The Race Issue

Yesterday, I did a post titled “Race, Gender, Politics and Employment Law,” trying to link (as I have in the past) issues that are a critical part of the presidential election with the same issues that have been a critical part of the workplace and employment law for a long time.  In today’s New York Times, there’s an insightful article that focuses on Senator Clinton’s challenges when it comes to the issue of race.

While the entire article is worth reading, a couple of things in it struck me. 

When Clinton was a teenager and growing up in Chicago, she was a “Goldwater girl,” working for Barry Goldwater when he ran for president in 1964.  Goldwater was an ardent opponent of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and his campaign is largely credited with beginning to turn the South from being solidly Democratic to solidly Republican.  Clinton worked for Goldwater primarily, perhaps entirely, because her father was a Republican stalwart.  According to the Times article, some Obama supporters use what they see as an early indiscretion of supporting a presidential candidate who utilized race as a polarizing issue to garner votes (especially in the South) against Clinton.  Although one might think that what Clinton did as a teenager could be forgiven, it’s a sign to some in the Obama camp that she just doesn’t get the race issue. 

Well, you know, maybe she doesn’t.  Having practiced employment law for almost 34 years and having handled a large number of race discrimination cases, I have long believed that a white person can’t fully understand race discrimination–certainly can’t fully understand how an African-American feels about race discrimination.

Having also handled a large number of sex or gender discrimination cases, I have a similar belief when it comes to the gender issue.  Men can’t fully understand sex discrimination–certainly can’t fully understand how a woman feels about sex discrimination.

The other thing that struck me about the Times article is that its author said that the “contest [between Clinton and Obama] is close and emotions [about the issue of race] run raw.”  The emotions of Clinton supporters and Obama supporters do seem to run raw.  Does that apparent fact mirror our society’s emotions?  Are the emotions between whites and African-Americans raw when it comes to the issue of race?  Are the emotions between white employees and African-American employees raw when it comes to the issue of race?

As I said in yesterday’s post on this subject, I hope this election will cause us to begin talking about the answers to questions like this.  If we can begin to talk–deeply, civilly, thoughtfully, honestly–maybe our emotions will become less raw.  Maybe while we can’t completely understand how someone of another race (or gender) feels, we can move a little closer to understanding.  If we can talk openly, that should help us work together more effectively and respectfully.  If that happens, employment lawyers will have fewer discrimination cases to handle.  But that’s ok.  There are a whole lot of employment issues in every workplace that will keep us busy.

1. 

   John Phillips says:

   February 2, 2008 at 3:58 pm

   I’m not Arthur DeVany, but this is my post on “The Race Issue.” I hope Arthur is ok with what the post says.