(ThyBlackMan.com) According to KATU.com a woman came to work to find the kind of surprise that no one wants to face on the job. She says that she arrived and found that a noose had been left in her cubicle, possibly as a sick prank or even a threat. Even more startling is that the noose was allegedly delivered by one of her supervisors.
“This is 2014 and a supervisor brings a noose to work and nothing is done about it,” Vanessa Savage told KATU.
Savage, who lives in Washington County, Oregon, says that besides the noose being in her cubicle, she also found a note with the words “termination notice.” This is when she became alarmed and alerted authorities. To her surprise, an investigation by the county concluded that there was no racial motivation for the noose. They then ordered all employees to undergo sensitivity training.
But despite the odd conclusion of the county’s “investigation,” she isn’t backing down from this one.
“A noose is designed to terrorize people and there’s a historical precedent that that’s what the noose does,” she said. “And when you put a noose on a note that says ‘terminated, fired,’ he wanted it to have a certain impact and it did.”
Savage says that she feels the investigation was botched and that the supervisor should not be allowed to get away without being punished. She also says that she is hiring an attorney to help look into the case. She has taken a leave of absence, determining that she is in a hostile work environment. Ya think?
Financial Juneteenth lessons from this story:
1) Workplace racism is rampant and like Ms. Savage, there are very few legal remedies for those who are affected. If you can’t get solutions inside your company, consider going to find outside help.
2) One of the greatest benefits to learning to run your own business is that you can get away from this sort of thing. So, even if you earn a little less money, there is peace of mind in knowing that you can keep your dignity in the office.
3) The good ol boy system is a greater determinant than anything when it comes to deciding who does and does not receive justice or opportunities in the workplace. Never presume that the standard rules of fairness and right/wrong apply. You’re still going to be the black person in the office and that does come with some disturbing baggage.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.
…I didn’t kidnap anyone pat. Wasn’t there. I also don’t see a “huge system” designed to keep blacks down. I really don’t think most whites even think along those lines at all. What I do see where I live is a lot of interracial couples and children. I see the love for the kids from the grandparents of both sides. I have a feeling race baiting will fall flat with those people. As to the noose…just seems strange to me. I cant picture whites from Oregon thinking about nooses or hanging blacks or any of that.
So I guess if I put a noose around a white person’s neck or on their door, it wouldn’t be racist, huh? I think it would be since Oregon’s one of the most racist and not-so-religious states. In all likelihood, the Klan runs the town. I’d get outta dodge AFTER receiving my settlement.
A big part of the problem concerning racism is that people like the ones who said this was not “racial” are too immersed in denial and self-
deception to recognize racist actions and words when they see or hear them. There’s no excuse for doing such a thing, and I can only wonder if there is any more redress available to this lady.
If it was only some of Whites who were persecuting us since you kidnapped our ancestors from Africa centuries ago, we would not be in this situation right now. It is dangerous to pretend that it is only a minority which is part of this. It is a huge system designed to put many of us in prison, make sure that we do not have easily access to the best education and the best jobs. As the brilliant Dr. Welsing M.D. said in her speeches, very few among you defended us and sacrified their lives like John Brown. Very few are like Tim Wise that I consider as the modern John Brown (who receive death threats by the way for saying the truth about white privilege that many among you benefit) or made an experience like John Griffin. If you truly had empathy about our injustices, you would have terminated this unequal system a long time ago!!! If you do not provide valuable solutions, you are part of the problem!!!
….This story seems a little strange. A noose? and pat says “many whites would kill us if there were no laws”…..”This article confirms this!!!” No race baiting here. Nope. Just those evil WHITE people at it again.
This is outrageous that this behavior has been allowed to basically happen with very little recourse! I am looking forward to updates on what will happen.
I am not surprised to read this. It is funny these days, I was thinking that many whites would kill us if there were no laws. I saw too many times, their hatred toward us in their eyes!!! This article confirms this!!!