The Three Rs - Park Slope Food Coop

Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY September 13, 2007 11DIVERSITY & EQUALITY COMMITTEE REPORTDiversity Committee Members Are on a MissionBy Maitefa AngazaACoop entrance worker isuncomfortable with what shefeels is the impatient and perfunctoryreception the worker next toher gives a Black woman seekinginformation about joining the Coop.She compares this with the accommodationand friendly attention thisworker gave to a white woman withthe same questions a half-hour earlier.She is unsure if, or how, she shouldmake her concern known to her coworker.Months later, after having suppressedher displeasure, she isplagued by vague, but persistent flulikesymptoms.Just kidding—but now that we’vegot your attention, we can tell you alittle about what your Diversity andEquality Committee (DEC) has beendoing. By the way, all but that lastsentence is true, as is the following:• One Coop member tells anotherthat “you people,” meaning those whowear their heads covered in the style ofMuslim women, “should not beallowed in the Coop.” The victim of thisbigotry wishes to report the incident,but feels that the perpetrator is not stable,and therefore not fully responsiblefor this outburst. The victim wants theincident recorded in Coop records, butdoes not want disciplinary proceduresadministered. Is it up to her?• A Black woman squad leader saysshe sometimes contends with whitemales who report for make-ups, butrefuse to take direction from her. Evenafter being repeatedly told who’s incharge, these men will turn to anotherwhite person on the squad (usually amale) to ask any questions or toreceive further instructions.• A white male squad leader wantsto know if allowing members whomaintain a kosher diet certain accessnot afforded other Coop members isan allowable religious accommodation,or an exception that can beviewed as favoritism.• One Latina woman says that whiledoing a make-up, she was offended bya white woman who was there for amake-up as well. The white womanwalked up to her and insisted on takingover the job she’d been assigned,announcing that the Latina womanwouldn’t be able to figure it out.• A person working a shift feels thatshe has been subjected to race bias.She loses her temper and, subsequently,her work assignment. Aftershe brings her case to the DEC severalwitnesses are interviewed. All, includingthose witnesses of her same race,accuse her of being verbally abusive.• A Black man leaving the Coopafter shopping reports being asked toopen for inspection the personal baghe’d been carrying when he arrived.He says that neither the shopperbefore him nor the shopper after wereasked to open their bags.• A white woman is changing in thelocker room at a local gym and overhearsone Black woman telling twoothers about an infuriating slight shejust suffered that she feels is racerelated. One of the women says to her,“You must have just come from theCoop.” The white woman is shockedto learn that there are people at herCoop who feel this way. She respondsby joining the DEC.As readers may deduce from theseanecdotes, the Diversity and EqualityCommittee, the new kid on the block,has been busy. We boast a roster oftalented and dedicated people, severalof whom either work in this fieldprofessionally, in the legal profession,or in human resources. We also have awonderful, devoted chairperson who’sgreat at keeping up and keepingpeace. Here’s an overview of whatwe’ve been doing:The members of the Education andTraining Subcommittee feel that theDEC is fulfilling a long-time need atthe Coop. They point out that fewentities as large as the Coop functionthese days without a diversity component.Many members probablybelieve that real diversity-relatedproblems at the Coop are small innumber. But while the cooperativeand voluntary nature of our ventureprobably fosters a greater degree oftolerance here, it’s also true that wecome in closer proximity to diversegroups of people than we do in theaverage workplace or community. ARastafarian and a Hasidic Jew may livenear one another in Crown Heights,but will only stand together choosingproduce at the Coop.The Education and Training Subcommittee’smission, therefore, is tohelp make our close encounters productiveones. The Committee hasconducted numerous workshops forsquad leaders at which there havebeen some very interesting discussions.Squad leaders, who have voluntarilytaken on a higher level of serviceto the Coop, are usually interested inhelping to foster the cooperative climate.Those members who may beinvolved in, or witness to a diversityrelatedincident while working theirshifts, are encouraged to turn first totheir squad leaders, when possible.They will inform you