When I bring up employment
diversity in Washington County I get blank stares from even my liberal
friends. Those who are willing to
discuss the issue often accuse me of running out of problems that need
attention and of inventing a new one. I
think they are wrong. Workforce
diversity is a social issue that Washington County has yet to acknowledge or
address. The time to do so is now.
Anyone who claims
that Washington County should leave well enough alone when it comes to
diversity is really saying we are a rural, white, monoculture community and not
likely to change. While we are certainly
not Allegheny County, Washington is evolving in its demographic makeup every
day. The last census found 15% of our
more urban neighbor to the north to be African American or Hispanic. The same census found a 5% total for
Washington County. No one believes our
Hispanic population has remained the same since the last census. It should be obvious to all that we continue
to evolve economically and culturally as a direct result of the gas industry
and other factors.
But workforce
diversity does not simply mean acknowledging an increase in minority
citizens. It involves much more:
encouraging prospective minority employees, particularly in the sectors that
service the community, to work and live in Washington County. It focuses on
physicians, teachers, policemen, court staff, attorneys, social workers, county
workers and many others. It involves
recruiting, training and retaining a diverse workforce because it is the right
thing to do in our multicultural society.
It is important to
point out that developing an environment for diversity has nothing to do with
affirmative action or discrimination. Rather, it is recognition that people who
look different and have different professional and personal experiences, values
and priorities can bring valuable skills and perspectives to the employment
table. It is a recognition in my
profession, for example, that by recruiting black attorneys to practice in
Washington County, not only is the African American community better served but
so is the broader community, the Courts and the Bar Association.
A commitment to
diversity must start at the top. Diversity
training and programs should be initiated by the Commissioners, other municipal
leaders, school officials, the Washington County Court System, the County Bar
Association, Rotary and Chamber of Commerce.
Once a culture of diversity is established, qualified candidates in all
fields will get the message, that Washington County values diversity. These prospective employees will discover
what we already know, our community is an ideal place to work and raise a
family. We will all benefit as a result.
