Election: Referendum 88 is small step toward justice

White folks don’t have to be racists to benefit from the racism that’s built into American society. We often don’t even recognize racism, but our black and brown friends experience it daily.

I was involved in hiring many people during my career. These included two cases where a white candidate was hired instead of a person of color, even though the white candidate was not more qualified.

It was a result of implicit bias in action, despite the employer’s commitment to equal opportunity on paper.

I did not speak up either time. Thus, I was complicit in injustice, something that I regret. And our workplace never got to benefit from the perspectives of those people of color.

Referendum 88/ Initiative 1000 is a small but important step toward countering implicit bias in hiring. Vote yes to expand opportunity and chip away at the racism that harms all of us.

This story was originally published October 31, 2019 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Election: Referendum 88 is small step toward justice."