We're publishing a guest commentary today. We usually avoid criticism of private industries, but this particular incident should be of concern to each of us. We have redacted the name of the supervisor accused of such egregious racism:
I do not know whether this story is of interest to you or your
readers. I, however, find it repulsive and hard to believe in this day
in age, and I think it deserves to be known.
I have a family member who works at a company called Supreme
Beverage on Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals. The company is a local
distribution center of beer and other beverages such as Sam Adams,
Miller, Coors, Red Bull, and more recently, a newly acquired account with
the local brewery Singing River Brewery.
A short time ago, the branch
manager, "John Doe", was put on leave for approximately one week in
the company's response to comments he made to one of his African
American employees, in which he said, "When I was your age, they used to
hang people like you." These comments offended the employees and
made them uncomfortable to work with Mr. Doe. The corporate offices
put Mr. Doe on leave after human resources became involved. During
that week, the corporate employees visited the branch, discussed the
comments with the employee affected, and also witnesses to the events.
John Doe himself even admitted to making these comments in his own
interview. Yet a week later, he was brought back to work, apparently
with no consequences. What does that tell your employees? That racism is
tolerated at this company? That they value you as a worker? Corporate
employees, once Doe was brought back to work, then brought in the
African American employee that had been offended and asked him, in the
same room where Doe, his boss, was sitting, if he would feel
uncomfortable working with Doe again. To which he replied yes, he
would be uncomfortable. And yet, Doe was brought back. Giving no
reason or explanation to the branch employees to the conclusions of this
matter, he remains the branch manager at Supreme Beverage. A few weeks
following this meeting, the employee in question called the Human
Resources department, stating that he was continually uncomfortable
working with Doe, yet was told Human Resources was no longer involved
in the situation.
What advocate is there for the workers of this company? Will racism
be tolerated, even in this day in age? I should also mention that Doe daily sells out of date beer to local stores and companies, which
contributes to keeping his branch profitable. Perhaps it is the
profitability of his branch that keeps Doe in good graces with
corporate offices.
I found the injustice of this situation alarming, and should not be tolerated.
*****
Sadly, we don't believe this one manager or one company is alone in this type of situation. We welcome any rebuttals.
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