Reddit co-founder resigns from board, urges company to replace him with a black candidate

[Houseman]

Reddit co-founder Ohanian resigns from board, urges company to replace him with a black candidate

Reddit Co-founder Alexis Ohanian on Friday announced his resignation from the company's board, saying he was stepping down and urging the company to replace him with a black person.

www.cnbc.com

Well this seems racist. Hiring someone based on the color of their skin is discrimination. I have similar concerns with Affirmative Action.

But I get what he intended. He wanted a "black voice to be heard" or however he would phrase it. He thinks that, as long as the color of their skin is black, then they bring a "black viewpoint" that everyone else is missing. That sounds good when taken at face value.

But is it really?

I think it's more about your culture and your circumstances, than your skin color. A black person from an Ivy League school is going to have much more in common with their white classmates than a black person who just barely has a high-school education. Who is Reddit is more likely to hire? Who is going to be considered "qualified" for the job?

If they really wanted the "black viewpoint" to be considered, they'd just go to a low-income area and pick someone up off the street, regardless of the color of their skin.

Picking a "privileged" black candidate is not going to be too different than picking a "privileged" white candidate.

Plus, how would you like to be known as "the diversity hire?" Everybody would just be whispering behind your back "they only hired him because he's black".

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

An Ivy-educated black man is likely to know much better than a white man how it feels to be afraid that an encounter with a police will end his life. He's much more likely to know the fear of how a white woman deciding she doesn't like his tone could lead to an encounter with a police, which could end his life. He's more likely to know that, even with his higher education, his skin color works against him and closes doors that would stay open for a white man.

Listen to some words from a successful entrepreneur who is no less cognizant of the problem than "some guy from the projects":

 

[Houseman]

An Ivy-educated black man is likely to know much better than a white man how it feels to be afraid that an encounter with a police will end his life. He's much more likely to know the fear of how a white woman deciding she doesn't like his tone could lead to an encounter with a police, which could end his life. He's more likely to know that, even with his higher education, his skin color works against him and closes doors that would stay open for a white man.

"Likely", maybe. But "assured"? No. Can you guarantee that you'd get someone with this "knowledge" just based on the color of their skin? No.

So, therefore, why not just make these interview questions?

"Have you ever had any interactions with the police when you felt scared for your life?"
"Have you ever had any interactions where you feared that someone would call the police on you?"
"Have you ever felt disadvantaged based on things you couldn't control?"

 

[Revnak]

Inb4 Reddit diversity hires Elizabeth Warren, for BLM

 

[lil devils x]

Inb4 Reddit diversity hires Elizabeth Warren, for BLM

AT least she was out protesting, unlike Ben Carson.

She has been at this for a while now.. this was in 2015:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/09/27/elizabeth-warren-just-gave-the-speech-that-black-lives-matter-activists-have-been-waiting-for/

AND here we have a president who is afraid of the protesters. He had to use the military to " get the people away from him" before he would even cross the road. Warren isn't afraid of the people, Trump is terrified of them. Go figure.

 

[ObsidianJones]

Inb4 Reddit diversity hires Elizabeth Warren, for BLM

The low hanging fruit was Rachel Dolezal, so I commend you for not going for it.

That out of the way, the problem with this is that I don't encapsulate black culture. Nor does Donald Trump encapsulate what it means to be white. George Takei isn't the authority on Asians, and Hillary isn't the end all, be all on what it is to be white.

I grew up in the ghetto. I was on McGraw Ave, on the Parkchester Station of the 6 Line. And I was super fortunate. I was born to successful parents who moved us out of there when I was just becoming a teen. And before then, they had me in a private school. I was on a path that my literal next door neighbors couldn't afford.

My viewpoint is tempered with chances, opportunities, and a manner of conversing that stems from these absolute gifts. Many don't consider me 'black' because I was privileged.

But like the Rogue Wolf pointed out, I had my fair share of guns pointed at me. And the majority of them were by the cops.

I get the intention. But I think it's more about open leadership than anything else. Keep your position, and invite more people to the table. Give them editorial powers or anything that you think would be enough to start reflecting the prism that is our way of life. The voice of the white person doesn't need to be silenced because of how blacks are treated in this world. There are plenty of white voices speaking up against it. Add them all together until we speak as one. Then nothing can drown us out.

 

[Revnak]

AT least she was out protesting, unlike Ben Carson.

