My Battle Advancing Diversity in Retail

 I’m the beneficiary of reverse discrimination—my first job as a journalist in 1972 resulted not just from being in the right place at the right time, but more salient to my theme, from sharing a background with the managing editor in charge of hiring. 

Sitting across the desk from the personnel director of The New Haven Register I was crestfallen yet again to hear the newspaper I was visiting was not hiring. I was set to depart when Bob Lee answered his phone and said, “I have someone sitting across from me now.” 

He sent me to the third floor newsroom where I met managing editor-administration Murray Farber, originally from Brooklyn and alumnus of Brooklyn Talmudic Academy, arch rival of my alma mater, Yeshivah of Flatbush. I was hired on the spot. 

Among the hundred or so staff reporters and editors at The Register there were perhaps two or three Jewish colleagues. Women numbered about half the reporting staff. I recall only one black reporter. 

It was that way throughout my four years at The Register. 

When I joined Lebhar-Friedman, publisher of Chain Store Age, in 1977, the writing staffs of the seven publications was equally split between men and women. Copy editors were mostly women. All the chief editors were men. Sales staff throughout the company was almost all men. All the publishers and corporate executives were men. 

Our newspapers and magazines covered the retail and foodservice industries, among the largest employers in the country. Yet, few retail and restaurant companies had women executives, much less chief executive officers. It became common practice to profile any woman who attained CEO status. Perhaps that occurred once every five years.

Far fewer were examples of black or Hispanic success stories. 

Keep in mind, retail and restaurant companies employ more women and minorities than any other segment of our economy. How could it be that among the millions of women and minority workers few if any were perceived to have the skill sets and drive to become leaders? How was it that the success stories of stock room workers or hamburger flippers who became corporate presidents and chief executives was essentially limited to white men?

One of my proudest accomplishments as editor and publisher of Chain Store Age was organizing a conference on diversity in retailing in 2006. I joined forces with an outside organization, DiversityInc, to foster greater executive level diversity in retailing.

The one day conference drew close to 100 attendees to hear speakers from The Home Depot, Food Lion, Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Aetna and Staples. 

Yet, promoting diversity almost got me fired. 

To broaden our marketing reach I sought buy-in from our company’s other retail publications. Fortuitously, a meeting of publishers, editors and sales reps had been scheduled, a ready-made audience for my solicitation for more diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

I almost lost my job because as I championed diversity for the retail workplace I brought attention to its paucity within the publishing company that employed me. 

Standing before the assembled 50 or so leaders of our company I noted that among our group there were numerous women but only one person of color (not present was the one staff writer who was black). Present was a black salesperson, but even that left us vulnerable. He was a telemarketer, hardly ever seen in public. I didn’t say it out loud, but as in retailing, perhaps we as a company were failing to hire qualified minority writers and salespeople.

A few days later I was called into Human Resources because our one black salesman felt he was unfairly singled out by my presentation. Though I had not meant to embarrass him, his feelings trumped my intention to drum up support for the conference. I had to apologize or face the consequences.

I apologized but have always wondered how we could become better corporate citizens. In truth, over 30 years interviewing potential hires, including summer interns, I never had a black or Hispanic candidate apply. Perhaps they were screened out by HR before resumes were sent along to me. But you cannot hire if no one applies, and no one will apply if your corporation does not proactively seek out diversified candidates.

In the end, the conference was a successful one day endeavor. But two decades later the retail industry remains an unfulfilled arena for non-white, non-male workers. Moreover, today’s Trump administration is hacking away at efforts to elevate females and people of color. Witness what is happening at Nike (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/nike-dei-trump-eeoc.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare).

Diversity, equity and inclusion are not red flags inciting discrimination against white people. They are concepts that must be employed to spread the promise of America beyond our lily-white heritage of property owners. 

Lindsey Graham Had No Daniel Webster Advocate

I wonder how Lindsey Graham will answer the Eternal’s inquiry about his dealings with Donald Trump?   

Will he plead capitulating his principles permitted him to influence Trump on foreign and military affairs, that those priorities were more important than his prescient 2015 assessment that Trump was a “demagogue” and a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot”?

Graham was never known as a devout advocate for the underprivileged. Black or white or Latino. His was not a voice of compassion for men, women and children suffering from cutbacks in programs that directly benefitted them but were targeted by Trump for alleged abuse of entitlement systems and fraud. 

No, the South Carolina senator unabashedly played honestly with his close compact to the raw heat of Trumpian power. He epitomized his party’s deal with the devil. As many Republicans have done, Graham swore allegiance to a man who demanded extreme loyalty but could not be trusted to return the favor. At least Graham admitted his pact so he could be, as Lin-Manuel Miranda put it in “Hamilton,” “in the room where it happened.” Or, in Graham’s case, on the golf course. 

