The Votes Are In!
2024 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → Letter from Pasadena Community Coalition to TOR
Opinion Oct 21, 2015
by
share with
Re: Meeting Concerning TOR Lack of African-American Male staff and Diversity
Dear Mr. Chinen and Mr. Freeny,
It has been over eight months since our meeting with you to follow up on our two letters to the tournament regarding lack of diversity in hiring and more specifically the lack of African-American males on the Executive Staff and the game management staff. As detailed in our letters to the TOR we found it most troubling that over 70% of the college football players generating millions of dollars for the tournament and the city are African-American yet there are no African-American men represented on the executive staff or the game management staff of the TOR.
In our discussions it was noted that positions in the executive staff are rarely open and that having African-American men on staff was not a priority as long as the African-American men playing football continued to do so and help generate funds for the TOR through endorsements, TV revenue, etc. In finality it was stated that you would get back to us, but you felt that your hands were tied and the committee and the staff just could not or would not address this issue.
Recently two job vacancies were selectively advertised for the TOR: A Media Assistant (Seasonal), Rose Bowl Game and Senior Director, Community Relations, a new executive level position. The first was immediately filled by white woman Courtni Low of UNLV, without any outreach to the African-American, minority or Pasadena Community as discussed. The second position was not even announced in the local newspapers or any of the AA media noting that minorities are encouraged to apply.
Further investigation indicates that at least three other TOR recent hires were handled in a similar fashion: Director, Strategic Partnerships, Digital Marketing Coordinator and Game Operations Coordinator.
It appears that as was stated in our initial two pieces of correspondence the TOR has no concern or respect for diversity in the Tournament and has once again decided when brought face to face with an opportunity to outreach to the Pasadena minority community given us only lip service.
I am sure there is some concrete, identifiable reason that outreach was not done to the Pasadena Community as a whole (we do give lip service to Pasadena First Hiring), or any outreach to the African-American Community for hiring especially since it is on the backs of African-American men that the Tournament and the NCAA make their money. Does this remind you at all of any other parallel circumstance in history?
It appears that our cry for a seat at the table, that those African-American men have set and provided most of the food for, will just not be heard by the TOR.
To set the record straight, so we can put this issue to rest with clarity and specificity, please respond in writing as to your position on diversity in hiring at the TOR, the lack of outreach to African-Americans for the recent open positions and for positions on the game management staff, along with the points outlined in our previous two letters.
As of this date, there has never been an official written response to our concerns. So there is no misunderstanding we request a written response delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested to: Pasadena Community Coalition, 60 N. Daisy Ave., Pasadena, California 91107, attention: Martin A. Gordon, Chair.
We so look forward to your detailed response.
With kind regards,
-Martin A. Gordon, Chair, Pasadena Community Coalition
Cc: Mike Matthiessen – President, William B. Flinn- Executive Director, Kevin Ash- Chief Administrative Officer, Rose Bowl Game, Mayor and City Council of Pasadena, Pasadena Star News, Pasadena Weekly, Pasadena Now, Monrovia Independent, Pasadena Journal, Los Angeles Sentinel, Pasadena Community Coalition
More from Opinion