She has been at this for a while now.. this was in 2015:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/09/27/elizabeth-warren-just-gave-the-speech-that-black-lives-matter-activists-have-been-waiting-for/

AND here we have a president who is afraid of the protesters. He had to use the military to " get the people away from him" before he would even cross the road. Warren isn't afraid of the people, Trump is terrified of them. Go figure.

I... I really didn’t expect this angle of defense? Good, uh, for her. There’s hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of people protesting. That doesn’t make them black. Listen, I was just making a joke.

The low hanging fruit was Rachel Dolezal, so I commend you for not going for it.

My poster’s honor would never allow me to make a joke that dated.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

He got ran out and went for brownie points, obviously.

 

[lil devils x]

I... I really didn’t expect this angle of defense? Good, uh, for her. There’s hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of people protesting. That doesn’t make them black. Listen, I was just making a joke.

My poster’s honor would never allow me to make a joke that dated.

LOL! I am not saying she should be hired. I am just saying she has done more to help black causes than Ben Carson. It isn't just about "hiring any black person" if they actually want to have the black experience impact their content. As ObsidianJones points out, just hiring anyone due to the shade of their tan isn't going to accomplish their objective here.

 

[Agema]

"Likely", maybe. But "assured"? No.

Every single new hire in the world is about getting someone "likely" to do the job, because the only proof you can ever have is how they perform when they do the job.

However, I think getting people into the top is only a small part of the solution. What you actually need are voices integrated into the entirety of the organisational structure, and ensuring they can be heard.

 

[tstorm823]

However, I think getting people into the top is only a small part of the solution. What you actually need are voices integrated into the entirety of the organisational structure, and ensuring they can be heard.

The problem of that is that I'm pretty sure the most efficient way to be heard on reddit is to pretend to be a woman and complain about sexism on twoXchromosomes.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

The low hanging fruit was Rachel Dolezal, so I commend you for not going for it.

That out of the way, the problem with this is that I don't encapsulate black culture. Nor does Donald Trump encapsulate what it means to be white. George Takei isn't the authority on Asians, and Hillary isn't the end all, be all on what it is to be white.

I grew up in the ghetto. I was on McGraw Ave, on the Parkchester Station of the 6 Line. And I was super fortunate. I was born to successful parents who moved us out of there when I was just becoming a teen. And before then, they had me in a private school. I was on a path that my literal next door neighbors couldn't afford.

My viewpoint is tempered with chances, opportunities, and a manner of conversing that stems from these absolute gifts. Many don't consider me 'black' because I was privileged.

But like the Rogue Wolf pointed out, I had my fair share of guns pointed at me. And the majority of them were by the cops.

I get the intention. But I think it's more about open leadership than anything else. Keep your position, and invite more people to the table. Give them editorial powers or anything that you think would be enough to start reflecting the prism that is our way of life. The voice of the white person doesn't need to be silenced because of how blacks are treated in this world. There are plenty of white voices speaking up against it. Add them all together until we speak as one. Then nothing can drown us out.

Unfortunately you're too reasonable a person to be listened to Obsidion.

He got ran out and went for brownie points, obviously.

HAR.

 

[Agema]

The problem of that is that I'm pretty sure the most efficient way to be heard on reddit is to pretend to be a woman and complain about sexism on twoXchromosomes.

And the most efficient way to get ahead in life is to pay no attention at all to Reddit...

 

[Houseman]

Every single new hire in the world is about getting someone "likely" to do the job, because the only proof you can ever have is how they perform when they do the job.

I agree. I only meant that judging what is 'likely' about a person based on the color or their skin, alone, is at least racial profiling.

The better way to do this is to ask interview questions.

Besides, I thought discriminating based on ethnicity was illegal?

 

[Specter Von Baren]

I agree. I only meant that judging what is 'likely' about a person based on the color or their skin, alone, is at least racial profiling.

The better way to do this is to ask interview questions.

Besides, I though discriminating based on ethnicity was illegal?

As with most things in life, it is until it isn't.

 

[Agema]

I agree. I only meant that judging what is 'likely' about a person based on the color or their skin, alone, is at least racial profiling.

I would consider it a very safe bet that a black person has experience of what it is to be a black person. It might not be the exact sort of black person's experience that a company might want insight into, of course.

Besides, I thought discriminating based on ethnicity was illegal?

It usually is. But there will be ways to make a job description that may effectively benefit races. For instance, if you include as part of a job desription liaising with a certain community, the chances are that someone from that community is more likely to have experience or otherwise demonstrate familiarity with it that would be useful to meet requirements.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Johnny Novgorod said:
He got ran out and went for brownie points, obviously.

HAR.

Christ, just made the connection.