Blacks missing from top jobs, ACLU, NAACP find
By Laura Smitherman | laura.smitherman@baltsun.com
May 20, 2009
Decades of racial strife have left their mark on Somerset County, the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP said Tuesday as they called on leaders of the Eastern Shore county to ensure minorities get better access to good-paying school and government jobs.
In a report, the groups noted that no African-American has ever been elected or appointed to a top job in county government, and that no African-American was employed by the county in a professional capacity in 2007, according to the latest statistics submitted to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The county's population is 42 percent African-American.
The ACLU and NAACP asked county and school officials to create a working group for recruitment and to appoint an affirmative action officer who would lead the efforts. The civil rights groups are planning a community meeting next month.
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29 comments:
If qualified Blacks are applying and being rejected, than there is a problem. However, if there are no qualified blacks applying for positions, than this article and study are flawed and irrelavent. As far as elections go, the participants in the elections will make their choice, hence a democracy. If there proves to be election fraud, than that needs to be dealt with seperately.
So in other words, just because they are black they should be afforded special privelages. I guess Ken Ballard should have been selected to fill the seat vacated by Sam Boston. I guess John Wade was an upstanding citizen. What a joke the NAACP is.
Check out UMES and see how many whites are not in top positions and how many fanily members are employed there.
get a grip people.
Solution: just give a black person a desk with position and the problems go away. It works for DC.
Is anyone suprised by this? I mean we're talking about Somerset County Maryland. They think the South won the Civil War down there.
Blacks need to stop having out of wedlock births at a 705 rate. This one factor has limited education and economic oportunities, and fostered the impact of murder and crime in the black community. Thank you "Great Society" for ruining generations!!!
11:11 - this is what I call a "Yes, But...." problem. No matter who logical or concise your arguments or points are, someone will always come back at you with "Yes,but-----fill in the blank----". Happens everytime and usually goes along the lines of blacks claiming the discriminatory practices of the past, and in OTHER regions of the country, contribute to current conditions in Somerset County in some unfathomable way. Just trust the NAACP, they will come up with a "Yes, but...." for all occasions.
I got beat out of a job back in 1976 by a black female and I sure as hell did not hollar or complain about it. Was I disappointed? Yes. But I believed that maybe she was more qualified than me and DESERVED the job on her OWN merits. Pity the same can't be said for today.
A bit of flawed journalism here, I believe. You can make statistics say what you want. Does the 42% include the population of ECI? You can't hold an elected office if you don't enter the election, and then you have to win. Somerset Counties gerrymandered election district is represented by a white person, go figure. Definition of gerrymandered - establishing a voter election district to allow a certain demographic of the population to have a majority which is not consistent with the population in general. Presumably, when I was in school, it was illegal.
It seems that UMES is able to have a larger percentage than the population demographics of blacks in positions there. The school's student demographics aren't close to the national or counties either. Of course most of them are not from Somerset County and,oh that's right, it's OK if it favors those that the ACLU or NAACP feel are trodden upon.
I am a proponent of the most qualified gets the job, and I don't see where there is any evidence in this article that that has occurred. Get real, someone else just wants to stir up a contoversy.
This is 2009-not 1969 and affirmative action is as outdated as leisure suits.It has outlived its usefulness. Affording special priveledges to one particular race over another for jobs or any other gains is racist,the very thing these groups claim to fight against.
What they fail to take into consideration is that Somerset County is also one of the poorest counties in the state,and that there are people of all races in Somerset who need more economic and educational opportunities.Lets work on those issues before we divide the populace.We are all in this together.
For crap sakes , give it a rest. I'm tired of this crap.Give, give, give, I'm tired of it and the rest of the country is tired of it.
They got the best jobs in the country and the county , they
get paid for doing nothing!
Keeping a person from a job because of skin color is wrong on the flip side giving someone a job because of skin color is equally wrong ! Obama is President therefore racism is declared dead and affirmative action is over the best person for the job period the free ride must be over now !!!
The more I read this blog, I understand why "Eastern Shore" has negative connotations from others accross the bay. A few people made sense, but others make absolutley no sense at all! Logic - define it before you post.
So you know the "Eastern Shore" came in second in the country for the smartest people per capita .
12:59, perhaps you can bless us with some pontification of your own on how to deal with this situation.
OK- Here's some logic--
If a county has a 52% population of blacks, then they are ENTITLED (that is-- they have a RIGHT) to 52% of the jobs.
Isn't that the stated or implied premise in this argument?
Those posting on the situation at UMES are exactly right-- if a white person goes there looking for a job and hands then a resume, the first thing they will do is look for something on it to disqualify them. I know that for a fact because it happened to me when I applied for the full-time position that I had been doing part-time for over a year. The position description was written by my boss specifically tailored to my qualifications because he wanted to hire me, yet when I applied personnel immediately said I wasn't qualified.
But that's OK there, because it's a "Historically Black" institution, and I'm historically white.
