Surprise!
I read Zober's profile in the Post-Gazette a few times. He sounds like an accomplished, dynamic man who may turn out to be a good politician. But the article describes in some detail the exact moment of white male privilege that propelled him from Americorp worker to deputy mayor:
One day in 1997, his AmeriCorps role took him to the City-County Building, where he participated in a ceremony for Lead Free Pittsburgh Day and handed out pamphlets. An avid Pirates fan, he was wearing a button in support of a plan to boost the sales tax to fund new stadiums.
The button caught the eye of then-city Councilman Jim Ferlo, who opposed the plan and, unprovoked, lit into the young volunteer.
Mr. Zober parried Mr. Ferlo's arguments. "I was impressed with Yarone for his willingness to stand on his own two feet and put up with someone like me," said Mr. Ferlo, now a state senator.
The next day, Mr. Ferlo offered Mr. Zober a job in his office.
I truly doubt most white guys "get" how this works because it is such a routine part of their day -- these inter-white-guy connections that generate professional and personal opportunities that are closed off to the rest of us. The other night I was part of a group of six for a few moments, four white men and two white women. The men introduced themselves to us women, but then spent the remainder of our time chatting amongst themselves about their common ground -- sports woven in with career plans, wedding plans and future plans. I wasn't particularly upset about it, but it is low-key example of the dynamic. The other woman injected herself into the conversation a bit, while I chose to take in the moment. The distinction, of course, is that we weren't automatically included in the conversation - we had to be proactive to break into that almost unconscious white male dynamic.
I'm not suggesting the mighty whites avoid contact at all costs. But the only way to expand this dialogue is to introduce some diversity into the mixture --- if the "group" includes multiple women, people of color, people in motorized chairs, homosexuals, etc. the conversation tends to be more inclusive. And since the group dynamic tends toward exclusiveness, its going to take intentional maneuvers to make sure these voices are at the table.
Jim Ferlo introducing Yarone Zober to Bob O'Connor is a supreme example of while male privilege. And when the women got in the way of the plan, they were cut out. So let's not insult the rest of us by trying to wrap this Administration in a mantle of diversity. You can't have it both ways. If Zober is a competent deputy mayor, that's a good thing for all of Pittsburgh. But the rest of us are entitle to question how many competent people who aren't white heterosexual middle class men have been repeatedly passed over for lack of those credentials.
Disclosure: I was in that group of six in the capacity of Lesbian Correspondent so the larger situation was, in fact, a significant inclusive gesture. By a white male with access and power (John McIntire of KDKA). So it does happen. We just need it to happen throughout the centers of power more frequently. We need more allies.
