Society for Human Resource Management

March 17, 2008

Paterson Caught in Crossfire of Diversity, Politics

By Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR

The list of 2008 U.S. presidential candidates sometimes sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: “A black, a woman, a Mormon and an evangelical walk into a bar. …” Yet the public, and the media, never seems to lose interest in focusing on the differences political candidates bring to the table.

The latest victim of the diversity in politics spotlight is David A. Paterson, who became governor of New York in the wake of Eliot Spitzer’s sudden resignation. A sampling of how Paterson was portrayed by various news media immediately following the March 12 announcement makes this clear:

“Paterson, 53, will become the first black governor in the state and the fourth in U.S. history. The former state Senate minority leader, who is legally blind, is the son of Basil Paterson, a longtime Democratic operative in New York City.” --CNN

“A Harlem Democrat who is legally blind, Paterson, 53, will serve out the nearly three years remaining on Spitzer’s term, becoming New York’s first black governor.” --The Washington Post

“Mr. Paterson, 53, is scheduled to become the state’s 55th governor on Monday. He will be the state’s first black governor and the third black governor of any state since Reconstruction.” --The New York Times

The Times waited until the end of its story to mention Paterson’s vision.

Doug Wilder — the first black governor in the United States, now mayor of Richmond, Va. — is another case in point. He is rarely mentioned without some sort of reference to his having been a “first.”

But such descriptions are by no means limited to black politicians. On the same day Spitzer resigned, for example, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released a statement congratulating Indiana Democrat Andre Carson, who will replace his late grandmother in representing that state’s 7th district in Congress, for being the “second Muslim in Congress.” The other Muslim in Congress is Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.

“We offer congratulations to Representative Carson, whose election demonstrates the strength of our political system and the growing positive role of American Muslims in our society,” said Corey Saylor, legislative director for CAIR, in the press release.

Some may wonder why an organization that strives to “promote civil rights, diversity and freedom of religion” has chosen to call attention to Carson’s religious beliefs, spotlighting a characteristic which makes him different from those with whom he will serve.

Yet a similar statement was issued by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) in the wake of the Spitzer/Paterson announcement: “David Paterson has been making history since the beginning of his career, and challenging public perceptions about what it means to have a disability,” said Carl R. Augusto, AFB’s president and CEO, in the press release. “Paterson has shown the world that people with vision loss can lead full and independent lives — running marathons, being a great father and husband, and becoming a major political leader.”

Why Such Firsts Are Announced

Anybody running for office as a Muslim finds that the faith card gets played whether they want it to be or not, Saylor told SHRM Online.

“At the end of the day, both for Ellison and Carson, it says great things about the American society,” he continued, because most Americans were introduced to the Muslim faith as a result of Sept. 11. Saylor’s hope is that being a Muslim will one day no longer be seen as a liability in a political campaign — “because it clearly is now.”

Saylor noted that politicians contribute to the emphasis on differences by participating in groups such as the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Still, advocates look forward to the day when a woman, Mormon, Muslim, Hispanic or person with a disability can attain public office without being lauded as the “first” from their group to do so.

“Eventually there will be so many different types of people who will ascend the political or corporate ladder that people won’t even notice these kinds of firsts,” Augusto told SHRM Online.

As for AFB’s choice to laud Paterson as a blind leader, Augusto says it provides his organization with an opportunity to shatter myths and stereotypes about blindness.

“The biggest problem with blindness is not the blindness itself or the functional limitations, it is societal reactions, the myths, the pity, the superman or beggar perception,” he says, noting that he experiences such reactions himself “as a blind person who uses a cane.”

“Eventually the fact that [Paterson is] blind and black won’t make a difference,” Augusto says. “There are some people who will be motivated and inspired by his example.”

Augusto hopes Paterson’s powerful and visible role will cause employers to take a closer look at applicants who are blind or visually impaired rather than “finding a way to reject them.”

Why Differences Are Newsworthy

Politicians — like movie and television stars — are subject to intense personal scrutiny, as every facet of their lives is considered relevant for constituents to examine in their quest to determine a candidate’s suitability for a particular role.

One possible explanation for the discussion of non-job-related differences between political candidates can be found in the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), suggests Peter Bye, a member of the Society for Human Resource Management’s Workplace Diversity Special Expertise Panel and president of MDB Group Inc., a diversity and inclusion consulting firm. The DMIS was created by Dr. Milton Bennett as a way to explain the reactions people have to cultural differences.

Bye says Bennett found that most people tend to be aware of culture based primarily on visible differences such as dress, customs, food, celebrations and the arts. As a result, these people will tend to minimize differences in favor of a belief that society is beyond racism and other -isms, he says.

“People at this stage may point to the differences in our political candidates and office holders as examples of our values at work,” Bye says, as if to say “We’re all alike, so it is OK that someone is (fill in the blank). In fact, she/he is an example of our system of equal opportunity at work.”

But Bye says others may have an “us vs. them” view of cultural differences and display such polarizing beliefs in the form of intolerance or general discomfort. “A sample thought from this perspective might be, ‘This person is (fill in the blank), and that makes me uncomfortable,’ ” he says.

Still others might even point out the differences in political candidates and office holders as evidence of how the country is benefiting from richer perspectives, Bye says. Their thoughts might be expressed as “This person is (fill in the blank), and I appreciate that she/he may offer new ideas and perspectives in part due to their different background.”

Given this range of reactions to differences — from disinterest to defensiveness to acceptance — it is easy to see how public portrayals can impact perceptions.

“Sometimes, in identifying the difference, the intent is vastly different than the impact,” says Grace Odums, an independent consultant in Philadelphia. For example, she says, Spitzer was never identified as a white male during the news coverage of his alleged involvement with prostitutes, yet Paterson has been repeatedly identified by his race and disability.

Though the intent might be to share information, the impact of references to race — particularly when an individual is accused of wrongdoing — is to label an entire group for an individual’s actions, she says.

“We’ve made it a point of identifying differences as handicaps,” Odums says, in part because those in power have closed doors to those perceived as different. “And now America is recognizing that there is a vast pool of talent at every level — from executive to front line — and they happen to be African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics, or have some physical difference.”

Instead of debating whether a candidate is qualified based on race or other protected class, Odums’ advice is simple: “Let a person prove they are capable of doing the job and doing it well without all this peripheral consideration.”

Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR, is online editor/manager of SHRM’s Diversity Focus Area.

Related Articles:

Campaign for Fewer Political Debates at Work, HR News, Jan. 24, 2008

The Paralysis of Political Correctness, HR Magazine, November 2007

Taking Diversity Management to the Next Level, SHRM Online Diversity Focus Area, June 2006