented, “Today’s vote helps ensure that our workers can earn the skills em ployers are looking for right now and that American businesses have the talent pool it takes to compete and win in our global economy. I look forward to signing it into law and hope Congress will continue to come together to make progress for America’s working families.” We intend to keep up the fight to see that they do. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer o f the Na tional Urban League. THE LAW OFFICES OF Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd, Portland, Oregon Portland: (503) 244-2080 Hillsoboro: (503)244-2081 Facsimile: (503) 244-2084 Email: Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com
