WotC WotC is hiring Senior Manager for Diversity, equity and inclusion.

[doctorbadwolf]

Question: with everything else being equal, who would be a better candidate for the position:

• a white English man that has lived in Japan for 10+ years
• Carlton Banks from the the fresh prince of Belair, a black person

What I’m clearly implying with this question: skills can be tied to one’s background, never to one’s race, on itself.

Carlton, without a second thought. (considering your later clarification that both are equally schooled in the relevant skillset)

Carlton has experienced anti-Black racism in America. The other guy has been a stranger in a foreign land. The two aren't even remotely equivalent experiences. White people are not being oppressed, by literally any metric, in Japan.

Carlton is rich. As the show explores pretty well in several episodes, he is still more likely to be stopped by police than his white peers, more likely to be harassed by them after being stopped, more likely to be denied opportunities open to his white peers, more likely to be ignored and passed over at work or in school, etc.

He has relevant experience. The other guy simply doesn't.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Considering Carlton's conservative political views, that would mean the white candidate would be the same. Then neither one would fit into the environment WotC is trying to create, and neither would get hired.

Carlton is a bit more conservative, but speaking as someone who has watched every damn episode of that show because it is a national treasure, he knows damn well what it is to be a Black man in America. A lot of his conservatism in early seasons melts away as he is exposed more to the realities of life that his parents have largely sheltered him from. It's a big "very special episode" in some of the execution with some episodes that show him learning lessons along these lines, but yeah...grown up graduated from college working professional Carlton isn't likely to be anything but a great candidate for such a job, regardless of his preferred economic policy.

 

[Scott Christian]

I am pretty sure lockdown has gone on too long when I see people arguing about Carlton from the Fresh Prince - in a D&D forum!

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I am pretty sure lockdown has gone on too long when I see people arguing about Carlton from the Fresh Prince - in a D&D forum!

I think it's more of the pandemic that has gone on too long, not the lockdown.

 

[Hussar]

Frankly as someone who IS the gaijin in Japan, I can say I’ve got a pretty good feel for othering, but outright racism has fortunately been fairly rare. Not absent mind you. But relatively rare.

As in no one calls the police when I’m bird watching.

 

[MGibster]

Carlton is rich. As the show explores pretty well in several episodes, he is still more likely to be stopped by police than his white peers, more likely to be harassed by them after being stopped, more likely to be denied opportunities open to his white peers, more likely to be ignored and passed over at work or in school, etc.

He has relevant experience. The other guy simply doesn't.

Experiencing racism is not one of the basic job qualifications for the position of HR manager DEI. WotC is an equal opportunity employer, meaning they have agreed not to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national origin, or disability. It is not a good idea to demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by discriminating against candidates on the basis of race or skin color. Carlton's race is not a factor in deciding whether or not he's the best person suited for the position.

 

[Haldrik]

A straight white male can be an excellent and effective champion of other identity groups.

At the same time, one of the criticisms is that WotC lacks enough black employees.

So to higher an other white employee ...
whose job is to diversify employees, ...
how could the public relations look good?

Situationally, this particular hiring is about diversification.

 

[FrogReaver]

A straight white male can be an excellent and effective champion of other identity groups.

At the same time, one of the criticisms is that WotC lacks enough black employees.

So to higher an other white employee ...
whose job is to diversify employees, ...
how could the public relations look good?

Situationally, this particular hiring is about diversification.

You realize that your comments here give others the perception that IF they hire a black candidate that person will not be as qualified. That the hire was done to “not look bad” and provide a “boost to public relations”.

 

[Haldrik]

You realize that your comments here give others the perception that IF they hire a black candidate that person will not be as qualified. That the hire was done to “not look bad” and provide a “boost to public relations”.

Obviously a black gay female can be an excellent champion of other identity groups too.

To be both compassionate and courageous is a human quality, that can exist in any identity group.

 

[Gradine]

You realize that your comments here give others the perception that IF they hire a black candidate that person will not be as qualified. That the hire was done to “not look bad” and provide a “boost to public relations”.

This is the kind of racist BS nonsense that people have been using to argue against affirmative action policies for decades now.

This is not to say that it doesn't happen, but it has much more to do with PR than actual qualifications. Typically, it's far, far, more likely for a less-qualified white man to be hired over a more qualified POC than the other way around. We just tend not to notice it because it's been the status quo for decades. See also: NFL head coaching vacancies, for a start.