Your examples of identical comparisons make me wonder if there was actually things the person did or the way they interacted with other people at work that caused a problem for themselves. I can even hear slight hints of it in the way you wrote your response.
I'm not saying there aren't some really bad people out there in positions of power that should not be, but to make a generalized statement about white privilege like that is insulting and hurtful. You know how many times I have been passed over? Who is being racist? Your comment some how suggests that myself for example, didn't work harder than everyone else to get where I'm at, or play things smarter by adding the right skill sets to my resume, or take extra time away from my family to train for positions. You think things are just so much easier because of skin color? You are sorely mistaken, everything in this life is a fight for resources, get over the small shit clouding your head and work harder. Nothing comes easy, not for me or anyone I know anyway.
My original post *just* noted that being a white male is an advantage, and certainly that was the case 40 years ago when this particular person started his career. Privilege. It's okay to recognize privilege. It *does not* mean that you didn't work for it. It is *no* reason to feel guilty.
In my particular example, I had hints. Okay, to be more specific. We had one particular (male) engineer who happened to be next to worthless. He talked a good game but didn't show up for work often, was denigrating to the other employees - mostly younger but hey, he'd attack anyone if it made him look good. I learned this quickly and made sure he knew in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that throwing me under the bus would get him nowhere because I had 15 more years of experience in the industry. Also, he was technically incapable (or unwilling) to do the job. But he was loud. He would always speak up in meeting
with authority. Even though 90% of the time he was wrong. He always interrupted people in meetings. He consistently threw others under the bus, especially if it was his own errors. Also, he happened to "suck up" to the CEO and President. Whenever he could put himself in a meeting with them, or "happen" to be around them, he'd butter them up (also: they are from the same country of origin, aka, not white). First, our boss tried to fire him. Management (CEO/Pres) decided instead to put him on a PIP. Next, we had a large round of layoffs. Our group was to lose 50%. So, again, our boss put him first on the list. Pres saved him again and moved him into a new,
director level position. Luckily, there were enough people left with the qualifications needed to get the work done that it got done, despite him.
We hired a woman in from outside as a director, doing similar work. She read him very quickly and made sure to NOT work directly with him AND to report directly to the new CEO (who was not from the same country of origin of the other few). Her characteristics were similar to his. She spoke with authority in meetings. She was aggressive and opinionated. She interrupted people. She became a VP after another layoff. The main difference is that she actually had experience in the industry and you knew that if she said something in a meeting? It was correct, not just made up BS. Round 3 of layoffs she was LET GO. At that level they never tell you why, but other directors hinted at her personality. Which, as I mentioned, was nearly IDENTICAL to the guy who was promoted.
Anyway. As far as racial bias goes, I have seen a little bit of it here and there. Strangely, in my industry (semiconductors), it's more a grouping of white/Indian/Chinese.
And for every sob story, we can point to someone that has overcome even worse adversity to succeed in outstanding ways.
But hey, whether you think you can or can't you're right. Right?
Be proud of who you are, stop using everything as an excuse to fail. Grow a pair and get on with things, and don't take crap from anyone
The two are not mutually exclusive, you realize that right? First, statistically, you are incorrect. For every sob story there is NOT someone who overcame whatever. In fact, the two likely happen together, to the same people.
I've worked my ass off over the years, to come from a poor rural kid - first to go to college. Straight As in HS, top-ten engineering school, military, master's degree, engineering, manufacturing, development, six patents. I've managed projects, people, done all sorts of great things in my industry. I'm a SUCCESS.
But shoot, it's not hard to look up and around and realize that there are exactly zero female directors at my company. I don't take crap, but that doesn't exactly get you promoted. I had two superb bosses who cared only about how you got things done. Then I got a new one, and he was a train wreck. That was the end of any possible promotion for me.
That was not what it said. It said him being a white male gave him an advantage just as his other skills did. And given that many of us here will do hiring or advise hiring, knowing the bias within our culture is important.
No one is saying not to work hard, ever heard the expression "you have to work twice as hard to be thought of as half as good"? We are just saying it has an influence.
Yes, this. If we don't recognize it, we cannot fix it.