Just found this article by Rev. Perryman on his website:
Excuses, Excuses…
April 6th, 2005
During Bush’s first term he received much criticism for his position on racial preferences in hiring practices, and for calling the University of Michigan’s points program for minority students, “constitutionally flawed.” For the past 30 years Republicans have argued that our system should be color-blind and that hiring and selection should be based solely on qualifications and not on racial preference and quotas. Democrats have argued that in order to right the wrongs of the past, minorities needed something better than a color-blind system, they needed Affirmative Action. During these ongoing debates neither group could provide one example within their own political organization to prove that their hiring philosophy regarding equality actually worked.
While both groups were busy debating, George W. Bush was busy walking the walk and talking the talk. Without any fanfare, Bush quietly and meticulously practiced what he preached by appointing “qualified” African Americans, Latino’s, Asian and women to high paying, policy making positions as department heads (and/or Deputy Secretaries) of
The State Department
The Department on National Security
The Department of Labor
The Department of Justice
The Department of HUD
The Department of FCC
The Department of Education
The Office of Personnel Management (U.S. Civil Service)
As overseers of these vitally important departments, Bush’s qualified minority men and women took charge of thousands of employees and budgets that exceeded billions of dollars. From international affairs to domestic affairs, these qualified men and women were entrusted with the responsibility of making policy, while seeing to it that our country was protected and that our much needed social services were being provided.
At the same time while the DNC, RNC and the NAACP were busy debating about what they thought would work, none were duplicating what Bush had done in the way of color- blind hiring practices. Of these three organizations, not one has a diverse cabinet consisting of qualified African Americans, Latinos, Asians or women in high-paying policy-making positions, with large budgets to match (please note: I said cabinet level paid positions and not support staff). It seems as if the only one who had a system to locate qualified minority and women to head up major departments, was President Bush. While Bush was busy making a difference these other organizations were busy making excuses.
The DNC used the Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ms Donna Brazile, and Carol Moseley-Braun to promote their party, but did not offer them the position to head up the DNC. The Republicans used JC Watts, Michael Steele and Michael Williams to promote their party but did not offer their top RNC position to an African American. And when was the last time you saw a white person or an Asian person head up the NAACP?
The party that promotes Affirmative Action and feels that they have the only answer to achieve equality, is the same party that passed over qualified African Americans and other minorities and chose a white man to head up the DNC (Dr. Dean). The other party that claims we should be color-blind and that decisions should be based solely on qualifications, apparently felt that there were no qualified black Republicans and they too chose a white man to head up their organization (Ken Mehlman). And the organization that is always ready to step to the microphone to condemn all forms of racial discrimination (NAACP), is an organization that has never had a white person run their organization since their three white founding fathers started it (not all three were men, one was a woman). President Bush had the same labor pool to draw from as did the DNC, RNC and the NAACP, so what is their excuse?
Equality has to become a reality and not just a political or social philosophy. The only way equality can be achieved is by simply doing what George W. Bush did, and that is to look pass the cover and see the content. If this happens, you will see corporate officers, board of directors and political organizations filled with Whites, African Americans, Asian, Latinos and women in high paying policy making positions, with adequate budgets and authority to carry out their organization’s objectives.
President Bush should be commended for a job well done and the rest of us (from the NAACP to the DNC and RNC) should be condemned for not doing the job - they should have. If President Bush could do it, then what’s our excuse? I would like to hear them.
This should have a separate thread with a link back to this thread. It will help draw more traffic.
How ironic, lol :o) fascinating articles, and post #75 is terrific, Julie! thanks so much for pinging me to this!