If President George W. Bush Did It Without Affirmative Action, What's Our Excuse?

While both groups were busy debating, George W. Bush was busy walking the walk and talking the talk. Without any fanfare, Bush quietly and meticulously practiced what he preached by appointing “qualified” African Americans, Latino’s, Asian and women to high paying, policy making positions as department heads (and/or Deputy Secretaries) of:

The State Department

The Department on National Security

The Department of Labor

The Department of Justice

The Department of HUD

The Department of FCC

The Department of Education

The Office of Personnel Management (U.S. Civil Service)

As overseers of these vitally important departments, Bush’s qualified minority men and women took charge of thousands of employees and budgets that exceeded billions of dollars. From international affairs to domestic affairs, these qualified men and women were entrusted with the responsibility of making policy, while seeing to it that our country was protected and that our much needed social services were being provided.

At the same time while the DNC, RNC and the NAACP were busy debating about what they thought would work, none were duplicating what Bush had done in the way of color-blind hiring practices. Of these three organizations, not one has a diverse cabinet consisting of qualified African Americans, Latinos, Asians or women in high-paying policy-making positions, with large budgets to match (please note: I said cabinet level paid positions and not support staff). It seems as if the only one who had a system to locate qualified minority and women to head up major departments, was President Bush. While Bush was busy making a difference these other organizations were busy making excuses.

The DNC used the Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ms Donna Brazile, and Carol Moseley-Braun to promote their party, but did not offer them the position to head up the DNC. The Republicans used JC Watts, Michael Steele and Michael Williams to promote their party but did not offer their top RNC position to an African American. And when was the last time you saw a white person or an Asian person head up the NAACP?

The party that promotes Affirmative Action and feels that they have the only answer to achieve equality, is the same party that passed over qualified African Americans and other minorities and chose a white man to head up the DNC (Dr. Dean). The other party that claims we should be color-blind and that decisions should be based solely on qualifications, apparently felt that there were no qualified black Republicans and they too chose a white man to head up their organization (Ken Mehlman). And the organization that is always ready to step to the microphone to condemn all forms of racial discrimination (NAACP), is an organization that has never had a white person run their organization since their three white founding fathers started it (not all three were men, one was a woman). President Bush had the same labor pool to draw from as did the DNC, RNC and the NAACP, so what is their excuse?

Equality has to become a reality and not just a political or social philosophy. The only way equality can be achieved is by simply doing what George W. Bush did, and that is to look pass the cover and see the content. If this happens, you will see corporate officers, board of directors and political organizations filled with Whites, African Americans, Asian, Latinos and women in high paying policy making positions, with adequate budgets and authority to carry out their organization’s objectives.

President Bush should be commended for a job well done and the rest of us (from the NAACP to the DNC and RNC) should be condemned for not doing the job - they should have. If President Bush could do it, then what’s our excuse? I would like to hear them.

Rev. Wayne Perryman

Author of - Unfounded Loyalty: An In-Depth Look Into The Love Affair Between Blacks & Democrats.