Job seekers face a racial divide (Charlotte, Raleigh: unemployment rate, weddings, high school)

[urbancharlotte]

Originally Posted by mieux

Would you mind sharing what position this black, former Burger King worker was given over your college educated wife? What else do you know about this person's background? You certainly don't need to give details like the company name, but I would love to know what type of position it was. I've heard countless people claim that black people have been given jobs for which they are woefully unqualified simply because they're black, but I can't say that I've ever actually come across a real life example of it.

I've never seen a black fast food worker (nor a fast food worker of any other race) jump from working in a McDonald's drive through to working in corporate America as a project manager the next day. I've never seen a black janitor (nor a janitor of any other race) go from mopping floors on Friday to sitting in a board meeting on Monday. I have simply never witnessed anything remotely like that. Have I seen people who have been hired into positions that they clearly weren't ready to handle or that wasn't a good fit? Yep, and those people come in all races. That's why people of all races get fired, or resign and move on to something that's better for them. Everything isn't for everybody, and sometimes things don't work out. But I've never seen anyone who had absolutely no qualifications or completely lacking the necessary skill set for a "professional" position just get handed that kind of job all willy nilly.

So I'm just wondering where are all of these unqualified black folks landing these fantastic jobs that are supposedly above them? It seems to me that a lot of people will look at a person and assume that they don't look like the type to hold a certain position, and subsequently they start making assumptions like the person couldn't possibly have gotten the job based on merit alone. Clearly somebody had a quota to meet. It reminds of the people who go around crying that "illegals" are taking all of the good jobs from Americans. But I've never seen a single "illegal" working in a job that most Americans would want. And I've never had to compete with an "illegal" for any job I've ever had. I think it makes some people feel better about themselves to say these types of things...Blacks only get jobs because of affirmative action, most of them aren't qualified for the positions they hold, Mexicans are stealing all the jobs from hardworking Americans, and other random foolishness. But just saying something does not make it true. And I find it more than a little ironic that more often than not these comments come from people who love to claim that others are always playing the blame game.

Good post. Also, many folks are simply regurgitating information handed down to them by certain media outlets.

[Big Aristotle]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

Good post. Also, many folks are simply regurgitating information handed down to them by certain media outlets.

To heavens Betsie, I wonder how all of these undereducated and unqualified whites get certain jobs and promoted....no way... that doesn't happen.

[NDAlum]

Originally Posted by Big Aristotle

To heavens Betsie, I wonder how all of these undereducated and unqualified whites get certain jobs and promoted....no way... that doesn't happen.

Obama’s DOJ Forcing Dayton, Ohio Police Department to lower test scores for African-Americans recruits | Scotty Starnes's Blog

I'm not saying it happens all the time, but it does happen. I'm sure there is an article out there that shows the same thing for white people, so go ahead and post it if you please.

[rdub1968]

The DMV and Time Warner Cable customer service offices are a great example of incompetent people being hired, black or white. Same with the TSA.

[urbancharlotte]

Originally Posted by NDAlum

I'm sure there is an article out there that shows the same thing for white people, so go ahead and post it if you please.

Here is a recent article (MUCH closer to home) that shows just how colorblind poverty, unemployment, and lack of an education really is...

More than 20 percent of children in the region live in poverty...
For Catawba County, that means 22,457 people in 2009 were living below the poverty level. Across the four-county area, 57,208 below the poverty level, according to the data. The federal poverty guideline for a family of four is $22,050 a year...
The Greater Hickory Metro area ranked last in the state in educational attainment, Dellinger said. Of those living in poverty, 24.9 percent didn’t graduate from high school, while 2.8 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher, Dellinger said...

Poverty increasing at alarming rate in Greater Hickory area | Hickory Daily Record (http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2011/aug/21/poverty-increasing-greater-hickory-area-alarming-r-ar-1319919/ - broken link)
Poverty on the rise in Hickory region | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/22/2545181/poverty-on-the-rise-in-hickory.html - broken link)

Here are the demographics for Catawba county...

