Excerpt taken from "Taking My Soul to the Laundromat"
Although I was committed to the salvation of the community, uplifting myself was proving to be a challenge. In truth, I had never had a problem telling someone with whom I had developed a relationship about my past. The job search was different; I would not be unable to control how or to whom the information was going to be presented. While I had a lot of friends who could “hook me up,” I did not want to put them or myself on the line. Some unsuspecting human resources representative would not take the time to seek out my side of the story if they found out about my past. I had no control over how, why or what information was told. It could also be awkward having to explain my past to individuals with whom I may not have been comfortable.
I ended up passing up on several job leads. After a while, I learned that it would be difficult to go the traditional route in my job pursuit. Instead of going to career fairs and using all the modern job search techniques, I utilized more old school tactics like opening the newspaper and looking through the classifieds. Most of the groups who placed ads were smaller companies. My hope was that either they would not check on my background or they would give me a shot despite my background. Even this strategy did not work. I would be offered a job and find out a few days later that “something” had changed and that they were unable to offer me the position.
Through the experience, I learned that for individuals with a criminal background, it is “one strike and you're out.” People argue that you cannot simply judge someone by a piece of paper, especially if they commit minor crimes. They believe that everyone can be rehabilitated. Opponents argue that these individuals have had their opportunity and no longer deserve to remain part of society. Personally, I learned that it only takes one strike for an individual to be ostracized from mainstream society. To this day, with all of my accomplishments, there are several doors that are still closed to me because of a simple box on a piece of paper or a simple internet search.
In society, people love placing labels on and judging the next man. The term criminal means prejudgment for the individual wearing the label. Personally, I never allow myself to be addressed, even jokingly, by the term. It is about keeping a strong positive mentality. I argue that I committed a crime but I refuse to allow myself to be fit into the category of criminal. Oftentimes, I will make the analogy to that of a basketball player. While I may have a court in my driveway or go to the gym regularly, no one will ever consider me a basketball player. In order to be a basketball player, I will put all of my energy into earning that title. It takes years of practice to go from a dude who plays basketball to a basketball player. The same is true for a label of criminal. I made a mistake; there is one crime on my record which I will continue to fight to have removed. If I allow myself to be labeled a criminal, I am taking on all of the prejudices and mentalities that come with it. I fight with every bone in my body to avoid the label.
Whether fair or not, having a criminal record shuts a lot of doors. When we challenge individuals to re-enter society and find normalcy, the powers that be close the necessary doors to finding that normalcy. In reality, it is a form of accepted discrimination.
Discrimination, by definition, is treating someone differently based on a category into which they fit rather than their individual merits. While you can make the argument that a child predator should not be allowed to work in a school, it is difficult to find a rationale for not allowing an individual, who served his time and may have picked up a skill such as cutting hair, to not become a licensed barber.
The fact of the matter is that I have been to interviews for positions that I was overqualified to hold but could not get. Initially, I told the truth about my record because it is illegal to lie. After a while, I gambled and left it off the application in hopes that 1) they would not find out about my past and 2) if they did they would not report me to the authorities.
One of the best prospects came from the Post Office. They offered me a job as an Industrial Engineer, which I had taken as secondary classes. On a Wednesday, the interviewer called me to inform that I had gotten the position and we were going to start the following Monday. The only thing he needed to finalize was the background check. I knew I was done. Being that it was a government position, I feared that I may be reported. A friend of my father went in and changed my application to show that I had said yes. In the end, for better or worse, I never heard back from them. In the end, the check on the box outweighed a degree from one of the premier engineering programs in the world.
Society's one strike mentality is emasculating. It began to wear thin on me. I could only imagine what other guys with records were going through. These guys did not have a college degree or had been C.E.O. of a multi¬million-dollar organization. If I was swimming in the deep end, they had to be dog-paddling in the ocean.
