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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (June 4, 2014)
Opinion PPS Deserves Support on MLC “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now” B ERNIE F OSTER Founder/Publisher B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER Executive Editor J ERRY F OSTER Advertising Manager L ISA L OVING News Editor H ELEN S ILVIS Multimedia Editor D AVID K IDD Graphic Designer M ONICA J. F OSTER Seattle Office Coordinator J ULIE K EEFE S USAN F RIED Photographers The Skanner Newspaper, established in October 1975, is a weekly publica- tion, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc., 415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228. Telephone (503) 285-5555. E-mail: info@theskanner.com World Wide Web site: http://www.theskanner.com Fax: (503) 285-2900 The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ- ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re - spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. © 2014 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. To see The Skanner News on your smart phone go to theskannermobile.com or scan this QR code with your app. • • • • • • • • Local news Opinions Jobs, Bids Sports Entertainment Music reviews Bulletin board RSS feeds T he recent uproar concerning PPS Superintendent Carole Smith, and issues at the K- 12 school Metropolitan Learning Center, have once again brought race into the forefront of public discourse. As Socrates famously said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” If we are to acknowledge issues surrounding race, then we must not be afraid to examine them. To state the issue clearly: race matters. It matters in this city, our state, and in this country. However, it is the why and how, the outcomes of the fact that it does matter, that this con- versation must address. Fear of examination does not make the issue disappear. There is a reason why Oregon State Statute requires culturally competent healthcare. There is a reason why Oregon State Statute allows a legislator to request a racial equity impact statement for certain legislation. There is a rea- son why the City of Portland requires an equity impact assess- ment during its budget process. There is a reason why Multnomah County has an Equity Lens Tool. Equity is about focusing on out- comes, not intentions. Equity is a critical thinking exercise. Equity GUEST EDITORIAL is about being willing to have dif- ficult conversations because race matters. Race matters, therefore culture matters, and race and culture impact outcomes. In this country, the dominant culture and voice is male, white, heterosexual, and able-bodied. This is not an indict- expelled at significantly higher rates than their white counterparts for similar behaviors. Race mat- ters. Culture matters. The discussion surrounding MLC is about race and culture. The histo- ry and culture of MLC were mentioned in previous Oregonian articles as important aspects to the school, and MLC was described as being founded on a philosophy and practice of “open-minded- ness.” It “invited white and black students to enroll.” If that history is no longer the case, should it not be examined? Equity is about being willing to have difficult conversations because race matters ment, it is not a criticism. It is not calling everyone a racist, sexist, homophobe, or assuming every- one’s indifference as to the capabilities of people with disabil- ities. It is an observation based on examination. Across the country and in Port- land, children of color are disciplined, suspended and Black and White parents said that race is an issue at the school. Some said that it is an issue, but not really a big issue. This state- ment implies a luxury of not being a parent worried about whether their child should wear an afro to school, of being a parent not wor- ried about whether their child’s English is good enough to partici- pate, or not being assumed to be a relative of your child’s principal of color just because you are the same race. Race matters, and clearly is an issue at MLC. Superintendent Smith has shown the courage to say that it does matter, that it impacts our children, and it should be examined. We wholeheartedly concur. Sharon Gary-Smith, justice activist and foundation direc- tor Avel Gordly, retired Oregon State Senator Gloria Gostnell, retired Portland Public Schools principal Michael “Chappie” Grice, board member, National Council on Educating Black Children, and retired public educator Dante James, director, Office of Equity and Human Rights, City of Portland Judith Mowry, senior policy advi- sor, Office of Equity and Human Rights, City of Port- land Kathleen Saadat, retired City of Portland director and justice activist Diversity: Google Boldly Did the Right Thing L ast week, Google made the bold and necessary decision to release information about their employment diversity, detail- ing the race and gender makeup of its workforce, admitting in the words of Senior Vice