Diversity Writing Contest Working Past Crippling Stereotypes

Sun., Feb. 23, 1997

Doris Mae Aaron Spokane

I am an Afro-American woman and one incident I experienced in my life has stayed with me throughout the years.

In the late 1950s I was employed as a supervisor in the purchasing and contracting office at Fairchild Air Force Base. I was supervisor over 11 employees, eight military and three civilians.

An opening for a stenographer became available in my department for a civilian. Civilian personnel sent a young, white girl to me for an interview with the anticipation of her being hired.

When the young white girl walked into my office, she took one look at me and said, “If you are the supervisor I am to work with, they can forget it. I am not working with or for no black person.”

I stated, “That is your choice.”

She went back to personnel and asked for another position even though she had seen that all of the other employees under me were white. She was told there were no other openings. She went to the purchasing and contracting officer and pleaded for another job. He told her, “If you don’t work for Doris, you won’t work in my agency at all.”

She returned to me and attempted to explain she was from a small town in Idaho and had never lived or worked around Negroes.

I told her she was qualified for the job and if she would just give it a chance and give me a chance for her to get to know me, she could have the job.

It was tough at first, but the more we worked together and got to know each other, the hostility and myths she had seemed to vanish from her thoughts and actions.

I really showed her that we are all human beings with the same feelings and emotions and that it was all in learning how to respect and treat each other as human beings, created equal. That young lady over the months turned out to be my best worker and my best friend.

When I had an opportunity to go overseas in 1960, I recommended her to succeed me in my supervisor position. She got the job. For many years afterward, we communicated and remained best friends.

I feel that before you pass a judgment against someone because of race or otherwise, you should get to know that individual, evaluate them on merits, not on stereotypes. You just might be surprised.

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