Katie, this sad old world is a better place for having you in it.
So, a thing happened at the staff meeting I held this morning, that I have very mixed feelings about. My boss and grandboss showed up to present me with an award for Leadership in Anti-Racism - for helping a couple of people who live at the house I'm coordinator of get comfortable with the idea of hiring a Somali person. I feel like this is small potatoes up against all the racial injustice in this world. "Congratulations! You are not a complete asshole, and you helped two other people not be assholes." On the other hand, I did do it. (I say this because a couple years ago the person who was supervisor at this house interviewed another Somali person, but ended up not hiring that person because of the negative comments from people who live there.) Yes, we are not about to hire someone the people I support do not like, but all I had to do to get them to give the interviewee a fair chance was look up stuff about the Somali culture and religion with them. Then we came up with some respectful questions to ask her. And then they were comfortable enough with her, that I hired her.