Does racism remain in the hiring process?

To the editor:

One of the most powerful lines in President Obama’s eulogy in Charleston was this:

“Maybe we now realize the way a racial bias can infect us even when we don’t realize it so that we’re guarding against not just racial slurs but we’re also guarding against the subtle impulse to call Johnny back for a job interview but not Jamal.”

Affirmative action has always been ridiculed by many folks, but let’s face it, we tend to associate, hire, promote, befriend people who are like ourselves. In one sentence, the president explained why affirmative action still matters – if you don’t get hired, if no one encourages you to go to college, if you are segregated in living and life, then intentionally or unintentionally, we have built a moat around your dreams and the possibility of security and success.

In a recent report on employment, it was found: “On an hourly basis during the past 15 years, black workers’ wages have fallen by 44 cents, while Hispanic and white workers’ wages have risen by 48 cents and 45 cents. “

Is this subtle racism? Do the math, it feels overt to me.

Arnie Arnesen

Concord