HYDE PARK HERALD  EDITORIAL

Diversity Officer? What? 

What? What? The Obama Presidential Center is looking for what? They put out a Request For Proposal to hire what? A professional Diversity Officer? You’re kidding.

Like some of our readers who read our story, we read the press release from the Obama Foundation and were bemused and confused. This worldly-wise crew at the Obama Foundation does not know how to run a diversity program?

Well we always want to be helpful so:
Rule No. 1 – Find out early who really owns the company your are going to contract with because false diversity ownership —.

Wait a minute. “Stop already” says our conscience. Stop making fun.

And we respond: They are just out there trying to solve a political problem. They rode into town assuming everyone would be glad to see them, and everyone was, but some people in the neighborhood wanted a legal Community Benefits Agreement that would assure the surrounding neighborhood of jobs set-aside, promotion and benefits of local businesses, etc.

And, as the Herald pointed out last week, Obama himself got caught in a “Trust me” moment at a public dialogue saying he would not sign an agreement but the foundation was going to do all the things requested in the agreement. And with a little of that flack floating around after that meeting, the foundation announces it is looking for a Diversity Officer.

Are you being fair, asks the conscience? What now?, we respond.

Answer two questions, says the noise in our head:

Question 1: What is the first thing they are going to do?

Build a building, we respond.

Question 2: Who builds buildings?

The construction trade. OK, OK, hire a Diversity Professional.