Blacks CONTRIBUTE to Corporate Racism?
In the midst of all that is going on and FINALLY having a stage and a platform to discuss issues of racism in the industry, I’m sure that title knocked you for a loop but truth be told quite often we have contributed to the problem instead of helping to solve it. Here are the 6 reasons:
Ignore it until it happens to us
There is not a black person who works in the industry that can say that they have not come up against some kind of racism during their careers. It simply exists in ALL corporations but it’s a sad day when WE contribute to the problem for several reasons but mostly only caring about our own personal benefit. See the examples below. (click NEXT below to see the next reason Blacks Contribute to Corporate Racism)
Don’t support Organizations fighting for us
Blacks CONTRIBUTE to Corporate Racism? There are those are victims of discrimination who are sitting back and waiting to see what organizations like the Black Media Alliance will do about their racial discrimination problems. They will do absolutely NOTHING. They will not provide information that will help the alliance, they will not make donations that will help the organization with gas, writing letters and hiring people part-time and they will reap the benefits of the alliances’ success without doing one thing to help then call the organizations to the carpet if they make any kind of profit.
Complain, Complain, Complain and NOTHING ELSE
Blacks CONTRIBUTE to Corporate Racism? We can’t tell you how many emails we’ve gotten to fight everything from racism to homophobia at corporations to the misogyny of women. These are all valid complaints but the best way to get rid of these people is to ask ‘What black organizations have you made financial contributions to?’
Blacks who Sabotage the Efforts of Black Organizations for Personal Reasons
Blacks CONTRIBUTE to Corporate Racism? The saddest kind of black corporate employee is the one who doesn’t think he’s “black” because he has a great job. He is the one that will shut down any efforts by black organizations to impress his white boss who is well aware that he is disconnected from black people for his own professional growth. It very well may be the reason that he or she was chosen for the job.
Perhaps he was bullied in school by other black kids or he was an outcast with thick glasses and/or he was poor. No question growing up in the hood is not for the meek. Most black people learn to fight back and eventually get over it but others carry that burden for the rest of their lives making ALL black people pay for what has happened to them.
Stand by the Corporation’s “Dangling Carrot”
One particular station was using a part-time swing shift black person to communicate with (our organization) Black Media Alliance. I can understand he is thinking that he might be promoted if he is the peacekeeper but truth be told he is being used by the management at the station.
The Black Media Alliance is not a group of Apes that calm down when you put on music. A black person, with a ton of experience, probably more than some of the 13 white men working on the air, only holding a swing shift position is not impressive it’s a damn shame. I sincerely doubt the station’s management will promote this black man and even if they do, once things calm down they will find a reason to fire him. To take a quote from the Matrix… “Welcome… to the REAL world.”
Crooked black organizations/Greed
When we had the problem with racism at a radio corporation in the early 90s we went to two “respected” organizations for help. One I will not mention because I like what the current administration is doing and the other I don’t have to mention because it will be quite obvious to industry people, it was a black industry magazine. We told them both our problems and they acted like they were really going to help us (we were young and green). The organization and the magazine went to the station and talked to the late GM and the organization got sponsored breakfasts for a few months from the station and the magazine got their pool party sponsored at one of their (last) conferences in LA.
We were used and kicked to the curb and neither the organization nor the magazine called us back. That was when I started Digital and Radio Facts Magazine because I realized the power of the press and I committed to being an activist for minorities in the industry who could not fight for themselves from that day on.
