White male only diversity training.

[FreedRadical]

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/07/portland_mayor_charlie_hales_p_3.html

The city of Portland is sending 16 white male employees and managers, including Mayor Charlie Hales and Police Chief Mike Reese, to a three-day diversity training conference at a Mt. Hood-area resort this week

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/07/white_male_diversity_training.html

Organizers of a three-day $56,000 diversity training program for 16 Portland employees say there's a reason it's being held near Mount Hood.

Henry Moreno, marketing director for the Portland-based White Men as Full Diversity Partners, said the multi-day events are meant to be "immersive" and allow the participants to stay focused and attentive.

Holding the conference at Portland City Hall or elsewhere could be disruptive, he said, so the organization typically looks for sites that are more "residential" than a City Hall conference room.


I am posting this and reserving judgment. I am more interested with bringing the discussion to DU and seeing how it plays out.

[immoderate]

1. Makes sense. Do women, blacks, latinos, etc., need to learn how to be diverse?

Throw in some good catering, scenic surroundings -- that's what I call diversity!

--imm

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Yes, they need to learn as well.

[immoderate]

12. Would you recommend the same place you received training?

On edit: I may have misinterpreted your post. Not sure who they are. But I think we're mostly in agreement. That is what they're doing can't hurt. I was only being semi-sardonic.


--imm

[Behind the Aegis]

14. I got training all over the place.

Your point?

[immoderate]

23. As I said on edit above...

My point is, it couldn't hurt to have these people get the training.

To "equalize" distribution of these resources smacks of every small town getting its very own troop carrier, when they lined up for homeland security money. But I am aware of your position from reading downthread. And I don't differ.

--imm

[Behind the Aegis]

24. Ok, now I understand what you are saying.

I see a benefit in segregated diversity training...up to a point. And seeing as you saw my other posts, you know I have a serious problem with the allocation of that type of money for a single diversity training that is so specific to one group. Hell, I have a problem with that much money anyway! I have done sessions for way fucking less. My most expensive training I di was about $600 and that included my airfare! Wow, that really tells you how long ago that was...let me go get my walker.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. Haven't read down thread yet

But I would agree with you. Everyone should take it to up their sensitivity chip.

[randys1]

51. Hold it on St. Thomas and I will be there lickety split

[JustAnotherGen]

53. Naaah

Let's all go to Costa Rica!

[randys1]

54. Been there, ready to go back, in fact ready to move there permanently

[JustAnotherGen]

56. Us too

Small piece of land and a micro house. Surfing and fishing all day long!

[randys1]

57. You rented or you own?

I am ready to move there, maybe we could get a coop and buy something, live like hippies

[JustAnotherGen]

62. We are gonna buy land

A commune co-op is not a bad idea. Green small/micro houses, a garden, sharing boat. It's a plan! We saw a house plan for 420 feet. How much do you need?

[immoderate]

30. To be fair, money goes for lodging, food and transportation as well.

The trainer doesn't wind up with it. I've played both ends of the business. Done some training, though not in diversity. And I've participated in a few post graduate programs. One of those was executed by a couple of professors that could have just as well have run a tour agency.

--imm

[Aerows]

47. Yes, they do

Ignorance and intolerance comes in all colors, shapes, sizes, sexualities, religions and circumstances. We could all learn to love and respect one another a little more.

[conservaphobe]

6. Yes. Ignorance comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. nt

[bigwillq]

9. Yes

Everyone could benefit from this type of training.

[TygrBright]

3. Waiting for Onion headline: "SCOTUS Justices to Bohemian Grove for 'Diversity Training'" n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

4. The only thing to which I object is the price tag!

Sometimes, segregated diversity training can be quite useful, but the trainer should also be a white male and should "expect the worst, hope for the best, so as not to be surprised."

I see no reason though to spend that type of money. That's obscene.

[unblock]

5. what, budget cuts? last year's all white male "diversity training" conference was in aruba!

/onlyhalfkidding

[BainsBane]

7. It should be for everyone

People can display personal prejudice in all kinds of ways they may not be aware of.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Traditionally, yes. Especially at that price!

However, there is something to be said for segregated diversity training.

[BainsBane]

16. Think about all the ways you'd have to break it down

To be comprehensive: gender, race, religion, country of origin, sexuality, cis (is that the right term?) . . .

$56k? Looks like a good business to get into.

[Behind the Aegis]

20. But I think that could be a really good experience.

Labor intensive, yes. Also, it could be difficult to find all the needed trainers as many are multi-identities.

