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And if you are gullible enough to think that such
Klanish actions could not still be occurring in the North
(aka: Up South) you are sorely mistaken.
To be kind, not all corporations or businesses engage in
either overt or covert acts of discriminatory treatment and
some do a commendable job in ferreting out the bad actors
that can blemish their reputation.
But, my beef is with the business entities that, when
they are informed of a toxic racial environment, they either
shrug it off or they drag their feet in their
"investigation" and are lackluster in turning over every
rock and pebble to find the Neanderthals that engage in
reprehensible racial and sexual discriminatory acts.
Make no doubt about it. When black people move into
white corporate America and when they are in positions of
power and authority and especially so over white people,
some white folks take grave offense at the mere thought that
some black man or woman can order them what to do and how to
do it.
According to the allegations of the two aggrieved black
males, they promptly reported these acts of racial
aggression to management and in return, the GM management
ostensibly yawned and did minimal checks and passed of any
chastisement to be done back to the two black supervisors!
As is the case so many times, it is only when offended
minorities file lawsuits that the business entity comes to
the table with a contrite heart and promises of change in
the workforce.
However, left to their own devices, these racially
challenged companies would turn a blind eye to racial and
sexual complaints and will only get engaged and serious when
the Ohio Civil Rights Commission brings them to a hearing or
a lawsuit is filed.
I have been fighting and filing civil rights and
employment discrimination cases for 40 plus years and it is
my considered opinion that Toledo is not a commendable
example of racial tolerance in the workplace!
I have had the opportunity to sue many, many local
corporations, companies, the City of Toledo and the police
force for allegations of racial harassment; and there is
only two things that such malefactors respect: (1) adverse
publicity and (2) a well-placed lawsuit suing them until
they get a financial nosebleed.
Anything else is of minimal value or use.
It is my position that white, corporate America, unless they
are born again, have no problem with being racist, until
they are caught and then they want to wring their hands
behind a lot of hocus-pocus press releases saying how tough
they are in their internal protocols in rooting out vestiges
of racial discrimination.
Don't believe the hype! They are supposed to say such
things. They are instructed by their fat-cat law firms to
issue such pithy but empty policy statements. That is just
part of white, corporate America.
White, corporate America have never, with open arms,
welcomed people of color into their inner sanctums of power
and privileges and financial perks.
They give lip service to "ideals" of equality and fairness
but when the rubber hits the road, normally it is a lot of
cold lumpy mush.
And when those policies do not equate to fairness on
the job or thorough investigations of racists in the
workplace, a lawsuit is the only sword that can be swung to
cleanse a racially-stained workplace.
My experience has been that when complaints are made
against white managers, it is the white manager who is given
the benefit of the doubt and the complaining minority
employee is treated as if he has leprosy and is then made
the scourge of the earth when he goes back to the same
racist-riddled environment.
I give kudos to the current head of the local office
of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission for her assertiveness
and aggressiveness in ferreting out racial policies or
practices that, on their face appear neutral, but in their
application are knives when they cut and injure minority
employees.
In my legal career I have had to interface with other
past directors of the O.C.R.C. and in my opinion, their
vigorous championing of civil rights was not worth a crust
of moldy bread.
I hope the black men/women who are now engaged in this
pitched battle with GM Powertrain are able to take GM to the
cleaners and to have GM clean house of those employees who
think that racist antics on the job are permissible.
The acts of black men and women going to work and
having to fight for their mental health and safety in a
hostile workplace is cruel and unusual punishment and is
long past due of being eradicated.
To those who are fighting GM in this current struggle,
stay strong and realize that GM will only capitulate if and
when the evidence says or shows that GM was knowingly
complicit in allowing or condoning a hostile work
environment.
Remember: It is not the size of the tiger in the fight but
the fight in the tiger!
Contact Lafe Tolliver at
tolliver@juno.com
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