It was easy to see how guys who got caught in the system, even good guys, could have difficulty escaping. Our system did not provide them the skills to work in the first place. In prison, the focus as stated by the Director of the Department of Corrections was not to rehabilitate but to punish. These individuals return to society worse off than they entered. Not only do they lack skills, they now have a strike. Inevitably it only makes sense, that without opportunity, people will do whatever it takes and one strike will become two, three and so forth. While each individual is ultimately responsible for their success or failure, society’s high rate of recidivism is directly related to its inability to offer opportunities to survive beyond the box.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Immeasureable Price of Safety
Anyone who is a friend of mine will tell you that I am a political junkie. I have been known to curse at my television on a regular and will sit down to discuss healthcare in the local coffee shop with anyone who is willing to listen. Not only will I engage in heated discussions on how the rich take advantage of the poor and middle class, but how in some cases the rich make conscious decisions to put profits over the health and safety of the average Joe.
In an ideal world, Jack McCoy would take the Toyotas and Masseys of the world to the mat and hold them all accountable to the world for their criminal negligence. Generally, that doesn’t happen so we are forced to follow the small handful of those who are willing to go on the internet and radio waves to challenge the companies.
A few days ago this commentary would have been all about Toyota and their decision to put profits over safety or the decision of the Massey mining company to ignore or finagle their way out of paying for safety violations which led to the deaths of the 29 miners in West Virginia. I would have talked a little about the airlines and how they have done their research and found that it is cheaper to settle with the families of passengers rather than provide equipment that would increase their chances of survival in crashes. Instead I am going to talk about a negligence that is closer to home that is occurring within our government that always claims to “by and for the people.”
A couple of days ago, the reckless behavior of Michigan Department of Transportation hit home. My father, who has worked hard and paid taxes his entire life, was on his way to work at 5:30am. As he was driving South on M-10 in Detroit towards the Eastern Market, he heard what sounded like an explosion in his car. He looked and saw that his window was shattered and began to feel a sharp pain in his side. A 4” x 4” x 8” piece of the overpass (roughly the size of a brick) had fallen from above, straight through the window and into his body.
He felt his body going dumb and saw the concrete median coming closer. He was losing feeling in his body but his will to survive kicked in. Although he has been cutting meat for over fifty year and as a result has lost a great deal of the feeling and strength in his hands, he found the strength to steer the truck away from the median and onto the raised curb.
Cars whizzed by without one choosing to stop and offer assistance. My semi-consensus father located his cell phone and called 911 to ask for assistance. After about 15 minutes they still had not arrived, so he was forced to call back. They informed him that they needed his location once again. Finally, the EMS and the state troopers arrived to help. The trooper expressed his frustration that nobody, including those who were in the immediate vicinity as the accident occurred, had stopped. Beyond the frustration, he advised my father not to let anything happen to the piece of the overpass which was lodged in his clothing along with broken glass from the windshield.
The EMS took my father to the intensive care unit where he stayed for about a week. He was diagnosed with four broken ribs, a punctured lung and other minor pains and bruises. His quality of life will never be the same. In the meantime, my mother and other family members began researching the background of the incident and what remedies were available. She went down to the scene of the accident and took pictures. The pictures clearly showed that pieces of the overpass were falling down causing a clear and present threat to the everyday citizens who travel along the road. It was easy to pinpoint where the piece has fallen from and where others had also fallen and even more that were ready to fall at any moment. My mother took pictures of other overpasses, some of which had been repaired and others, including the one which nearly claimed my father’s life, which had not.
Further research concluded that this was not the first time someone had been injured by falling overpass. In the other case, instead of using its resources to tend to their injured, tax-paying citizen, the State of Michigan, after a court found them liable, attempted to use its resources to again argue that they were not culpable, arguing that they were only responsible for the roadways and not the overpasses. The State Supreme Court finally ruled against and ordered them to pay the victim.
The conclusion that could only be drawn in the injury to my father is that the Department of Transportation made a business decision that cost of the fixing the road ways was not worth it and decided instead to put the lives of the citizens of the City of Detroit and State of Michigan at risk. First, the court determined that it was the State’s responsibility to care for the overpass. Second, the fact that other overpasses had recently been fixed means that officials knew that a problem existed, and instead of fixing the problems, the business decision was made to gamble on which overpasses they hoped presented the least chance of killing someone.