The price tag set me back too. Granted, I have seen speaker's fees like that for a single session, but I have attended and put on a number of diversity training sessions for way fucking less! I would say a good average for diversity training is about $3000 (that includes speaker and materials). It can be a lucrative business if you find the right niche.

[Quantess]

8. Maybe they wanted to save money?

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. Are free beer and fishing included? n/t

[BainsBane]

17. That's after the trip to the strip club.

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. I would be unable to take seriously...

... any special training deemed necessary by virtue of the color and configuration of my naughty bits.

[JustAnotherGen]

29. Or my wobbly ones!

[snooper2]

31. no- strip club is always last on the agenda

come on!

[BainsBane]

35. Of course you're right

It's been a few years since I've done a sensitivity training. I forgot the schedule.

[Warren DeMontague]

40. And it's been a few years since I've been to a strip club.

... it's totally not my scene.

Maybe if I was Vegan?

http://www.yelp.com/biz/casa-diablo-vegan-strip-club-portland

[BainsBane]

42. Now I see why you love Portland

Pretty much every travel guide suggests you check out Portland's strip clubs, since they are the strip club capitol of the world

[Warren DeMontague]

46. There are, like, 2 or 3 vegan strip clubs in Portland. It's also the only city in the US, I think

where "pirate" is widely considered a legitimate alternative lifestyle.

I'm serious, though, I've only been to a strip club once in my entire life, and it was for a Bachelor party. It's not my scene.

And back in my boozing days, the last place I was going to hang out was somewhere where I'd have to pay 20 bucks for a watered down drink.

[BainsBane]

50. We have vegan donuts

I don't know about vegan strip clubs. I find it kind of amazing that a city could sustain three.

The inner city neighborhoods here have worked hard to get the strip clubs out. The Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul now has a library where the strip club used to be, a triumph of community activism. The problem isn't the clubs themselves but what they attract to the neighborhood.

[Warren DeMontague]

59. I suspect- without a ton of knowledge either way, mind you- the dynamic here is different.

But that goes for a lot of stuff.

[BainsBane]

61. How those things typically worked

was that cities were zoned so that strip clubs and porn places (this was pre-internet) were put in poor neighborhoods, often population by significant numbers of people of color. That guys come in from the suburbs to frequent those places, hire prostitutes who work the areas, and buy drugs. In the process, the locals get treated like shit-- like in the case of children who the guys try to hire for sex. They don't give a fuck about anyone in the neighborhood because they go back to their cushy suburban world while the people in the city are left with the fallout. Fortunately, neighborhood coalitions rose up to fight back against that shit. Immigrants moved in and started up businesses (restaurants, etc...) and those neighborhoods have been revitalized.

The vegan donuts are in one such neighborhood--the one I grew up in. Now there is even a yoga studio.

[MannyGoldstein]

55. Ha! Massachusetts voters can *register* as Pirates

http://mobile.rawstory.com/all/2011-03-07-massachusetts-voters-can-now-register-as-pirates

Arrgh.

[Warren DeMontague]

60. As well they should, matey.

First rule of the sea;

[Nye Bevan]

13. White males get to go on an all-expenses paid trip to a swanky resort

while the minorities and women hold the fort back at the office.

Doesn't feel right to me.

[randys1]

52. Good point...could be just an excuse to goof off and have fun...

[dilby]

15. Bunch of White Guys at a Country Club what could possibly go wrong?

I heard they talked diversity while playing a whites only round of golf.

[upaloopa]

19. You just said they were at a training for white guys

Should they bring in other races for the golf rounds?

[dilby]

22. Yeah, it's like the klan saying their rally was a diversity training.

Take a bunch of white guys who need diversity training and put them in an environment with no diversity at a country club playing golf and what you get is status quo. Sorry just have a hard time seeing how you discuss inclusiveness when your at an exclusive event where minorities were not invited.

[upaloopa]

25. I take diversity training twice a year

I work for a county government. We have training in race, gender, enthicity, nationality, sexual orientation and just about anything that could become an impediment to giving service to clients. None of those people are at the training it is called cultural competence.

[snooper2]

32. none of what people, gender people or sexual orientation people?

[upaloopa]

33. The people we are learning to be culturally aware of.

We don't learn from them it is a course like in a class room setting.
The last one I took was cultural awareness of transgender persons.
We did not have a transgender person present but we learned what we are to do

[ismnotwasm]

26. It's required as part of on-hire training where I work for everyone.

We have a very diverse population. As a nurse, we take a cultural competency course every year. This is important because things like touch and eye contact are very uncomfortable for some cultures. There are also cultures were it is very shameful to be seen nude by the opposite sex. We do have some male nurses and we accommodate this as best as we can for the males. There are many examples of the need for cultural competence, but nursing is still mostly women, and run by women.

