The Boston Globe points out that of the 20 largest cities in the U.S., “all but Boston have chosen a black, Latino, or female police commissioner at one time or another.” Now Boston is about to hire a new police commissioner, and the candidates are a black man, a black woman, and three white men.
You will not be surprised to learn that Leonard Atkins, president of the Boston chapter of the NAACP, believes a minority candidate should be hired. But you may be surprised by his assertion that “[t]his is not an affirmative action question.”
This is recognizing that the city of Boston has changed by its population. There are more people of color living in the city. Maybe now is the time that the new commissioner should look like the community that they represent.
If minorities were, well, a minority, then presumably one should be hired as an affirmative action measure. But since they are now a majority (barely, reports the BG: 50.5%, including Asians), the city should hire candidates who “look like the community.”
I think I’ve got it now: the NAACP favors hiring minorities as a matter of policy only when they are in the minority, or when they aren’t.
that’s a really innovative and devasting point. Run with it.
What’s the matter? You want consistency or something? You know that foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
However, it the police commissioner must look like the community then “he” should be a black, Latino, Asian, white, male, female. If then can find someone like that, then by all means hire that person.
Poor Mr. Atkins, it’s a woman!