Back in my elementary school days, “The Devil and Daniel Webster” was required reading. A 1936 short story turned into an opera, a play and movie, it is a tale of greed gone wrong. A struggling New Hampshire farmer sells his soul to the devil for seven prosperous years. 

Shortly before he has to pay the ultimate price he seeks to renege on the deal. He enlists Daniel Webster, a well known lawyer, orator and former U. S. secretary of state to defend his right to absolve the contract before a jury of world famous historical brigands. 

Webster wins. Saves him by, as Wikipedia puts it, “appeal(ing) to the fundamental decency, rights, and shared spirit of the American people.” 

Graham had no similar advocate. His seven years of fealty came due without reprieve July 11. It was a spontaneous, unexpected, death. 

Sadly, I wonder if the author of the short story, Stephen Vincent Benét, would ascribe to today’s American people those same admiral qualities that won over the jury that saved the farmer. 

We would all be wise to heed the lessons of “The Devil and Daniel Webster” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_and_Daniel_Webster) 

We Hold These Truths ...

In stentorian tones, Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, as portrayed by Sir Cedric Hardwicke, pronounces judgment on the legacy of Moses in Cecil B. DeMille’s epic film “The Ten Commandments.”

“Let the name of Moses be stricken from every book and tablet, stricken from all pylons and obelisks, stricken from every monument of Egypt … Let the name of Moses be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of men for all time,” he declares. 

I can only fantasize about the legacy Donald Trump faces the next time a Democrat sits behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office. I imagine that armed with Supreme Court legitimacy for unbridled presidential power, among the first executive orders he or she issues will be a command to remove Trump’s name and likeness from any public building, official U.S. currency or official document. 

Such a decree would be fitting for a megalomaniac who belittled his predecessors, damaged America’s reputation and international commitments, fleeced his supporters with Trump/MAGA get rich schemes, violated the rule of law and sought at every turn to divide our nation rather than be a healer and uniter. 

Of course, Pharaoh’s decree might have physically removed Moses’ name, but his legacy far outlasted the Egyptian monarch’s. My fantasy would not be a display of unity. But it would go a loooooong way in reestablishing a return to normalcy, a time when principles, not personage, was the driving force in our country. 

Politics and Religion—The “Js” Dominate: Among prominent names bandied about for their respective party’s presidential nominations are Republican JD (James David) Vance and Democrats Jon Ossoff, Josh Stein, JB (Jay Robert) Pritzker, Jared Polis and John Shapiro. 

There are other possibles, including Andy Beshear, Gavin Newsom and Rahm Emanuel. But the preponderance of candidate names beginning with a “J” is quite dramatic. 

Even more startling is that six of the Democrats are Jewish, the five “Js” and Rahm. Is the country ready for a Jewish president? 

Probably not, given negative reactions to Israel’s conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank plus its influence on Trump’s decision to attack Iran. Emanuel already is addressing the issue to mixed reviews in Israel (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/us/politics/rahm-emanuel-speech-israel.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)

It is a long shot anything can be done to change perceptions by 2028. 

A relatively recent convert to Catholicism, Vance, meanwhile, is engaging in religious polemics (with the Pope, no less!) that might not sit well with his Catholic co-religionists and those that view his advocacy in his book “Communion,” that America was founded as, and is, a Christian nation.

 

I wonder how he squares that thought with America’s historical discrimination against Catholics. Overwhelmingly Protestant, many of the 13 colonies banned Catholics from voting and holding office after the revolution. Later, immigration from predominantly Catholic countries, like Ireland, was restricted. Equal opportunities were denied Catholics. Along with Blacks and Jews, Catholics drew the ire of the Ku Klux Klan. 

We have had only two Catholic presidents—John F. Kennedy and Joseph R. Biden. 

Vance believes illegal migrants pose a physical threat, that they are more dangerous than American citizens. Yet, the opposite is true, according to the American Immigration Council (https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/debunking_the_myth_of_immigrants_and_crime.pdf). 

 

Of course, perception plays a part in Vance’s position. The media plays up any deaths that can be attributed to an illegal immigrant. But really, should we not be more worried and concerned about our culture of violence and easy access to guns rather than the desire by migrants to seek a better life for themselves and their families, the driving force behind immigration to America for the last 250 years and more?  Vance sees no need to restrict gun possession.

Facts, Not Perceptions, Matter: If there is one foreign policy question hanging in the air above Washington and Jerusalem it is, what will be the future relationship between America and Israel? 

