WHY ARE THERE SO FEW BLACKS IN MIDDLE- AND UPPER-MANAGEMENT JOBS IN THE CITY?

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 15, 1992                   TAG: 9202150105
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
WHY ARE THERE SO FEW BLACKS IN MIDDLE- AND UPPER-MANAGEMENT JOBS IN THE CITY?
Bowers: "A phrase that keeps going through my campaign is, `If you do what you've always done, you get what you've always got.' I guess we have just done things under the current political leadership of the city under the last 10 or 15 years that haven't demonstrated a large influx into middle- and upper-level jobs. We're soon to lose Earl Reynolds [the assistant city manager, who'll be leaving in March to take the top job in Martinsville], but the same day that was announced, we were adding Will Claytor as the first black minority officer of the council. Of course, the other minority is Mary Parker, the woman serving as clerk. I would certainly pledge to all people, of all genders, class and race, that those characteristics are not [obstacles] . . . to be employed in upper- and middle-income jobs in the city."
\ Musser: "I think it is a matter of trying to work them up the ladder. We have done that [in some cases]. We have had a black assistant city manager [Earl Reynolds, who will leave March 1 to become city manager of Martinsville] and we have just named a black as real estate valuation director. We have requested City Manager Bob Herbert and other council-appointed officers to try to hire more qualified blacks. We have asked them to do that, but we don't have a lot of vacancies in upper-level jobs; and you still have some people who are prejudiced. But we are trying to get more into the upper-management jobs."

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB