Undoubtedly the practice is widespread. This is just one contractor that got busted.
ADDICTING INFO
How the hell does anyone argue racism is a thing of the past when the same criminal prejudice haunting every dark corner of history, even quite often proudly prancing and frolicking forth in the grand light of day throughout our history, is still doing “The Curly Shuffle” all over the unalienable rights of anyone who is not white, male, straight, conservative and corporate-oriented?
Take this federal contractor out in Wisconsin, just west of Milwaukee, who rejected with extreme prejudice 251 black applicants for positions with Brookfield’s United Mailing Services (UMS). Instead of hiring any of those black folks, made up presumably of both men and women, UMS decided a bunch of white guys lacking driver’s licenses who didn’t even competently complete their job applications in the first place, sporting criminal records to boot, were the much better hires.
Hell, United Mailing Services doesn’t just show us racism is alive and well – sexism is, too!
And this information comes via the Department of Labor as of Monday.
Isn’t that something right out of the early 60s? The 50s? 40s and on back? Back when folks think of the civil rights movement that has really, truly never been “won” and has neither gone away.
That UMS received over $3.6 million in federal funding for processing Veteran Affairs mail while it was openly discriminating against black U.S. citizens puts some extra stank on it, too, don’t you think, considering the number of African-American citizens who have given their lives for their country, and more to the point, for the American people?
Luckily, in this case, UMS got busted and is paying the price. According to the Labor Department, United Mailing Service now has promised to pay $120,000 (plus interest!) to each and every one of the 251 African-American applicants rejected by the company. The company also said it would hire 23 of the applicants turned away.
Imagine the joy of being one of the 23 black folks mandated to work in a racist company. Sure, you’re glad to have the job and see justice win out, but you’re also surrounded by racist a$$holes. Even legal wins can lack a bit of luster, sometimes. There’s one more example of white privilege for you.
What is perhaps most irritating, however, is that United Mailing Services never had to admit it was racist or had done anything wrong at all. They just throw some money at it and begrudgingly hire 23 of the rejected applicants and it’s like nothing ever happened. How nice.
At least the Office of Federal Contract Compliance states the company “violated federal employment law,” so… there’s that.
Is that progress, or a plateau? Because it sure as hell isn’t history.
Featured image via Pixabay / Flickr composite