There can be little doubt the United States will be the dominant partner of any relationship, especially as long as America is governed by a transactional president. 

Before considering policy differences consider this: four out of five Americans were born after 1967, the last time Israel was the underdog threatened with extinction. Even among Jews, Israel has lost its position as an endangered state. 

The graphics of the wars in Gaza and southern Lebanon have not favored Israel. But the Mideast reality demands greater knowledge by those who challenge Israel’s legitimacy.

Just as our Declaration of Independence enumerated “truths to be self-evident,” so too must we accept there are indisputable statements about Israel and its enemies:

*Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state;

*Arab and Moslem states and Palestinian organizations have repeatedly rejected Israel’s right to exist; 

*Arab and Moslem states and Palestinian organizations have rejected proposals for an independent Palestinian state from the moment Israel was created; 

*Arabs living in Israel have more rights and freedoms, including freedom of religion and equal rights for women, than Arabs living in any other Mideast state; 

*Just as Poland’s borders changed multiple times in the 20th century after wars it did not initiate, so too did Israel’s borders change after it was attacked by Arab countries in 1948, 1967 and 1973; 

*After 1948, Moslem states expelled Jewish residents from their countries despite Jews residing in them for upwards of 1,500 years, even before Islam was conceived;

*Israel absorbed the dispossessed Jews; Arab states refused to integrate refugees from the Israeli war of independence;

*Israel has never sought the elimination of any Arab or Moslem state. The reciprocal cannot be said for its opponents. 

Walking Wounded No More

Eleven weeks after injuring my foot and ankle playing pickleball I returned to the scene of my mishap Thursday for 2-1/2 hours of play time. 

I held fast to my promise to Gilda not to play consecutive games. I cautiously moved around the court, making some shots that amazed me and my friends, missing others that I couldn’t truly blame on rustiness. 

No ill effects. Next game is Tuesday. 

The New York Times piled on: In its 100 things to love about Mel Brooks, who turned 100 June 28, number 44 was “No one got more laughs from Jewish names like Murray.”  

To my knowledge, the name Murray became a foil during the 2000-year-old-man routines Brooks performed with his friend and sidekick Carl Reiner. 

That shtick inspired countless comic Murrayisms, as I first related in a blog in 2009 (https://nosocksneededanymore.blogspot.com/search?q=Murray).

It’s a badge of honor, I keep telling myself, until the newest iteration provokes annoyance then laughter. 

Power out: I’m not sure how widespread the power outage was that affected my neighborhood Thursday night at 10:45, but I take it as a sign my neighbors adhered to Con Edison’s importune to avoid running appliances before 10 pm because of the heat wave. 

I dutifully complied, but running my washing machine and clothes dryer must have been similar to what many of my neighbors did, thus triggering the outage in our cul-de-sac development. 

It lasted a few minutes, but had me scurrying about searching by flashlight for long-burning candles which we thankfully did not need to use.  

My Country, 'Tis of Thee

As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, I cannot help but consider that it would be an imperfect sentence to say the event was a signature moment for the country and nation in which we live. 

For, in truth, America the land—the country—was here for many a millennia before white settlers forced their will on its prior inhabitants. And we were not and never have been a nation of common traits, origins, creeds, beliefs. Our governments—local, state and federal—have a history of denying liberties and rights to residents, whether they be citizens or original inhabitants of the land, many of whom belonged to nations of their own. 

There is much to be proud of in the history of the United States. In Government. Commerce. Science. Education. Defense. Entertainment. Medicine. 

There is much to be thankful for in these United States of America, even though “united” would not be an apt description of the state of our union.

But there has been much—too much— that has besmirched our reputation as the land of the free, the home of the brave. 

One wonders in this land of unbridled opportunity, especially for those fortunate to be swaddled in the right skin tone and cushioned with family and business connections, at what point does the phrase “I have enough” come into their conscious brain? Do they ever encounter the majority of Americans who work hard but still find it difficult to properly feed and educate their families, who are one tragic illness away from utter despair, who seek shelter that is their own, unencumbered by debt? And if they do meet or even just see them, what do they think? Did America fail those downtrodden or were they intrinsically responsible for their sorry lot? 

Capitalism is a wondrous economic formulation. But it has its limitations. Throughout our history we have exploited the voluntary and involuntary immigrant—Africans, Chinese, Irish, Southern Italians, Jews, South Americans. And from the get-go, Native Americans. 

Even after legislation, constitutional amendments and Supreme Court decisions, equality and accessibility of opportunity, of education, of housing, of medical care are rare and, sadly, often rebuffed by the very officials we thought we elected to balance America’s abundance.  

