White Privilege and Your Value

As a child growing up, my parents always instilled in my mind that I could do anything or be anything even if they didn't believe it was completely true.  Why wouldn't believe it, you ask?  Because they both grew up in the rural South in the early 1930's----need I say more?

Of course, I was crazy enough to believe my parents but what I discovered was I lacked the one thing that could open ANY door, ANYWHERE, ANY TIME.  The difference between me and my white friends is PRIVILEGE and white fathers always figure out how to use the system of systemic racism to give their children the advantage:

A  father said to his daughter “You have graduated with honors, here is a car I bought many years ago. It is pretty old now. But before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them I want to sell it and see how much they offer you for it.”

The daughter went to the used car lot, returned to her father and said, “They offered me $1,000 because the said it looks pretty worn out.”

The father said, now “Take it to the pawn shop.” The daughter went to the pawn shop, returned to her father and said,”The pawn shop offered only $100 because it is an old car.”

The father asked his daughter to go to a car club now and show them the car. The daughter then took the car to the club, returned and told her father,” Some people in the club offered $100,000 for it because it’s a Nissan Skyline R34, it's an iconic car and sought by many collectors”

Now the father said this to his daughter, “The right place values you the right way,” If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means you are in the wrong place. Those who know your value are those who appreciate you......Never stay in a place where no one sees your value.  #whiteprivilege

Blacks and Debt Harassment

If the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau gets its way, a proposed rule would expand how often you and I can be contacted for debt collection.  The proposal includes allowing debt collectors to call people with outstanding bills (primarily medical) more often for each debt in collection.    The proposal would also allow collections to contact you via social media by leaving messages on your Facebook and Twitter pages or by text.  Can you imagine?  .  

As a result of the proposed rule, a survey was conducted to find out how people feel about it: 

• 76 percent oppose allowing debt collectors to leave messages for people in places that are not private---like your job or a relative's phone.

• 74 percent oppose allowing debt collectors to contact them via private direct messaging on Facebook and Twitter.

• 73 percent oppose allowing debt collectors to call them up to 7 times a week.   So, for example, if you have five outstanding debts, you could be called up to 35 times in 6 days (unless they decide to add Sunday). 

This rule would undoubtedly focus on people who are struggling to make ends meet for one reason or another.  One in 5 poll participants says they were contacted by a debt collector within the past month with 1 in 3 being black and an average income of $50,000 or less.

Needless to say, if passed it would amount to government-sanctioned harassment by debt collectors.  And we all know, bad debt equals bad credit for many minorities and debt is the worst poverty.

Just Say NO to Omarosa

There's an old saying that goes something like, "Be careful who you piss off on the way to the top because when you fall there won't be anyone to catch you."

I wonder if Omarosa has heard that saying.  The Apprentice villain, everyone loved to hate, appears to be trying to extend an olive branch to get back in our good graces so we can buy her new book scheduled for release in August.

The woman, who is known in the black community as the Trump loving-ass kisser, has now flipped the script and wants us to support her new book project, which the Publisher claims is a tell-all about the foolishness going on in the White House.  She wants us to empathize with her and the torment she went through the while serving as the Director of Communications for the Office of the Public Liaison.  Yes, this is the same woman who gave a television interview during Trump's campaign and said, "Every critic, every detractor, will have to bow down to President Trump. It’s everyone who’s ever doubted Donald, who ever disagreed, who ever challenged him. It is the ultimate revenge to become the most powerful man in the universe."

So now that she has become his critic, does that mean she will be bowing down as well?

As a black woman it does pain me to speak ill of Omarosa because, Lord knows, we get enough criticism from white America but here is a woman who literally sold her soul to the devil.  If she had done her homework she would've known about Trump's history when it comes to dealing with blacks and other minorities.  (I found it in a Google search) 

Only she knows why she put Trump on a pedestal and tried to stay near his side.  Perhaps she thought it would give her some much needed clout in the high society circles or in that Deplorable Base of blue collar, neo-nazis, skinheads and white supremacists.  Perhaps she saw Trump as a meal ticket to bigger and better opportunities.  Ironically, it was only AFTER she was removed (or left) her position in the White House that she came out and said she felt it was her call to duty to serve in the administration and not to serve Trump personally.    

Whatever Omarosa's reasons were for singing Trump's praises and dissing those of us who would've had her back during the tough times on Pennsylvania Avenue, she must now atone for her sins and maybe she will be forgiven---but not by me. She may be selling but I'm not buying!

And as much as I can't believe I'm saying this:  I hope Trump's base turns their back on her too and calls her out for her disloyalty.

JUST SAY NO TO OMAROSA AND HER NEW BOOK!

Dear Hiring Manager

Recently I saw a posting for a position I previously applied for several months ago.  The job title was:  Development and Communications Officer.  Now based on the job description, I believed I was well qualified but I never got so much as an email acknowledging my letter of application and resume had been received.