about how tocontact the DEC.Also hard at work have been themembers of the Survey Subcommittee,which will soon canvas membersto find out about their perspectives onthe issues and their experiences, ifany, with diversity-related incidents atthe Coop. The designing of an efficientsurvey is a task requiring a considerableamount of consideration. Primarilythe data will help us to moreeffectively address diversity issues anddesign programs aimed at helping toavoid rifts. However, the informationthat will be provided will also allowmembers to have a clearer picture ofwho we are and how we function.There have been, for example, a fewarticles in various publications thathave either featured or mentioned theCoop. On more than one occasion,our membership has been portrayedas being predominantly white andupper middle class. Is this true? Well,we don’t know definitively becausethe Coop does not collect this kind ofdata. Some say that a number of Blackpeople, feeling unwelcome, have leftthe Coop over the last two decades. Isthe membership less diverse than itonce was? Do we need to reach out tomore diverse communities of all ethnicitiesand abilities in order toachieve what many assume wealready have? Coop members willsoon be asked to assist by taking partin the survey. Please comply.The Complaint Review Subcommitteehas received a minor flurry ofcases after a quiet introduction. It hastaken information from membersreporting incidents of perceived biasand advised them of their options. It’salso made recommendations regardingthe resolution of incidents to theparties involved and, in one instance,was honored to be asked by the DisciplinaryHearing Committee to weighin on a case. The incidents the subcommitteehas addressed have been,in themselves, diverse in nature.They’ve required the subcommittee tofine-tune its policies and operationearly on, which is a very good thing.If anything would help this group tofunction even more effectively itwould be, guess what? Greater diversity!The Complaint Review Subcommitteeis composed of a small groupof capable persons, but does notinclude a Spanish-speaking person, awhite male, or someone of Asiandescent, for example. The DEC wouldlike to try to ensure that members filingincident reports feel they are dealingwith a group sensitive to theirconcerns. For example, a Black personwho feels victimized and a whitemember who has been accused, bothlikely feel more comfortable speakingat a meeting that included at leastone other person who “looks likethem,” and may be able to relate totheir position and perspective.Subcommittee members havefound that most complainants don’twant revenge or to see someoneembarrassed or dismissed from theCoop. They want primarily to berespected and taken seriously.Although not every case will be foundto have merit, each should heard.When not reviewing cases, the ComplaintReview Subcommittee is workingat making sure this process isavailable to all members.Well, now that you know a littlemore about how our Diversity andEquality Committee functions, feelfree to weigh in with suggestions or toask questions. We can be contacted at1-888-204-0098. Messages can be lefthere for the general committee or forthe various subcommittees. We canalso be reached at diversecoop@yahoo.com and the Complaint ReviewSubcommittee can be reached at psfcdiversity_cpr@hotmail.com.A formrequesting contact with the ComplaintReview Subcommittee can befound in the stacks in the vestibuleand can be deposited in the entrywaymail slot once completed. ■ATTENTIONBUSINESS OWNERSThe Park Slope Food Coop invites merchants, service providersand business owners to join an exciting community-building programat the Coop, the Community Ties Program! This is a directory ofbusinesses offering exclusive discounts to Park Slope Food Coopmembers, at www.foodcoop.com. The program connects ourdynamic membership of more than 13,000 with participatingneighborhood merchants.Merchants who register with the Community Ties Program offerPSFC members who show a Coop membership card a discount orsome other special offer that is not available to the general public.We may provide your business with literature identifying you as aparticipant in the program. We periodically publish a list of participantswith a description of the type of services/merchandise providedand the special offer; that is, continuous, free advertising to ourvast membership.If you would like to include your business in our listing, leave avoicemail message for Camille Scuria at: 888-922-2667, mailbox87. In your message include your business name, category, address,phone number, and your contact name. We’ll contact you about theexclusive discount that you will offer to PSFC members.