In the legal system, the neglect of a government must rise beyond “negligence” and meet a standard of “gross negligence.” The State of Michigan’s actions, go beyond even gross negligence and should be considered criminal, as should those of Toyota, Massey, and if the day comes when a plane crashes and it is found that the equipment that could have saved lives was deemed to be too costly, the airlines.
Anytime that an executive, an elected official or their representative makes a conscious decision that the bottom line is more important than a human life and leads their company or department down a road that eventually leads to the loss of life or limb, the ultimate cost should go beyond monetary and instead be a loss of freedom to make these decisions. I doubt Jack McCoy would have it any other way.
In an ideal world, Jack McCoy would take the Toyotas and Masseys of the world to the mat and hold them all accountable to the world for their criminal negligence. Generally, that doesn’t happen so we are forced to follow the small handful of those who are willing to go on the internet and radio waves to challenge the companies.
A few days ago this commentary would have been all about Toyota and their decision to put profits over safety or the decision of the Massey mining company to ignore or finagle their way out of paying for safety violations which led to the deaths of the 29 miners in West Virginia. I would have talked a little about the airlines and how they have done their research and found that it is cheaper to settle with the families of passengers rather than provide equipment that would increase their chances of survival in crashes. Instead I am going to talk about a negligence that is closer to home that is occurring within our government that always claims to “by and for the people.”
A couple of days ago, the reckless behavior of Michigan Department of Transportation hit home. My father, who has worked hard and paid taxes his entire life, was on his way to work at 5:30am. As he was driving South on M-10 in Detroit towards the Eastern Market, he heard what sounded like an explosion in his car. He looked and saw that his window was shattered and began to feel a sharp pain in his side. A 4” x 4” x 8” piece of the overpass (roughly the size of a brick) had fallen from above, straight through the window and into his body.
He felt his body going dumb and saw the concrete median coming closer. He was losing feeling in his body but his will to survive kicked in. Although he has been cutting meat for over fifty year and as a result has lost a great deal of the feeling and strength in his hands, he found the strength to steer the truck away from the median and onto the raised curb.
Cars whizzed by without one choosing to stop and offer assistance. My semi-consensus father located his cell phone and called 911 to ask for assistance. After about 15 minutes they still had not arrived, so he was forced to call back. They informed him that they needed his location once again. Finally, the EMS and the state troopers arrived to help. The trooper expressed his frustration that nobody, including those who were in the immediate vicinity as the accident occurred, had stopped. Beyond the frustration, he advised my father not to let anything happen to the piece of the overpass which was lodged in his clothing along with broken glass from the windshield.
The EMS took my father to the intensive care unit where he stayed for about a week. He was diagnosed with four broken ribs, a punctured lung and other minor pains and bruises. His quality of life will never be the same. In the meantime, my mother and other family members began researching the background of the incident and what remedies were available. She went down to the scene of the accident and took pictures. The pictures clearly showed that pieces of the overpass were falling down causing a clear and present threat to the everyday citizens who travel along the road. It was easy to pinpoint where the piece has fallen from and where others had also fallen and even more that were ready to fall at any moment. My mother took pictures of other overpasses, some of which had been repaired and others, including the one which nearly claimed my father’s life, which had not.
Further research concluded that this was not the first time someone had been injured by falling overpass. In the other case, instead of using its resources to tend to their injured, tax-paying citizen, the State of Michigan, after a court found them liable, attempted to use its resources to again argue that they were not culpable, arguing that they were only responsible for the roadways and not the overpasses. The State Supreme Court finally ruled against and ordered them to pay the victim.
The conclusion that could only be drawn in the injury to my father is that the Department of Transportation made a business decision that cost of the fixing the road ways was not worth it and decided instead to put the lives of the citizens of the City of Detroit and State of Michigan at risk. First, the court determined that it was the State’s responsibility to care for the overpass. Second, the fact that other overpasses had recently been fixed means that officials knew that a problem existed, and instead of fixing the problems, the business decision was made to gamble on which overpasses they hoped presented the least chance of killing someone.
