Cisco Fires Employees That Question Black Lives Matter During Company-Wide Racism Discussion
In early June, dutifully doing its part to virtue signal along with the rest of the world, Cisco Systems hosted an "all hands on deck" meeting on race, hosted via videoconference. In the comments of the online forum, visible to everyone, some workers questioned the Black Lives Matter movement and were subsequently fired from their jobs, proving once again that you can have an opinion, as long as it's the right opinion.
Chief Executive Officer Chuck Robbins talked with Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, who is black, and Bryan Stevenson, a black lawyer and author who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, during the company's June 1 meeting in front of 30,000 employees, according to Bloomberg.
Several people spoke out online against Black Lives Matter during these online forums. For example, one employee wrote: “Black lives don’t matter. All lives matter,” while another wrote that BLM "reinforces racism". A third employee commented: “People who complain about racism probably have been a racist somewhere else to people from another race or part of systematic oppression in their own community!”
Cisco says it fired a "handful" of workers for "inappropriate conduct" because it won't tolerate racism. It also, apparently, won't tolerate its employees opinions.
The "incident" at Cisco (read: people expressing well reasoned opinions) has been a microcosm of similar situations at other silicon valley companies, who are left to try and figure out how to posture to the public they are concerned about racism, while at the same time not laying off their entire staff. Some believe that protests at companies could be next if employees aren't "trained" to think the right way.
Kristen Clarke, the president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said: “Employers should be striving for zero tolerance when it comes to racism and discrimination, period. The protests we’ve seen in the streets have become part of our new normal and will eventually make their way inside workplaces if employers fail to meet the moment.”
Cisco said that ultimately 237 comments of the 10,400 made during the videoconference "objected to what was being presented", while the majority of comments praised management. On the video call, Cisco's CEO was announcing a $5 million donation to "groups combating racism".
Francine Katsoudas, Cisco’s executive vice president and chief people officer, said: “I just felt sad to see it. I felt a ton of empathy. I knew that for the African-American and Black employees that were in the meeting, that it was heartbreaking to see that.”
The remarks were apparently so offensive they were "seared in the minds of some Black employees," according to Bloomberg. One employee commented: “Wow…and these people work at Cisco?” If they are bold enough to say those things at work for all to see, imagine what is said behind closed doors.”
Yeah, it could be <gasp> differing opinions!
“We still have work to do as a nation. I pray my daughters have a better world to live in soon,” another employee said.
Meanwhile, we pray our children have a world where their first amendment right hasn't completely disintegrated over the next few years. But with the direction things are moving, it doesn't look promising...
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Some prejudices come from personal experiences rather than ignorance or stupidity. In my case it was experience with "The Man", which has led to distrust, no "true prejudice".
That may not make sense to some folks, while those who have had the experience will understand completely.
And certainly the present situation has become a real mess, with many folks seeing prejudice where none is intended. Hence my reference to "the perpetually offended."
A whole lot of folks need to adopt that advice to "Let It Slide."
Certainly we all have the right to our own opinions, As long as we keep them to ourselves. It is very difficult to avoid offending the perpetually offended, and this is what many folks fail to consider.
Certainly Black Lives Matter, and ALL lives matter, as well. It is also not in one's best interest to go up against "The Man" without a large army providing close backup. As those dismissed have discovered. There was no alternative available to the Cisco management, was there???
It is obvious that there is still prejudice and bias around, it is far less clear about the way to remove it. Force and violence can often win a battle but seldom win the war.
And it is important to understand that an event large enough to effect an immediate radical change will certainly have many other effects as well. This is why it is a poor choice to attack flies with grenades, as an example.
The whole situation has become such a mess. It's ridiculous that "all lives matter" is racist. Of course all lives matter, including black lives. It's also hypocritical when black people decry racsism against blacks but then go on to make anti-semitic statements. Just last week we saw this from Ice Cube, DeSean Jackson and others.
I asked a a black friend about this and he explained to me that of course all lives matter, but that if you look at the number of police encounters with people of color, they disproportionally end up with the person dead. So when they are saying Black Lives Matter, they obviously aren't saying other lives don't. Just that black lives matter too!
Yes, I agree. Kareem Abdul Jabbar called them out and had a wonderful response to this:
www.hollywoodreporter.com/.../kareem-abdul-jabbar-is-outrage-anti-semitism-sports-hollywood-1303210