‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase

Re:‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase by enumjorge on Friday November 27, 2020 @11:40PM (#25235331)

You took one example and ignored the rest. It’s not like NYT wrote this article simply because Russ left. What about the employees who were asked to be present for photo shoots to show workplace diversity but who felt ignored and talked down to during meetings? That sounds problematic. If it were a couple of employees it’s one thing but when most of your black employees leave because of what they feel is racism in the workplace that’s harder to ignore. It doesn’t necessarily prove there was racism, but it’s certainly a red flag.

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Re:‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase by thu2111 on Saturday November 28, 2020 @11:59AM (#25238695)

They probably wrote it because Coinbase stood up to BLM activists internally and the NYT is the media arm of BLM. But you get these accusations constantly against companies. "I felt ignored in meetings therefore the firm is sexist and racist". No, that happens to people all the time, including white men. A better explanation is maybe you weren't saying anything worth listening to in meetings, or you feel you were but your manager disagreed.

when most of your black employees leave because of what they feel is racism in the workplace that’s harder to ignore

They weren't ignoring it. Some of these people weren't even saying they felt that way to Coinbase - one of the people who claims she was bullied also claims nobody told her how to make an official complaint and that's why Coinbase have no record of her views. Complaining to HR has to be the easiest task in any modern corporation; if she couldn't figure out how to do even that then we probably found the explanation for why she felt unappreciated: maybe she just sucked. Or maybe she's made up this supposed racism after she left, as part of achieving other ends (like getting in the NYT).

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Re:‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase by roenxi on Saturday November 28, 2020 @03:01AM (#25236093)

> What about the employees who were asked to be present for photo shoots to show workplace diversity but who felt ignored and talked down to during meetings?

That is extremely vague. Is it a red flag? Yes. Does it imply racism? No. It doesn't even guarantee there is a problem or a systemic trend for that matter.

If there are 3 red flags and some actual evidence of racism then that is one thing. But there isn't. Even the number of black people quitting - what is the expected retention rate in that team? Most people quit due to dodgy managers, so people quitting points to a dodgy manager before it points to racism.

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Re:‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase by arolihas on Saturday November 28, 2020 @02:22PM (#25239771)

How is it not racist to showcase your black employees for appearances and then turn around and condescend them?

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Re:‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase by roenxi on Saturday November 28, 2020 @05:39PM (#25241158)

You've squeezed a bit into the premise of that question. If, why and how persistently someone was ignored are very relevant questions that we have no facts on. And what the subject of the meeting was.

We know that Alysa Butler felt unappreciated. I'm hesitant to believe the NYT is even representing her opinions fairly. If you read what they've written about carefully, the article doesn't have her accusing Coinbase of any sort of racism, the NYT is just weaving her experience into a story that they construct elsewhere (normal practice in newspapers). A 'diversity problem' is different from racism. 25 year olds being ignored in meetings is not a new phenomenon either in my experience.

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Re:‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase by arolihas on Sunday November 29, 2020 @01:48AM (#25243405)

And you’re completely ignoring the fact that they are using these employees who they hired for an actual job as props for diversity brochures. Is that really just a “diversity problem”? To use your employees as token figures? Not every racist act has to be consciously malicious. It at the very least implies it, diversity problem honestly just sounds like a euphemism.

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Re:‘Tokenized’: Black Workers’ Struggles at Coinbase by roenxi on Sunday November 29, 2020 @05:32AM (#25244251)

> And you’re completely ignoring the fact that they are using these employees who they hired for an actual job as props for diversity brochures.

Yeah, I am completely ignoring that. "My presence in the workplace was excessively celebrated" isn't a complaint. There is nothing there to respond to.

If you want to argue that could technically be racist behaviour I agree, but typically when people talk about racism they are actually going to serious issues like money, power or personal safety. Photos taken for promotional material is not something that needs a defence - it is a frivolous thing to argue about. Any company might do that.

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