In the legal system, the neglect of a government must rise beyond “negligence” and meet a standard of “gross negligence.” The State of Michigan’s actions, go beyond even gross negligence and should be considered criminal, as should those of Toyota, Massey, and if the day comes when a plane crashes and it is found that the equipment that could have saved lives was deemed to be too costly, the airlines.
Anytime that an executive, an elected official or their representative makes a conscious decision that the bottom line is more important than a human life and leads their company or department down a road that eventually leads to the loss of life or limb, the ultimate cost should go beyond monetary and instead be a loss of freedom to make these decisions. I doubt Jack McCoy would have it any other way.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Why we Need NSBE...and NBLSA, and the BSU, and the Black Alumni Association and you get the point (exercpt from Taking My Soul to the Laundromat).
Please note the views expressed do not represent the official views of any organization...but they should (in my humble opinion)!!!
During my first term Chairperson, our Executive Director Michele sent out an email from a gentleman who had posted a reply on a message board. We had sent out our annual press release, which promoted our National Convention and the Golden Torch Awards. The Golden Torch Awards were created to recognize the best and brightest in the engineering profession. We annually presented 10-13 awards in categories such as Lifetime Achievement in Academia, Graduate Student of the Year and Pre-College Student of the Year. The event also helped to raise over $200,000 in scholarship funds for pre-college students.
The gentleman's letter was posted in response to one of our press releases. He started by asking why we needed a Black Engineering Society and questioned whether or not it was racist. Next, he continued to ask how we would feel if there was a Society of White Engineers. In conclusion, he asked how the white engineers were doing in general. Michele saw the post and asked a few leaders and advisors how we should react.
I did not feel the need to response. While I was certain that his comments were not isolated, we could not respond to everyone who had a problem with our organization. How could you respond to someone who simply did not like you, except by helping correct any inaccuracies in their thought process? If anything, I suggested that we continue to live up to our mission and change the world through the actions of our members. I did craft an email response, if the final consensus was that it was needed which read:
Dear Friend,
As Chairman of the National Society of Black Engineers, I wanted to thank you for the interest in the organization and clarify some points in your letter. Our mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible, Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. That is a goal, not a membership requirement. We are open to everyone and have never turned anyone away. As a proponent of educational advancement within the African-American community, we are not conversely opponents of separating ourselves from any other groups. Our organization hosts a variety of activities including workshops, career fairs and academic competitions in which everyone can participate. We have a strong involvement from individuals of all races, including our corporate sponsors. While the goal is to provide a place to network for Blacks, our programs hold value for everyone.
As Chairman of the National Society of Black Engineers, I wanted to thank you for the interest in the organization and clarify some points in your letter. Our mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible, Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. That is a goal, not a membership requirement. We are open to everyone and have never turned anyone away. As a proponent of educational advancement within the African-American community, we are not conversely opponents of separating ourselves from any other groups. Our organization hosts a variety of activities including workshops, career fairs and academic competitions in which everyone can participate. We have a strong involvement from individuals of all races, including our corporate sponsors. While the goal is to provide a place to network for Blacks, our programs hold value for everyone.
In response to the need for a “Black Engineering” organization, based on the racial makeup of schools, jobs and organizations, most minorities consider the mainstream organizations as “White organizations.” When Blacks discuss schools they refer to institutions such as Michigan (my alma mater) or Georgia Tech as white institutions as opposed to Black institutions like Howard or Tuskegee. No institutions are Black or White-only; however, the label speaks to the culture of the institution.
In closing, I am attaching data from a CNN.com article which we provided some information. It shows that White students are doing well as they are overrepresented in comparison to the overall population. (Author’s Note: NSBE and most organizations regularly can cite this data as many of our advisors are professors or administrators at top-tier universities.)
Organizations such as the Black and Hispanic engineers as well as other cultural/race-based groups are created for the sole purpose of supporting their members and the organization as they strive to reach parity. It is not about taking away from another group but uplifting all. In short, underrepresented minorities are effectively trying to catch up.
