This Blog subject has been receiving the most comments, and I must say everyone has been positive in feedback and opinion. Because of the overwhelming response of readers, I am compelled to continue the fight for Equal Rights for all.
As a person who has been a victim, of both discrimination, and sexual harassment, I am finding more and more unsung victims are out there, and I just hope I can be a very small voice for them as well.
Reverse, Age & Female Discrimination is still alive and well, and it is time it received as much attention as Racial or Religious Discrimination seems to get.
To many women still get overlooked in career positions and job placement due to their gender.
Years ago still in College, I went to work for a very large Linen Company. They supplied uniforms, and commercial type linens to a variety of commercial venues. The company was founded in 1929, Family Owned and Operated.
I was hired to be the “Bookkeeper”. In today’s world, “Comptroller”.
After working there for over a year, I found my self intrigued with Sales and Marketing. The company had never hired or had a Female in Route Sales or as a Sales Person. Keep in mind this was in the 70′s.
All female positions were kept strictly in the Operation Plant (Very Labor Intense) and in the Office.
(This story will also appear in my Book, “Big Tears Little Hearts”.)
The Company Had Male Supervisors, Managers, and all Sales positions, including Route Drivers were all male.
I felt in my heart, my passion was more in Marketing and Sales, finding Bookkeeping extremely boring and with very little contact to the outside world. Even though my education was directed to Accounting and Business Admin. I really felt PR work or Marketing was really my nitch.
I tried for months to get the Owner and Sales Manager to allow me to apply for the positions as they became open, but denied every time. After several Months past, the Sales Manager finally decided to talk to the Owners about possibly allowing me to be tested to see if I could do the job. (The real motive is unveiled by these actions)
One Monday morning after arriving to my office, I was called in to the Owner’s office, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, that was usually the case every morning, going over the day’s business before getting started.
However, this morning was a bit different. When I walked into his office, I saw the Sales Manager, and a Stranger sitting there, all glaring at me.
I sat down, then the Owner proceeded to let me know who the strange gentleman was. He was an engineer from New Jersey here to test me for the Sales Position. (They had hired a professional engineering consulting firm who tests people for skills and to determine if I in fact would be a good candidate for the Sales position.)
I was asked if I would agree to take the test, and if I did, they would honor the results. In other words we agreed to what ever the results stated, it would be our final discussion. They agreed to put me in Sales if the test proved worthy, and I agreed to drop the subject if it proved NOT.
It was a four hour test, asking all kinds of questions and yes, one of those trick tests that ask the same question several times, in different text, to see if you arrive with the same answers.
To make a long story short, when the results came in, the Firm called the President, and in short, said “If you don’t put her in Sales, you are crazy!”
I scored so high in People Skills and Marketing skills, they were totally astonished.
Yes, I was then placed in Sales, and my training started.
Remember, I stated early, the truth to motives was unveiled after I made the cut.
Of course, moving into another position, opened up my bookkeeping position, so I had to hire and train a new Bookkeeper. Astonishing enough, they agreed to a Male Bookkeeper..go figure..
After I was done training in my new position, and trained my replacement, I was off and running…
For some odd reason, the Sales Manager always wanted to come with me on sales calls.
After about three or four times out, I found out why. He started making advances, and comments about my appearance, my clothing, and my character, always complimenting and positive.
One day, he suggested we go have lunch together, so I agreed. Keep in mind, I was very naive back then.
We went to an average restaurant, nothing special, had lunch, he bought, then on the way back to the office he decided to pull off in a shopping strip parking lot, and at that time started his moves. Trying to touch my leg, then putting his arm around me to pull me closer to him and that is when I bolted. He apologized and pleaded with me to get back in the car, he would drive me back to the office, and “we would not” discuss this incident again.
Two days later, he called me into his office and said, “if you have a problem with US, being close, (and yes, he was a married man, with children and a pillar in his church) then he was not sure if my position in Sales would continue much longer.
Totally blown away by all this, I went to the owner with my problems, and he basically was unsympathetic, and dis concerned. And, had the audacity to even state, “you knew you would be put in this position when you decided to invade this department.”
Well, in today’s world, this would have been an open and closed cased for Sexual Harassment, and I even had written documents to prove it.
But, it was the 70′s, and not much support was there then.
I ended up quitting, and looked for another job.
As my first Blog indicated, I suffered from Reverse discrimination as well years later, losing my position, to a Man of Color, so my firm could be eligible for Government contracts.
Even with all I have encountered as you will read in my Blogged Book, I still believe we are all one color, one race, one breed. We all deserve respect, and consideration.
I just wish some would honor and respect how far we have come, but lots more work needs to be done.
Some are very extreme on using “the race card” while others sit quietly never standing up for what is right. Discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes. It is up to all of us, to equal it out.
More to come, so stay tuned and keep those comments coming, I really love reading what you have to say, and feel my mission is to get your thoughts out there! Thank you loyal readers!
