Opinion
PPS Deserves Support on MLC
“Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now”
B ERNIE F OSTER
Founder/Publisher
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Executive Editor
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M ONICA J. F OSTER
Seattle Office Coordinator
J ULIE K EEFE
S USAN F RIED
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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.