Has this ever happened to you?  Have you applied for jobs you knew you could do with your eyes closed---only to be rejected without comment? When you don't get any type of feedback from your letter of application and resume, does it leave you feeling dejected?  You want to know why you weren't considered especially when your credentials seem to line up with their job description.  You want to know what research they did, if any, to determine who they would weed out.  How much did race and age play a factor (in my case)?  Of course, we know employers claim they don't discriminate based on race, gender or age but the real truth of the matter is THEY DO.  The most common way they discriminate is by determining the "whiteness" of your name.  Cody Baker versus LaSchon Jones---get the point.  (Source:  Forbes).  I can't say I've had more than 20 years of experience because that ages me and if I send my resume via gmail the potential employer will clearly see my race because my picture is a part of my profile.

I was attempted to apply for the position again but then I thought about writing this letter to the Hiring Manager:

Dear Hiring Manager:

I see that you recently re-posted the SAME POSITION I applied for several months ago.  Obviously that means you either didn't have any applicants you believed were qualified in your applicant pool or the person(s) you selected to interview didn't quite pan out for one reason or another.  So now you are re-posting the position in hopes of getting a better crop of candidates.

I was tempted to re-apply because I know I am qualified due to the fact that I am a "strategic thinker and team player..."  I also have "superior written and verbal communication skills..."  What I DON'T have is a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration Non Profit Management or related field."  Obviously, my degree in Journalism is irrelevant.  

Ms. Hiring Manager, it would've been nice if you had at least acknowledged my resume the first time around with a note saying something like: 

Beverly, Thank you very much for your interest in Book Harvest and the position of Program Director.  We have received your materials. We will be considering applications over the next several weeks; we regret that we will not be able to interview all candidates.  We will be in touch with you if we need further information. We will notify all applicants once the position has been filled.

Now that was nice and classy and I wasn't really qualified for the position.

Ms. Hiring Manager, I don't want to believe you are using my race and/or my age against me.  I would think you would want someone who has enough "experience" for the detailed job description you listed and since your Organization claims to value diversity, one would think you'd want to demonstrate that in your hiring practices.  That means offering jobs of value to people of color--instead of the typical office worker type.

Since I don't plan to re-apply for the position I just want to take this opportunity to wish you well in your employee search.  Only you know the TRUE REASON I wasn't given an opportunity to interview for the position so may you get what you deserve.

Respectfully submitted,

Beverly Mahone.

Stop Blaming Others for Your Failures Papa John

John "Papa John" Schnatter took a page out of the late Attorney Johnnie Cochran's bag of defense tricks when he pulled out the race card as the blame for his company's drop in pizza sales. To be clear, John didn't come right out and say, "Those black niggas in the NFL are messing up my money" but that's what he implied. 

During a recent conference call with investors, the 55-year-old Schnatter blamed low pizza sales on the NFL Players protest.  You know the protest I'm talking about...where predominately black players are taking a knee during the national anthem to protest the injustices committed against blacks in this country.  Thanks to the ignorance of Donald Trump,the protest got turned into a protest against the anthem itself and the military, which is definitely NOT the case.

During this conference call, Schnatter is quoted as saying "The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle to the players' and owners' satisfaction."  As a result, he says he is pulling ads from some of the NFL games for the remainder of the season.  He blamed a 24 percent drop in his company's stock to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell not being able to control those black players who are exercising their rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.  He, like Trump, has made this an issue about disrespecting the anthem, while closing their eyes to the FACTS behind the ongoing protests. 

Schnatter has, very cleverly (and stupidly) used the NFL protests to cite his company's poor sales performance. The fact that some of his products aren't all that great doesn't seem to be a factor.  I can tell you, first hand, how bad their chicken philly cheese pizza is. Without coming out and blaming it squarely on the black players, he knows the overwhelming majority of protesters are black and they are an easy scapegoat since he can rally the Trump base to be on his side and take up his cause.  And guess what?  That's just what they did!

The day after the Papa John conference call, the white supremacist website, The Daily Stormer, came out and pledged its support for Papa Johns's pizza and posted a photo of a pizza with the swastika symbol displayed with pepperoni.  The called Papa John's the "Official Pizza of the Alt-Right."

I bet Papa John's pizza sales will probably drop even lower.  Whether or not the majority of whites support the NFL black players peaceful protest, I do believe the majority will fail to support the company knowing they are supported by a neo-nazi, racist group.  Schnatter knows that too since he was forced to come out and issue another statement on the matter:

"We condemn racism in all forms and any and all hate groups that support it.  We do not want these individuals or groups to by our pizza."  

TOO LATE!

Perhaps the Trump base will keep Papa John's in business.  After all, he did support Trump's campaign financially. Perhaps the NFL owners will rally to his defense, since he has been the official sponsor of the NFL since 2010 and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, owns at least 100 of the Papa Johns franchises in Texas. 

One thing I do believe is, he has lost the support of the general public and the people on social media will not let him forget it.

Why Twitter Works for Me

I've been on Twitter since 2008.  To date, I have over 5800 followers and I've sent out nearly 50K tweets. (My goal is to reach 100K by the end of this year).