White persons 81.7%
Black persons 8.4%
American Indian 0.3%
Asian persons 3.5%
Hispanic 8.4%
Catawba County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

On a more personal level, my wife did lose a part time job here in Charlotte due to her race. We don't know this for an absolute fact, but the evidence was without a doubt unambiguous. Basically, a new lead nurse (of a certain race) took over the floor of a certain nursing home here in Charlotte (I won't name the place). That lead nurse let go all of the LPNs and most of the CNAs (that were not of her race) within 4 months of taking the job. Word is that those LPNs and CNAs were all replaced with people of the same race as the lead nurse. FWIW, the lead nurse is black, and the people that lost their jobs were white (my wife is white too).

On the flip side, whites that don't know that my wife has a black dude tend to "show their true colors" around my wife at the work place. In my wife's honest opinion (mine too), the racism goes both ways. However, Charlotte seems to be more "pro-black" while every county surrounding Charlotte tends to be "pro-white". It would be nice when this metro becomes "pro-human" and drops this racial BS.

[vmaxnc]

Originally Posted by rdub1968

The DMV and Time Warner Cable customer service offices are a great example of incompetent people being hired, black or white. Same with the TSA.

Everyone complains about the DMV. Having been to several offices I can see where some may have a problem with them. But my experiences have been very good overall. I recently had to renew my driver's license. I was in and out in 22 minutes, including the sign test. The whole process was smooth and professional. Besides the wait, getting my waverunner and trailer retitled and registered took about 10 minutes. I had my paperwork in order, whcih many people don't, so that smoothed the process.

I think part of the issue is the people going to the DMV. Some are unprepared, confrontational, belligerent, and unable to communicate their needs to a reasonable level, for a variety of reasons. Then those people are told things they don't want to hear, like they need to pay three years of property taxes before they can renew their plate, and they get mad. Obviously that shouldn't come as a surprise, but some people are just clueless.

It's not always the DMV employees at fault. It is, however, usually the fault of TWC's people if there is a problem.

[Feltdesigner]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

Here is a recent article (MUCH closer to home) that shows just how colorblind poverty, unemployment, and lack of an education really is...


Poverty increasing at alarming rate in Greater Hickory area | Hickory Daily Record (http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2011/aug/21/poverty-increasing-greater-hickory-area-alarming-r-ar-1319919/ - broken link)
Poverty on the rise in Hickory region | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/22/2545181/poverty-on-the-rise-in-hickory.html - broken link)

Here are the demographics for Catawba county...

White persons 81.7%
Black persons 8.4%
American Indian 0.3%
Asian persons 3.5%
Hispanic 8.4%
Catawba County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

On a more personal level, my wife did lose a part time job here in Charlotte due to her race. We don't know this for an absolute fact, but the evidence was without a doubt unambiguous. Basically, a new lead nurse (of a certain race) took over the floor of a certain nursing home here in Charlotte (I won't name the place). That lead nurse let go all of the LPNs and most of the CNAs (that were not of her race) within 4 months of taking the job. Word is that those LPNs and CNAs were all replaced with people of the same race as the lead nurse. FWIW, the lead nurse is black, and the people that lost their jobs were white (my wife is white too).

On the flip side, whites that don't know that my wife has a black dude tend to "show their true colors" around my wife at the work place. In my wife's honest opinion (mine too), the racism goes both ways. However, Charlotte seems to be more "pro-black" while every county surrounding Charlotte tends to be "pro-white". It would be nice when this metro becomes "pro-human" and drops this racial BS.

That sucks... I know a nurse who has a supervisor who forced her black workers to do a monkey see monkey do photo.. all in good fun.

Tons of stories like this and most time there it comes down to a person with power causing these problems and not the company as a whole.

[Carolina Blue]

Originally Posted by mieux

So I'm just wondering where are all of these unqualified black folks landing these fantastic jobs that are supposedly above them?

