Business
BET founder Robert Johnson proposes plan to reduce racial disparity in hiring
Robert Johnson
Business man and entrepreneur, Robert Johnson, renewed his call for President Obama to address the gaping employment gap that has long separated black and white workers.
Mr. Johnson, the billionaire chairman of the RLJ Companies and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), said the disparity could be narrowed if Obama encouraged U.S. corporations to voluntarily embrace a plan to interview at least two qualified minority candidates for every job at the vice president level or above. He said companies should also interview two minority-owned firms for vendor supply and other contracts.
“We are never going to close this gap unless there is a conscious commitment to do so,” Johnson said in an interview.
Johnson said he broached the idea with Obama and about a dozen black business leaders in December last year at a White House meeting. At the time, Johnson said, Obama said he liked the idea and would pursue it with his jobs council, a panel of corporate leaders that advises the president on job creation.