I LOVE TWITTER!  I know many people in my baby boomer age group like the so-called intimacy of Facebook. There you can search out long lost friends, former classmates and lovers and you can even find yourself renewing old rivalries or creating new ones.  Facebook does allow you to interact on a more personal level, however, Twitter allows you to send your messages well beyond the limited contacts you can have on Facebook, which is 5000.  With Twitter, your messages can be possibly seen by hundreds of thousands of people depending on who's in your circle and if you have a circle of trust.

So how do you develop a circle of trust with your followers?  For me, I want the people I'm connected with to know how much I appreciate their decision to follow me and let them know how much I value them by my re-tweets of their posts and general engagement.  I have established my very own Twitter Crew, who are the Rock Stars of my stream.

The problem I see with many folks on Twitter is they are so busy wanting to share all of THEIR good information that they forget the role their followers could play in helping to spread their message. It takes less than 140 characters to greet your followers daily just to let them know they're on your radar.

Once you have established the initial connection, give them a fun fact or positive message to help them get their day started.  I always start my day by saying "Hello" to my "Twitterverse" so they know I am ready to get the Twitter stream party started.  I then acknowledge my most active, engaging followers by giving them a shout out.  Why is this important to me?  Because I know people appreciate acknowledgement.  They want to know you see them when they pop up in your stream.  And even if they don't pop up when you're there, you can still give them a "holla" because they will eventually see it and acknowledge you in return.  More importantly, they will appreciate the fact that you took the time to recognize them during your time on Twitter.

I purposely go to pages of my followers to see what they've tweeted and if it's interesting to me, I will re-tweet it.  I do have some followers who only re-tweet messages from others so I find unique and creative ways to give them a shout out.  I have one follower @jimjavor, who I call my Re-tweet King because he ALWAYS re-tweets my messages.  He is definitely one of my favorites.

The other thing I love about Twitter is being able to connect others to each other.  On a daily basis I give ((shout outs)) and I purposely link people together who should know each other.  One day I'll do authors/writers or health experts.  Sometimes I connect fellow baby boomers and bloggers---just so they know they are connected with someone else who shares their passions and expertise.

The one thing you want to be careful of is people who only follow you because they want to use you and your followers to get their own messages out.  I have those folks in my stream but I am quick to dismiss their intentions when I see they are not actively engaging with us.

As a baby boomer who didn't grow up with social media, I've had a lot to learn and I'm still learning because this platform is every-changing.  Thanks due in part to #45. (but that's another story all together).

My point is when you demonstrate to your followers that you are providing service beyond yourself, they will be more inclined to support your endeavors.  And I have to tell you, I do love it when I get those messages of appreciation for my efforts to expose them to my other followers.  One other fact: Both my books:  How to Get on the News Without Committing Murder and The Baby Boomer Millennial Divide:  Making it Work at Work went to Number 1 because of Twitter. @bevmahone

Recently I received a direct message on Twitter from someone who said they had a difficult time understanding my brand because my my page was so cluttered with tweets of other people. I thought about the message and wondered why I had to be limited to a specific brand.  After all, I'm a baby boomer expert, an author, a veteran journalist, a grandmother, wife, etc.....so I have a variety of subjects I am very well versed in.  Finally, I wrote back saying, "it's all about service to others." Besides, I with my Media/PR background---that's what we do---only I'm doing it for FREE.

Millennials Are Changing the "Business as Usual" Way of Thinking

Whether baby boomers like it or not, a changing of the guard is taking place and millennials are leading the charge.

They are not thinking or behaving the way they are expected to.  Perhaps it's because the "old way" of doing things doesn't work for them.  Most baby boomers had traditions and values passed down to them from their parents.  Not true with millennials because a lot of their baby boomer parents were too busy focusing on careers, keeping up with the Joneses, and being helicopter parents.  

So now we have a generation who is rising up to make their own mark in the world.  And they're doing just that.  It shouldn't surprise us that social media and social media campaigns have inspired them in ways their older parents and grandparents can't seem to understand or appreciate.

For instance, according to an article written by NerdWallet, when a number of young activists learned that Wells Fargo was among those providing financing towards the construction of the South Dakota Access pipeline at Standing Rock, they immediately withdrew their money and deposited it elsewhere.  The same goes for Justin Garrett Moore who transferred all of his savings to a black owned bank and spear-headed a #BankBlack campaign.

Soon television executives, sports owners and venues may feel the brunt of this new millennial power.  A recent report released by L.E.K. Consulting indicates millennial sports fans are bypassing cable television and totally abandoning traditional sports for online video game tournaments and other "eSports." These changes are likely to have implications on viewership for professional sports leagues like the NFL, MLB and NASCAR, and networks like ESPN, Fox Sports and individual teams.

"The old model is under pressure," says Alex Evans, Managing Director in L.E.K.'s Sports practice and a co-author of the study. "Traditional sports organizations rely on TV, especially cable TV, to attract new fans and to generate revenue now through ownership of regional sports networks. But they will likely come under increasing pressure to change their model, especially 5 to 10 years down the road. 

So it looks like OLD habits may not be so hard to break.