President Laszlo Bock, “Google is not where we want to be when it comes to diversity and it’s hard to address these kinds of challenges if you’re not prepared to discuss them openly.” It is time for other Silicon Valley companies to follow Google’s lead. According to Mike Swift of the San Jose Mercury, leading tech firms – Apple, Oracle, Yahoo and Applied Materials – waged an 18- month fight against a freedom of information request for their workforce data, lobbying the Labor Department to treat it as a trade secret. But as Google’s figures – and those of Intel, which was the first to release its employment data – show, Silicon Valley has a big problem with equal opportuni- ty. And, as Bock states, you can’t fix what you won’t admit. You can’t face the truth that you hide from. And the problem is serious. Google reports that 83 percent of its tech workforce is male, as well as 79 percent of its leadership. Ninety-four percent of its tech workforce is White or Asian, with only 2 percent Hispanic and 1 per- cent Black. It starts at the top, where 95 percent of its leadership is White or Asian, with only 2 per- cent Black and 1 percent Hispanic. This lack of diversity – the absence of equal opportunity for women and minorities – is a big deal. These are, after all, the com- panies that are creating the Page 2 The Portland and Seattle Skanner June 4, 2014 R AINBOW / PUSH The Rev. Jesse Jackson inventions and the markets of the future. The area south of San Fran- cisco Bay is growing about twice as fast as the rest of the coun- try. Unemployment in the tech sector is down to 1-3 percent. leading it. Startups with diverse staffs are more likely to be suc- cessful, according to Fast Company, a business maga- zine.. Minorities and women are major users of social media, and purchasers of technology prod- ucts. Diverse companies are more likely to anticipate the needs and the desires of their customers. Other companies should now join Google and Intel and publish data on their workforce diversi- ty. This week, we will send the leading companies a letter request- ing action, and we’ll report on which respond and which do ‘As Google’s figures – and those of Intel, which was the first to release its employment data – show, Silicon Valley has a big problem with equal opportunity’ The companies argue that this isn’t about discrimination but about merit. But this is much more a case of an old boys’ net- work. Referrals play a major role in hiring, and they come from net- works dominated by White and Asian men. Pipelines are set up to draw from the old pool. Many of the Asians are from abroad, here on limited visas, allowing the companies to pay them less. The companies argue that this starts in college, with a mere 12 percent of computer science undergraduate degrees as major universities going to women. But that is less a reflection of the absence of talent, than the absence of outreach. Instead of resisting reform, these companies should be not. Once they fess up to the scope of the problem, the compa- nies should be creative and entrepreneurial in responding. They should pioneer new ways to encourage young women and minorities to get involved in computer science and engineering. They should reach out in recruitment, setting targets and timetables. Intern programs can offer women and minorities a way in. Let us not forget, more than half of the jobs in tech companies are not “science/engineering/tech related.” To say that potential tech workers must be rocket scien- tists is a diversion. They work in HR, finance, law, sales and mar- keting, administration – there is a huge talent pool that can and must be tapped. Blacks and people of color represent money, market tal- ent and location. Tech companies have resources, innovation and capital. There’s a basis for two way trade and a mutually benefi- cial, reciprocal relationship. And the companies should aggressively open up from the top down. Their boards are not com- posed of all tech people; they should be diverse. Their IPOS can be managed by diverse firms, not just the old White boy crowd. Their suppliers should be diverse. This month, Google will send representatives to the Rainbow Push national convention in Chicago to meet with presidents from historically Black colleges that teach computer science and engineering. Other companies should send representatives as well. Reaching out will inspire interest and help identify skilled future employees. By 2040, America will be a majority minority country. Polls show that this scares many Ameri- cans, but it should inspire, not scare tech companies. The cus- tomers of the future will be increasingly diverse. Companies should act aggressively now to insure that their workforce reflects the customers they are trying to reach. Google has joined Intel to break open the door. Now it is time for others to join them in striding through to a new day. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago- based Rainbow PUSH Coalition. You can keep up with his work at www.rainbowpush.org.