Organizations such as the Black and Hispanic engineers as well as other cultural/race-based groups are created for the sole purpose of supporting their members and the organization as they strive to reach parity. It is not about taking away from another group but uplifting all. In short, underrepresented minorities are effectively trying to catch up.
With Regards,
Delano White, 2001 – 2003 Chairman, National Society of Black Engineers
Delano White, 2001 – 2003 Chairman, National Society of Black Engineers
In the end, we did not feel that further response was necessary. It is nearly impossible to change someone's mind, especially when it comes to race. The sentiment in the discussion was shared by most of our advisors. However, as long as there are differences in people, there will be misunderstandings and prejudice. I am prejudiced against bad drivers. Everyone has them in one form or another. While will not be able to end all prejudices, we can eliminate the confusion that often leads to them.
When the reality is all set, opponents of organizations such as NSBE cannot have it both ways. On the one hand, they call for the end of affirmative action and ask us to essentially become self-sufficient. On the other hand, they ask us not to develop member-based organizations that meet that objective. These organizations are not intended to replace the mainstream organization. They are meant to provide a comfort zone in which to help us adjust to deficiencies within the mainstream organization. It is easy to tell someone they do not need something but harder to question why we they feel the need exists. If it were so easy, I again suggest that we take a week, month or even a generation to switch places. Allow the disenfranchised to hold a position of power and see where it takes us in our collective quest for parity.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Importance of Small Business...From Instant Gratification: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Satisfying Every Customer, Every Time
At the risk of sounding self-serving, it has generally been accepted that independent establishments offer the best products and service. Within most industries, independents cannot compete with corporate establishments on price or marketing. Instead, they create their niche within the community. In exchange for the flashing lights, expensive commercials and cookie cutter/turnkey operations, ground businesses generally offer better products and customer service.
Ground businesses value each and every customer that enters their business. Instead of an assembly line that kicks out halfway decent products in nanoseconds, ground businesses put more energy into giving each person personalized service.
Customers who come to independent establishments are not one of the pack. They are individuals and as a result get treated as such. The customer’s nuances and special needs are a priority. “No” is never an option; phrases such as “we can’t do that” or “we have to charge you extra” are rarely heard within independent businesses. Independent establishments truly appreciate their customers. They know customers by name and they know just what they like.
Independents also have a connection to the communities where they operate. While corporate establishments bring notoriety, ground businesses have a foundation in the community. They generally open in communities long before corporations recognize the value in those communities. Dollars spent in independent businesses also circulate throughout that community 7-8 times longer than dollars spent with corporations.
As a customer, if you want the best customer service, look beyond the names and search for a return on your investment. Corporations and franchises offer convenience and inclusion with the “in crowd.” Ground businesses, on the other hand, boast better products, customer service and a shared concern for the communities in which they exist, your community.
Key Points
· Independents generally trade pricing for products, service and quality
· You can obtain customized service in independent establishments
· Ground businesses appreciate their customers
· Dollars spent in ground businesses stay in the community longer
Ground businesses value each and every customer that enters their business. Instead of an assembly line that kicks out halfway decent products in nanoseconds, ground businesses put more energy into giving each person personalized service.
Customers who come to independent establishments are not one of the pack. They are individuals and as a result get treated as such. The customer’s nuances and special needs are a priority. “No” is never an option; phrases such as “we can’t do that” or “we have to charge you extra” are rarely heard within independent businesses. Independent establishments truly appreciate their customers. They know customers by name and they know just what they like.
Independents also have a connection to the communities where they operate. While corporate establishments bring notoriety, ground businesses have a foundation in the community. They generally open in communities long before corporations recognize the value in those communities. Dollars spent in independent businesses also circulate throughout that community 7-8 times longer than dollars spent with corporations.
As a customer, if you want the best customer service, look beyond the names and search for a return on your investment. Corporations and franchises offer convenience and inclusion with the “in crowd.” Ground businesses, on the other hand, boast better products, customer service and a shared concern for the communities in which they exist, your community.
Key Points
· Independents generally trade pricing for products, service and quality
· You can obtain customized service in independent establishments
· Ground businesses appreciate their customers
· Dollars spent in ground businesses stay in the community longer
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