The Great Divide: Reaction Open Doors To People Of All Colors Population Is Changing, But Racial Beliefs Are Not

In 1978 Seattle was a welcome change from the frantic pace of the large New England cities. The Smith Tower, now dwarfed in a forest of skyscrapers, was the tallest building. Cars came to an immediate halt when pedestrians stepped into the street and people smiled at strangers.

That has changed now. Crossing a downtown street is an act of faith. Traveling from one place to another by car is an all-day test of nerves. People act towards each other as if they have been standing in line too long.

Enter Spokane, small and friendly. Traffic is manageable and people carry on pleasant conversations with passing strangers. Police are not posted in grocery stores and taking a bus is not life-threatening. However, beneath the smiles is a disturbing undercurrent that, for a person of color, quickly surfaces.

People of color are not hired in Spokane. Although people of color made up 6.13 percent of Spokane’s population during the 1990 Census, only 4.7 percent were employed compared with 95.1 percent of the European-Americans who made up 94.6 percent of the overall population.

The 1995 population estimates from the Office of Financial Management show an increase in the population of people of color and a decrease in the number of European-Americans. This change is evident in the report card on equity for the Spokane School District 81, which shows a 1 percent increase in the number of students of color from 1992 to 1994.

I moved to Spokane 25 months ago. As a 44-year-old African-American woman with many years of work history and experience, excellent references, and a master of arts degree in education, I have been unable to find employment, even as a receptionist or a file clerk. (I did not list my advanced degrees for these positions).

I have been asked what I am doing wrong. So I sent resumes for four open positions in Seattle and was called to interview for all four. Yet in Spokane, I have yet to be interviewed.

Is it that I am doing something wrong or is Spokane unwilling to hire me as the statistics illustrate?

If Spokane is to survive its own growth and population changes and hopes to remain vital in the coming century, it must examine itself for racial beliefs, conscious and unconscious, and hiring and promotion practices.

MEMO: Nancy Nelson is a teacher of African-American issues and history, using music and storytelling.