Anyone can have prejudice. People judge everyday. I laugh at people that say minorities can't be racist because they've been victims of it. Malcolm X was one of the most racist activists during the Civil Rights movement but even he was able to change his heart. I'm not a fan of Malcolm X but he hated white people mainly because of what happened to his father but he changed his ways by preaching peace and tolerance rather than hatred and force. Now if only Al Sharpton could change. And when it comes to racism, isn't a little racist to automatically ask a minority for their opinion or view on race matters and issues? If that person was white, no one would be asking for an opinion. Don't even get me started on affirmative action. Affirmative action is straight up racism. It basically says white people never suffer and have been born with wealth and riches. It also says that minorities are stupid and need help because of what they look like. It's like no matter what a minority does, they aren't good enough so they need help. That is incredibly racist. Shouldn't people be allowed a chance to do things on their own?
Depends on how you approach the situation. Asking a black person why black people like fried chicken and watermelon (a stereotype) is very different than asking questions to gain insight on diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion, as well as cultural competence is a necessary skill for leaders- not just for white people, but for everybody. Actually, asking a minority to whom the circumstance applies would mean that you're interested in becoming culturally competent, not racist. White people can't speak to minority issues, just like black people (most likely) cannot speak to the holocaust. Who better to give insight than those directly involved? Chances are that if OP had life experience with diversity and.....hell even one conversation about racial issues with a black person he would've known that he was dead wrong in this situation and it would've ended badly. He would've also known how to navigate the situation more appropriately. There are just things that should not be said regarding race, and someone with experience with black people would know.
What if that was a team member and not a peer that he said that stuff too? I can't even begin to imagine the liability that Target would face if the TM complained. I Imagine the press headline would be something like: "Target manager tells black employee that racism is all in her head" this would be a PR nightmare. This was inappropriately handled on all fronts.
Affirmative action exists due to the disadvantage that minority races have experienced. Some organizations want diversity to be represented. Affirmative Action is usually enforced in institutions that are not diverse, some organizations are trying to avoid segregation to show that America is moving forward and Affirmative Action helps them measure how they are doing. I definitely agree that not all white people are privileged, however historically statistics show that minorities have been disadvantaged in much higher proportion to whites.
The example with the GSA is........... interesting.
@Barcode presented the idea of personality , team perception, and performance in all other areas as a qualifier for preferential treatment. Unfortunately, that explanation would not hold up in court; however, the discrepancy in coaching documentation would be hard evidence against spot. If the store does have racial tension, the team would be more receptive to GSA 1, regardless of GSA 2's personality.