Give me a break.
No matter how it's done, or by whom, RACISM IS RACISM, and it's WRONG.
Organizations like the NAACP are simply trying to create new issues (or resurrect old ones) in order to preserve their power and position.
I can sum it up in two words: "Jesse Jackson."
Or "Al Sharpton."
You get my point.
Ok, I have a problem with using the stats to prove a point. If you want to prove this theory then we need to know the percentage of the population in each group in certain demographic categories. How many men, women. How many employed, not employed. How many on welfare, SSI etc. How many retired. How many over 60. How many under 18. There a lot left out here just saying the county is 42% black. Oh and now we also need to include our hispanic population in figuring this equation. It's no longer just a black white issue. Legal or not they are here, and part of the community and using the assets. As to elections, there is a gerrymandered district (which is illegal) and it is represented by a white person. Why? because no one runs against him and if they did the constituency doesn't vote or thinks he is the best for the job. That's democracy.
Then of course they were able to go national years back when there was a high school reunion that was "all white". That was because the years that attended the reunion from the high school were all white students. However, when the graduates of Somerset High School and Woodson High School have their gathering, there were no complaints filed and no national attention even though these were all black schools at the time, and it is embraced as "part of our history". The NAACP, ACLU, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson all promote racism. Equality is not their wish, they strive to produce controversy, because without it they are out of a job.
Maybe if people stopped having out of wedlock babies and joining gangs, they may be able to get a job. Everyone wants something for nothing. The best way to get a good job is to leave the area. If not, then you have to take what you can get. Why complain about that? Oh, I know-you actually have to get up and go to a job, as opposed to sitting on your behind living off the government dole with your screaming bastards, complaining that you can't get a job as a CEO making over 100 grand.
President Obama shattered the ceiling. Affirmitive action is dead. Get up, get educated, and find a job. Don't like the jobs here? Move. But stop hiding behind "racism". It's over.
Its always race that is used when people are too lazy to work for something. Im a glad Ima from da shore, where I learnt that if I work hard, I gets sumting in return. The give a way programs have created "The I'm entitled" perspective.
Sitting on the front porch drinking beer at 10am will not find you many jobs.
NAACP and ACLU need to look at the crooked court down there and how black folks get sent away for 20 years for petty crimes while the good old boys and their sons get away with major crimes!
politcs as usual. The GOB's(good old boys) are still in charge of the county and it looks like the "good old gov" is in with them.
42% Hmmm baby makers and tax dollar takers. Maybe just maybe if the educated A/A population would take the time to educate their cousins. The 33% of the 42% that are unwed, wearing bagle earrings te size of pie plates having 7.5 children by the age of 22 wearing jeans 26% to small. 99% crack dealing babies daddies. naming the children Latafaquaniqua, and Diamondique, Placenta. None of which are African at all.
All the while white and black tax payers foot the bill.
Shut your legs pull up your pants and speak english. That would be be somewhat of a start.
To anyone offended by this move to Somerset County or back to the motherland. They are close to the same. Stop blaming old whitey we did this ourselves.
i wonder what percentage has applied for any jobs in somerset, the ones i see cannot work with there hands because they have to constantly keep pulling there pants up,grabbing there jewels ,or in a addicted trace pecking at a cell phone .workin on about 5 generations of free since the 60,s see ya at the post office on the 1st or the 3rd.
All the ACLU and NAACP have to do is look at UMES to figure out what's going on. All the qualified minorities work there, leaving none to work elsewhere in the county. Makes sense to me...
As to the elected official issue, exactly as what was staed earlier: If they don't run, they can't represent. How is this hard to understand?
Give me a damn break. Have you seen our president? Qualified individuals for jobs. Who gives what race is in the position as long as he or she is qualified?
Its amazing how some of you pompous ass holes can jump on here and make a racist statement like "why don't blacks stop having out of wedlock babies" to make a point as if it is only blacks that do that. Case in point Sarah Palins own daughter. The fact is that there is still racism...period, and when a county only has a majority of one race employed it is wrong. Hell some departments in Wicomico County only have a few if any blacks employed so don't tell me that because Obama is president that affirmative action, and racism are dead or outlived there usefulness. The second they are done away with things will get progressively worse. Stop trying to justify a point by relying on sterotypes and wake up. This may or may not be posted and frankly I don't care but I had to vent about this BS that is constantly being posted by these racists ass hill billy good ole boys. Having a black friend, talking to black co-workers don't give you a right comment on how fairly you believe blacks are being treated now. No one jumps up and screams racism for the fun of it, and the NAACP doesn't gain anything by getting involved, and trying to make things fair for everyone...not just blacks.
3:00 pm anon you want color instead of ability that makes you a racist your dismissed!!!
Doesn't matter who applies, the best positions in the county always go to either a relative or close friend of the county commissioners. Oh, and ECI and UMES are state facilities, not county. The hiring practices and interview processes are a farce.
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