I find this interesting:

According to Hales' office, the training focuses on eliminating racism, sexism and homophobia in organizations. The 16 staffers will be at the conference from 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

The Portland-based White Men as Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP) chose to host the training at The Resort at the Mountain in Welches at the foot of Mt. Hood.

"Most of the city's top administration is white and male," a Hales spokesperson said in an email. "In order to address inequities in the city, the white male leadership needs a deep understanding of the Portland community in its wholeness and complexity."

The company's website says it has 15 years of experience in the industry. "With a vast majority of American corporations led by white men, diversity and inclusion efforts cannot simply be relegated to people of color, white women, and other frequently marginalized groups," the website says.

So, it would be interesting to know the cultural makeup of the company, and whether the employees were required or volunteered for the training,

[whistler162]

34. Given that it is the city of Portland

it is likely to be very diverse!

[BainsBane]

37. Sounds like a boondoggle to me.

Something tells me we'll be reading about this again when work gets out about what actually went on there.

[Warren DeMontague]

41. I believe the Oregonian had an op-ed by the guy runnning the program, a few days ago.

For obvious reasons he could be considered to have a vested interest in the debate, but he is an AA gentleman.

[FreedRadical]

44. I hadn't heard that...

But then I pretty much have nothing to do with the Oregonian, useless rag that it be.

http://www.wmfdp.com/wmfdp-founders-bill-proudman-coo-diversity-efforts.html

[Warren DeMontague]

45. Oh, it was bad before, but now it's a fucking joke.

I tried to cancel our subscription when they fired half the staff and they gave me basically a free year, so we still get it. But it's worthless now.

[Squinch]

27. SO because these morons are too stupid to tune into what's all around them all the time, they get an

all expense paid vacation???

[KamaAina]

36. They should hire whoever did the diversity training on The Office

in which Post-its were stuck to everyone's forehead to tell everyone else what you were supposed to be, and act accordingly; for instance, if your Post-it said "Jamaican", someone might come up and say "Hey mon! You feelin' irie?"

[gollygee]

38. I think it could have been at a more humble location, but

I've been to a few anti-racism training things and different organizations seem to like to do it differently. At one, we were racially mixed part of the time and split into racial groups part of the time. I think the idea is that people are sometimes more open and dig deeper that way. I have no opinion on which way is best but it isn't unusual to have an all-white group, and I assume an all-white and all-men one would also make sense if the training included gender diversity.

[Warren DeMontague]

39. You're talking about a city where there often isn't enough money to fix potholes.

You want to be driving over the Morrison bridge during the naked bike ride and have some naked unicylcist with a handlebar mustache hit a rock and fly into the windshield of your Subaru Outback?



I don't.

Seriously, I think the objections here aren't so much to the idea that these white male city poo-bahs got diversity training, but rather an eyebrow or two was raised at the fact that this diversity training smells to the untrained nose an awful lot like a cushy 60K weekend junket.

[betsuni]

43. "Heaviest is the pain I feel when I recognize my unconscious

contribution to oppression." Alarums and excursions! Privilege is wasted on the wrong people.

[petronius]

48. I feel seriously ripped off here!

I work for a state entity too, but I only get to go to my training sessions on-line. I'm sure I could be much more sensitive if I got to go to a resort instead of work for a few days...

[Initech]

49. Diversity? Why I believe it's a very old wooden ship from the Civil War era.

[dballance]

58. I live in PDX and I'm not going to say the PPB doesn't need this sort of training. They do.

Like most police forces around the country our police bureau has long been a bastion of white males. When you get together a bunch of people of one race and one gender in a sector I'm pretty sure it is inevitable human nature that they will begin to disparage those outside their group. Again, I do not see this a shortcoming of any particular individual. I see it as human nature that was part of our evolution that allowed us to survive. We survived by protecting and aiding OUR tribe and by defeating or minimizing OTHER tribes. That's still wired into us. Though we should be able to overcome it.

However, I believe they could have done the training at a downtown hotel so it would be off-site and not disruptive by being in the offices of the Mayor or the Police Bureau.

Of course, if this is actually supposed to be "immersive" and get them away from everything so they can concentrate on the courses I'm going to do my best to give them a pass.

It does, however, reek of white guys going to play golf. I'd love to have a mic on them during the inevitable outings that will happen and see just how well the training is going toward having an effect.