I’m black. I’m also a disabled Veteran. I’m also a former college basketball player. I’m a former college professor and high school teacher. I’m also a former head basketball coach. I also ran with a pretty bad set for a period of my life in LA. I did some pretty stupid things in my life and I’ve done some really amazing things. I state all of this to say that at only two points in my life was I in a position to say that one of my closest friends was white. When I was a troubleshooter in the Navy the guy who I launched jets with was a white guy I trusted with my life. When I was in college I was the only black guy in my graduate program so my closest friend was … a white athlete. This is important. If I had started my business while I was in graduate school and my business happened to grow and become a publicly traded company, although I’m black, my executive board would have probably been white males. Although my troubleshooting partner was white in the Navy, the crew of guys I kicked it with were Black. If I had started my business in the Navy and my company got successful my executive board would probably have been all Black with one White guy. Then again as an Aviation Electrician the shop I worked in only had two Black guys out of a crew of about 20. My White quota would have been a bit more.
With everything I just wrote, notice I didn’t say anything about women? Also notice that I said my business would have reflected my inner circle?
The current ongoing crisis in locker room culture that is causing the turnover at Nike is a reflection of how EVERYONE tends to build teams. We build teams with those we are comfortable with. This doesn’t mean we are racists or sexists. It’s reality. If I have to spend the majority of my day with people I have to be around, I’m going to be around those people I’m comfortable with.
Nike was founded in Oregon by a White distance runner. I know it’s been 50 years and during that time there have certainly been enough Black guys Phil Knight and his company have encountered, but let’s be honest. He’s a White distance runner and his business reflects what he is and was. Why is it any surprise to see a lack of diversity out of a White distance runner just because he got rich and grew his company? I guess the easy answer is the company profits from Black athleticism. The problem is when an old White dude’s company begins to expand he hires those closest to him. Those he can trust. More than likely that will be an old White dude or an old White dude’s son. However as time rolls on you begin to see additions to the company and all of this takes time. What’s happening at Nike right now isn’t happening naturally and that could cause problems for the company in the long run, but in many instances diversity has to be forced upon us until it becomes the norm; because honestly people simply aren’t about diversity. We are all about being comfortable. Until Trevor Edwards resigned, Nike’s execs were all white. Take a look at their makeup:
http://investors.nike.com/investors/corporate-governance/?toggle=directors
If you take a moment to look at adidas’ current executive board it’s lily white. https://www.adidas-group.com/en/group/executive-board/ What in the hell do you expect from a company born in Germany? Now I’m sure over time the company has hired and placed in important positions people of color and women. That’s because it’s the oldest sportswear company and by default time has a way of shaping companies to make them look a lot more diverse. Like I said about Nike, Nike is being forced to correct an issue while adidas is old enough to have encountered similar issues and worked on solutions. With that said, however, adidas’ execs are all White.
The only company in the big three of Nike, adidas, and Under Armour that could have a chance at having more diversity is the company that is the newest: Under Armour. Under Armour was born in the post Civil Rights era. As a matter of fact it was born during a time where people actually felt that things had changed enough that there was real opportunity for everyone. It was born out of the mind of a White football player… where he was the obvious minority. This means that the company should have diversity in its DNA. The reality? It kind of does. Take a look at the executive board at UA: http://investor.underarmour.com/management.cfm UA is actually the only one of the big three that has a person of color and a woman on the executive board. The thing is though, it’s the same person, Kerry Chandler is the Chief Human Resources Officer.
I’m sure if I took the time to look at other brands the same thing would be true across the board. If I decided today to give AHN a more formal structure, there wouldn’t be a woman or White man on the board. It’s not because I’m racist or sexist. I just trust the guys I built this thing with. Although I would expand the company and make hires if I had the last word on who is hired I would probably go with people that my crew trusts. That’s how employment works. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know often… unless a company is in dire need of the best applicant and very often companies grow in the best of times, not in the worst. This means that a company often reflects its founder.
Anyone acting like they are surprised by the locker room culture at Nike obviously hasn’t played a sport, or been in a fraternity, or in the military. Cliches exist because they are more than often true. We are who we hang around. It doesn’t matter how much we try to seperate and distance ourselves. I am not justifying the lack of diversity. I’m simply explaining that this is reality. Quick, name the three people you trust the most… now name the next three… I’m willing to bet those people share traits closely aligned with yours and they probably look like you.
I have three college degrees. I’ve made over a 3 million dollars in my small business over the last 5 years. I started a footwear company alone. I’ve helped build at least 20 different businesses for people of diverse backgrounds. I was a QA Inspector for motor control centers (which means I have a background as an electrician). I was a certified Apple computer tech. I’m a veteran and in 2016 when my business took a turn for the worse I began applying for jobs. From September 2016 to December 2017, I applied for over 100 jobs. I had two interviews. I was hired at one of the jobs in January 2018. Was I not qualified for the jobs I applied for? I don’t think so, but companies tend to hire those who have been referred. That’s just how it works. Even after changes are made to create more diversity, things will always be the way they are because we are comfortable with those who are like us.
Additional Thoughts:
I wrote this as an answer to someone asking me why the stock price hasn’t been affected by these firings and department heads stepping down. My answer was that this is par for the course. It’s how it has always been and if every company were to be looked at closely you would find the same issue everywhere. In other words the hiring of a more diverse staff doesn’t have anything to do with the successful launch of Nike Epic React, Air Max 270 or the next Jordan Brand release. Could it have an affect? Of course.
What’s unfortunate is that when this kind of wholesale “Fire everybody” response happens, it creates a false shift in practices that results in surface hires. Hiring to make things look good.
This is a problem that has to be corrected through conscious consistency in hiring practices. Even then people will continue to hire people they know.
