A Texas man is suing Tiffany & Co. because he claims the retailer does not hire blacks for top positions.
VIA LINKEDIN
Michael McClure claims his job is in danger because of racism.
Tiffany & Co. discriminates against African-Americans by shutting them out of top positions, a Texas man says in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court.
Michael McClure, 45, says only one of Tiffany’s 62 “group directors” nationwide is African-American: himself. No positions above him are filled by African-Americans, says the plaintiff, who claims his own job is in danger due to racism. The jewelry retailer has nine board members, 12 executive officers and 50 vice presidents — none black, McClure says. His lawsuit seeks better practices and unspecified money damages.
He claims he was given a poor report in March after a honcho was allegedly heard expressing surprise that “a black man is representing the Tiffany brand.”
Tiffany said the allegations are without merit, with many mischaracterizations.
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I've seen this a lot in Texas. Almost every place I've ever worked blacks are drastically underrepresented in the top jobs, even when we make up a significant percentage of the workforce.
At a few companies there were "NO" blacks in management even though we were about 70% of the workforce and after working there a while I understood why. The companies just didn't wan't black people in certain positions no matter how hard we worked. White guys would start work with us and in no time they would be approached to be a 'manager', a 'supervisor', a 'vice president' etc. It was always a higher position. There was nothing different about the quality of their work. NOTHING.
This goes back to something my mother told me when I was 15 years old. She stated to me one day that the system in America was never set up for white people to work. She said it was set up for 'us' to work and white people to 'supervise'.
She often had to train white employees on the job and immediately after training they were promoted to be her supervisors. Shameful.
She said that the white man suffered from what she called an 'Overseer Mentality' which is he doesn't even have to know your job for him to often be placed over you to make sure you do your job.
I'm black. But my grandfather was part white and he appeared often to people as a white man. He had blue eyes and straight hair and very fair skin. He had Choctaw Indian in him (from his mother) and that have his skin a faint olive tint. A very minor one. However because of his blue eyes he passed for being white.
He often was approached by white men to sit in comfortable positions and oversee blacks. He was given a pass very often when his anger got the best of him and he acted out inappropriately. His skin color worked in his favor. He was allowed to own a home and land when many other blacks weren't.
My grandfather had no black blood in him and because of this fact life in many ways, though hard, was far easier for him because of the OPPORTUNITIES he was given.
I see this now with white men. These 'opportunities' that are handed to them because of their pale skin.
I have a hard time reconciling what I 'hear' which is "there is no more racism" and what I 'SEE' which is 'rampid racism' within Corporate America.
As an African American there is nothing so disillusioning about the LIE of equality than when I see so many blacks work hard, get the degrees, and have offers of employment and promotions passed over them because of racism.
We must never lose the fire in our stomachs to fight for full equality. We must wage WAR through the courts. We don't have full equality if we are not treated fully equal in these companies to white males (or women). Listen to Mellody Hobson, The CEO of A financial investment firm. She is a very accomplished black woman who has for the first time in her life talked about how it feels to be black working in a white male dominated industry and company.
Even Google just released its employee roster and less than 2% (or it may have said 1%) of its employees worldwide are black. We are UNDERREPRESENTED in good jobs and it's not because we don't work hard or try. It's because many white people are just raised to believe or they are ideologically against seeing blacks in certain positions. Certain "high" positions. That's not our "proper place" in this world many believe and they honestly don't view these beliefs as being racist.
Working for Wingspan Portfolio Advisors taught me a thing or two.
Let's take Justin Belter, who had no mortgage experience and he was working alongside blacks who had YEARS of mortgage experience, many with higher educational attainment as well. Many who were incredibly bright and incredibly hard workers yet it was Belter, the lone white face, picked out of a SEA of more qualified black faces, by Jason Dickard, to be director, Vice President, etc. Even Jason Dickard, the EVP, had LESS EXPERIENCE than half the black employees who were far 'Under' him in rank.
It seemed that every white male who got hired, many with no experience in mortgages and many without any secondary education, were immediately hand picked to manage a primarily black workforce.
Many of the blacks were hired through 'agencies' and were told they had to meet certain credit guidelines, etc.
Yet we worked across from white guys who openly spoke of their foreclosures and bankruptcies and some of them were hired without valid ID's.
I sat next to these guys and I often reviewed and corrected their work. Staying late when they often left early and I was passed over by the 'All White' managerial staff for a promotion just as so many other blacks were.
Then we found we were all making LESS MONEY. Even though we had more experience and education coming in the door than many of our white male counterparts, who were being paid at a rate TWICE what we were earning.
Wingspan Portfolio Advisors was such a racist company to work for.
Black people should applaud those blacks who choose to fight through the courts so that we may ALL experience a nice paycheck and a good secure job like white men when we prove ourselves.
The Infinite One
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