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