This is what I want to know too. More importantly, where are all these black folks in these great positions period? If anyone knows of a company in town that has an "Afrimitive Action" hiring program, let me know. That term is mostly used now to describe contract business given to minority owned businesses (including white women) when doing business with government agencies. My understanding is "Afirmitive Action hiring programs", i.e. quotas, like busing in schools, were done away with at companies years ago.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Feltdesigner

Are you sure the 33% of blacks has increased? I think Latino's are the biggest population growth over the last 10 years.

There will always be a larger number of unemployed blacks unfortunately due to education.

I'm black with a college degree and my primary concern when moving to Charlotte was the dress code for the black male. Unfortunately the hip hop culture is encouraging a dress code that screams don't hire me.

I used to have dreads years ago but cut them off when they became popular. I never had a problem getting employment because my name doesn't tell employers what race I am nor does my phone "voice"

Guys walking around with their pants on the ground, dreads, tattoo's etc have no chance of gaining employment.

Recent college graduates face a tough reality and it isn't based on race. The market is tougher than it was 10 years ago when people where getting hired while in college.

What you wrote makes the most sense to me. My son (who is white) had to adjust his dress post college, too, to fit in with a "corporate" look. It is part of what keeps folks from hiring someone and that is a fact, regardless of race.

The other point is - and this is the biggie - education. I directed my son into healthcare b/c that is where I knew there would be jobs. My older stepson got a degree in photography (in the 90s). He couldn't find a job. DUH. I told him at the time - what are you gonna do w/ that degree? He said - work for National Geographic. HELLO. How many thousands of people, with experience and a portfolio, are standing in line waiting for assignments from major publications? It was totally unrealistic and it proved to be a great degree as far as enjoying college, but unless one wants to build a business doing weddings and freelancing and living off pennies . . . most folks are not gonna have a big career in photography, at least not until years of work have been produced and a reputation gained.

So my stepson joined the Army (after attaining his BS) where he learned an actual SKILL and once he got out - was instantly employed. And he has kept his job thru/ all this up and down of the workforce over the last 12 years. His job requires a BS but it wasn't his degree that got him started on a career! It was the MOS and skills he learned while serving in the military.

However, he is not here in Charlotte! He had to move to the midwest to secure employment.

My point is . . . just getting a degree isn't a guarantee of anything - except that you can show a potential employer that you have what it takes to set a goal and stick to it. If a person has an engineering degree as opposed to a sports medicine degree - you tell me who has the higher potential of finding a job SOMEWHERE (not necessarily here in Charlotte, tho!)

It isn't as much a matter of race as it is a matter of decision-making. Maybe that is cultural. ??? Maybe whites have been trained by their families to seek out degrees that will lead to a better chance of employment. Maybe school counselors are not giving out good info, or not encouraging black students to switch their goals to a degree that will make them more employable. Maybe it is a combination of factors and influence from society, the media plus a lack of self-awareness about skills or potential . . . I don't know what the reasons may be.

I, myself, have degrees in English, something that everyone told me was a bad idea, lol. I have managed to use those skills to create myself a decent career (and I am near retirement age). But I certainly would not recommend anyone getting an English degree, unless they want to teach (and then, get your Ph.D., folks!). I had a PLAN - and it worked out (after many years of taking crappy jobs while working my way up the ladder to Editor). I think too many young people go for a degree without a PLAN.

[Feltdesigner]

Originally Posted by Carolina Blue

This is what I want to know too. More importantly, where are all these black folks in these great positions period? If anyone knows of a company in town that has an "Afrimitive Action" hiring program, let me know. That term is mostly used now to describe contract business given to minority owned businesses (including white women) when doing business with government agencies. My understanding is "Afirmitive Action hiring programs", i.e. quotas, like busing in schools, were done away with at companies years ago.

I've heard that white women were the #1 beneficiaries of AA. Not sure if it's true but this isn't the first time I heard that statement.