Interesting article in today’s Virginian-Pilot in which local black executives are interviewed. Some highlights:
Still, relatively few blacks sit on the highest rungs of most local companies:
Two of Norfolk Southern’s 24 vice presidents – Wimbush and Terry Evans – are black. At Northrop Grumman Newport News shipbuilding, one of 16 vice presidents – Veasey Wilson – is black. Smithfield Foods’ top black executive is its corporate counsel, Craig Dixon. Ferguson Enterprises in Newport News has no black regional manager, its equivalent of a vice president. Two of its 181 general managers, who oversee stores in individual localities, are black. Virginia Beach-based Amerigroup Corp. did not respond to an inquiry. One of the 62 attorneys at the Norfolk-based Willcox & Savage law firm – and none of its partners – is black. The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce has had one black chairman – Miles – in its 22-year history.
Let me add a little politics to this: Virginia Beach, in which candidates run city-wide, has only elected one black to city council, Louisa Strayhorn. Norfolk has only elected one black city-wide as well, former Sheriff David Mapp.
Why, if the playing field has been leveled, are the numbers so low?
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
How many blacks have applied and sought positions at the above locations?
Maybe qualified blacks don’t want to work with these organizations?
Lot’s of reasons.
The results really speak for themselves, particularly with law firms.
I agree, VAB. I have no idea where Tom is coming from.
I haven’t read the article, but I don’t think it is safe to draw any pernicious conclusions about law firms in this regard.
For years, I actively recruited black and other minority law school students to join my firm. There were many instances in which the minority candidates equalled 25% or more (in one case, 50%) of the summer and permanent offers we made. My firm was smaller than Willcox, but not by much.
We offered competitive pay and an inclusive, informal work environment. For example, we had a high percentage of female partners, provided generous work-life balance benefits, and had clear social conscience standards.
We never met our recruiting goals, for a number of reasons.
1 – Large New York, DC, Atlanta, Chicago and Charlotte mega-firms offer more prestige and much higher pay than the VA or regional law firms.
2 – Penetrating and succeeding in the corporate legal environment ultimately means developing and capitalizing on a network of contacts in the business world that will refer work to you. This fact of life is facially race-neutral; however, it is closely influenced by the number of one’s peers who attain work-referring positions in the business sector from which one would draw clients. I think most everyone would agree that we still have a ways to go before blacks and other minorities are at parity in the corporate world.
3 – I would be interested in seeing statistics related to the percentage of blacks in government legal jobs. Anecdotally,
I believe the percentage would be higher than in corporate-type law firms; I also believe that the relative security of government employment is more attractive to those who are breaking into a field without family or collegial contacts.
4 – As a refugee of the corporate legal world, I believe it’s just possible that many black law students see the insanity of billable-hour economics and family sacrifice that comes with it. They may just be smarter than the rest of us.
Again, I don’t have the statistical data to conclusively support my opinions — they are just opinions, but ones based on real-world experience.
Citizen – you raise some very valid points.
A great big seconding of all that Citizen said.
You bring up Virginia Beach, where the playing field has NOT been leveled. Centerville and Rose Hall Districts are over 40% minority. Going to a ward system puts those two seats into play.
Citizen – Also based on real-world experience, I don’t really disagree with what you say, but again, the results speak for themselves. The results derive from an aggregation of decisions made ten and twenty years ago, not recently, as very few people are hired directly as law firm partners, vice presidents, etc. In time, these numbers will change, but the point is, it hasn’t happened yet. It would be interesting to talk to some of the many experienced African-American attorneys in this area and learn their perspective.
You forgot Mr Perry (I’m drawing a blank on his first name) who was an AA and served on the VB City council back in the 80’s
Bullwinkle – you are correct that there was another black before Strayhorn. I haven’t tracked down his name yet but this article mentions that she was second. Thanks for pointing that out.
Could it be John L. Perry?