The Washington Post reports that Sam's Club president/CEO Rosalind Brewer is under attack for comments she recently made in a CNN interview that some have deemed to be racist.
Brewer, an African-American female, was asked about how she tries to encourage diversity not just at Walmart, but also in other corporations. And she said:
“My executive team is very diverse, and I make that a priority. I demand it of my team and within the structure. And then, every now and then, you have to nudge your partners, and you have to speak up and speak out. And I try to use my platform for that. … I try to set an example. I try to mentor many women inside my company and outside the company because I think it’s important.
“And I talk to my suppliers about it. Just today we met with a supplier, and the entire other side of the table was all Caucasian males. That was interesting. I decided not to talk about it directly with [the supplier’s] folks in the room because there were actually no females, like, levels down. So I’m going to place a call to him.”
The story notes that "Brewer’s comments generated both praise and criticism, though naysayers drew more attention with the hashtags #boycottsamsclub and #boycottracistsamsclub."
There was enough of an outcry that Walmart's president/CEO, Doug McMillon, issued a statement to clarify the issue:
“For years, we’ve asked our suppliers to prioritize the talent and diversity of their sales teams calling on our company,” he said. “Roz was simply trying to reiterate that we believe diverse and inclusive teams make for a stronger business. That’s all there is to it and I support that important ideal.”
Brewer, an African-American female, was asked about how she tries to encourage diversity not just at Walmart, but also in other corporations. And she said:
“My executive team is very diverse, and I make that a priority. I demand it of my team and within the structure. And then, every now and then, you have to nudge your partners, and you have to speak up and speak out. And I try to use my platform for that. … I try to set an example. I try to mentor many women inside my company and outside the company because I think it’s important.
“And I talk to my suppliers about it. Just today we met with a supplier, and the entire other side of the table was all Caucasian males. That was interesting. I decided not to talk about it directly with [the supplier’s] folks in the room because there were actually no females, like, levels down. So I’m going to place a call to him.”
The story notes that "Brewer’s comments generated both praise and criticism, though naysayers drew more attention with the hashtags #boycottsamsclub and #boycottracistsamsclub."
There was enough of an outcry that Walmart's president/CEO, Doug McMillon, issued a statement to clarify the issue:
“For years, we’ve asked our suppliers to prioritize the talent and diversity of their sales teams calling on our company,” he said. “Roz was simply trying to reiterate that we believe diverse and inclusive teams make for a stronger business. That’s all there is to it and I support that important ideal.”
- KC's View:
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The story also makes clear that four out of the eight people on Brewer's executive team are white men ... which all by itself ought to put to rest some of the outcry.
Most of what this proves, I think, is that some people are always looking for a fight. The people who are complaining about Brewer's statement are probably the same ones who said they plan to boycott Star Wars: The Force Awakens because the presence of a more diverse cast reflects an inherent prejudice against white men.
White men should just get over it. We/they don't dominate the world the way we/they used to, and everything from business to popular culture is going to reflect this.
Brewer wasn't saying that she was biased against white men ... just that businesses that want to do business with Walmart perhaps ought to better reflect the demographic makeup of the people they are trying to sell stuff to.
Much ado about nothing. Except that petty people with big voices and exaggerated senses of their own importance always have a way of soaking up all the oxygen in the room.
