Ohio Gov. John Kasich Sees Nothing Wrong With All-White Cabinet

John Kasich

Occasionally there are some news stories that just leave you open-mouthed with wonder. And that is how I felt when I heard the news that Ohio Gov. John Kasich recently named an all-white cabinet. This is the first time this has happened in more than 40 years.

It is not surprising that a Republican would be so blind about the issue of race, that he saw nothing wrong with an all-white cabinet in a state that has a 15 percent minority population.

When quizzed about his curious decision, Kasich fell back on a response often heard from white people when pressed about their monocultural office environments. He said that he wanted to get hire, “the best people.”

So is the governor saying that he couldn’t find any qualified Black, Latino or Asians candidates for these cabinet-level positions? Is he implying that people of color are not qualified?

Sadly Kasich doesn’t seem to understand how having an all-white executive team hurts his state. Apart offerning Ohioan minorities, he is also driving business away from his state. Can you imagine, how businessmen from ethnically-diverse states feel when they are courted by all-white Ohio delegations? I know that if I was a businessman who was considering moving to Ohio, I would be concerned about the lack of diversity at the top.

Kasich’s argument for the lack of diversity in his cabinet is full of holes and one of the glaring emissions is former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, a black Republican who has held a high-level position. Apart from the weak argument about hiring the most qualified person, Kasich’s decision also shows either glaring ignorance or stunning indifference. Governments are supposed to be representative of the people they serve, and that means hiring people who resemble the make up of your state.

I can just imagine the media outrage that would occur if a black politician named an all-black team of executives. Hate mongers like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck would be besides themselves, screaming that the blacks, were trying to take over the government, and turn marginalize white people. (Where is anti-racism activist Tim Wise when you need him?)

Sadly, Kasich’s actions mirrors Corporate America. Many blacks have run into the same glass ceiling and the same lame excuses. And like Kasich, many managers see nothing wrong with having all-white offices. In many cases, blacks only get hired when these companies are faced with legal action. I once worked for a state agency, that hired it’s first black employee in 1990, after they were threatened with legal action by the NAACP. Apparently for more than 30 years after the Civil Rights Act, they had operated without hiring any black employees and thought nothing of it.

And things are not better in supposedly liberal academia. CNN commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins has written about how Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management has never offered a black professor tenure in 100 years! I find it hard to believe that in all its years of its existence the Whitman School of Management has never came across one black candidate who they thought was worthy of tenure! Just as I find it hard to believe that Kasich couldn't find one person of color to appoint to his cabinet.

Kasich’s comments mirror the actions of Republicans who simply refuse to deal with issues of race and diversity. It seems that many Republicans consider race problems to be about as real as a unicorn. They seem happy to hide behind the “most qualified candidate” lie, even if it produces a lily-white environment. And that’s what it is -- a lie. I have worked in Corporate America long enough to realize that best candidate doesn’t always get hired.

I have seen many “qualified” candidates get hired and flame out three months later. I have also seen white men hired, who were later fired for sexual harassment (one guy I knew e-mailed photos of his nipple piercings and tattoos to female employees.) I have also heard of white men who were fired for downloading kiddie porn and many other acts of staggering incompetence. At the same time I have known many talented people of color who can never get their foot in the door. And when they are hired, they are expected to be near perfect and are crucified if they make one mistake.

So please Gov. Kasich, don’t give me that BS about hiring the most qualified candidates. There are thousands of qualified minority candidates, you just hired an all-white cabinet, because you like it that way. And that’s scary.