The United States might have been founded by men (yes, just men, just white men, mostly all Protestant) aspiring to high ideals, but they too were imperfect souls. They did, after all, sanction slavery and ascribed the value of a slave to be “three-fifths of all other persons.”  

The arc of history does not look with promise on a democratic republic lasting much beyond this 250th birthday. 

Yet, for all its imperfections, America has demonstrated an ability to mutate from despair to joy. It requires civics education beginning in grade school, values that accept individualism that do not subordinate collective good, and a commitment to participate in our heritage of voting for local, state and national leaders. 

Beyond the pageantry, we must learn to live in community, to celebrate our freedom to do so, and to renew our commitment to extend our ideals beyond our borders. 

I know it’s hard to achieve. Easier to write. But 250 years ago the founders embarked on a journey that could cost them their lives. We have a responsibility to honor their commitment.   

At the End of the Day, Who Will Trump Blame?

And so, with no one else to blame for his ignominious retreat/defeat in Iran, Donald Trump seems poised to play history’s oldest canard. He’ll blame the Jews. 

Netanyahu suckered him into bombing Iran, is a trope widely disseminated. Bombing would knock out Iran’s leadership, paving the way to regime change, he was led to believe by the Israelis. He ignored his own military and intelligence advice that Iran could strangle the world’s economy by closing the Strait of Hormuz. 

Bombing alone, however, could not eliminate Iran’s nuclear potential, Trump’s number one consideration when embarking on his 21st century crusade against the infidel. 

He “settled” for an abstract agreement to end hostilities fashioned by Iran’s hard liners. They won the right to finance and arm their clients in Lebanon, Yemen, Gaza and anywhere else Shiite Moslems seek power.  

Under threat that Iran would renege on the Memorandum of Understanding he signed, Trump agreed Israel could not protect itself from Hezbollah attacks. But Israel is not like pliant Republicans who have allowed Trump to hollow out our democracy. 

Israel will fight for its existence, even if it means a break with Trump. So get ready for it. 

With antisemitism already on the rise at home and abroad, the Trump-osphere will blanket the air waves, print media and the Internet with arguments Israel—the Jews—is to blame for all that went wrong in the war. Add it to their history of human deceit. They killed Jesus. They spread the Black Plague. They financed European wars for hundreds of years. They conceptualized communism. They brought on the Depression. They betrayed America by giving the Soviets the bomb. They control the media, Hollywood, higher education. They’re the reason we suffer from oil shortages and high prices. Even Trump’s top two negotiators with Iran are Jewish, son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steven Witkoff. 

Many believe Trump is Putin’s “useful idiot.” Nah. That damning assessment will be recalibrated to blaming Jews and Israel for his colossal screwup. It’s the easiest escape plan. 

It’s worked before, for millennia.  

I hope I’m wrong. 

A Primer About Birds and Bees

Let me tell you about the birds and the bees. 

No, this is not a sex manual primer. 

It is, regrettably, a confession about my ill-fated attempt to secure our house from unwanted bees and birds nests.

The other day I observed bees hovering around a three-quarter inch crack in our cement driveway right near our garage door. They would ever so delicately descend into the crack, no doubt to an underground hive. 

I waited till well past sunset, when all sources say they should be resting overnight, to spray insect killer into the crack. Either my insecticide was no longer lethal or these were super bees as they returned the next day, and the next day after another application of insecticide.

Plan B was to cover over the crack in the cement. The Internet counseled I should fill the crack with sand before applying caulking. I topped off the crack with an extra mound of sand. By the time I checked the next morning the bees had pushed away the sand. 

Plan C: Sand grains being too easily pushed aside, I gathered small pebbles to sink down the crack and lay on top of the opening. That didn’t work either. 

Plan D: Saturday night I went straight for the caulking, layering on several coats. Sunday morning I added more caulking in an area where there was a slight depression. When I came back a few hours later, several bees were hovering near the garage door. One had tried to penetrate the still wet caulking. He was lying on his back, legs facing skyward.

The caulking seemed to work, barring entry and exit. But I could not fathom from whence came the other bees still flying around our garage door. Is there a second portal? Will they give up and relocate? Will I be forced to enlist professional help? 

Having seemingly overcome one form of aerial nuisance, I returned to my combat with birds building nests in the superstructure of our retractable patio awning. A week ago I had waived the white lag of surrender, but I was feeling empowered to take them on again.

One nest was in the left corner. I started pulling down the detritus of twigs, lawn cuttings and leaves that comprised the nest when not one, not two but three small eggs toppled down, the last one even bouncing off my chest before cracking on the patio pavement. 

That was the first time in 11 years that I had interrupted—nay, aborted—the gestation cycle of young sparrows. I did not feel triumphant.