White People, Europeans Obsessed With Time, WA State Official Says

In late November, at a meeting of Washington Democrat Governor Jay Inslee’s Equity Task Force, an administrator, who was recently named the director of the state Office of Equity, said that “white people and Europeans” had an unhealthy focus on punctuality. After the task force member made the comment, another member echoed that “the office of equity should model practices and decolonize boards by identifying, dismantling, culture-bound rules and decorum, time-requirement, education, and what we call ‘expertise.’”

Dr. Karen Johnson, who was serving as equity and inclusion administrator for the Washington State Department of Corrections in November, said at the November 25 meeting discussing “Removing health disparities by race/ethnicity/gender”:

Most white people and Europeans are about agenda and to-do lists and tasks and “Oh we have thirty minutes for this” and “Oh, time to move on,” where people of color, maybe it matters, maybe it doesn’t. In South Africa, if we were meeting right here, 2:35, if Craig Bill (Director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs) walked in right now in South Africa, what would happen is they would stop, welcome him, “How was your weekend? You have any plans for Thanksgiving?” and would bring him up to speed on what he missed — if we were in South Africa. If Craig Bill walked in right now in Tumwater, Washington, we’d say “Hello” and maybe somebody would — well, our chairs are gracious, so you won’t — would  let him know “well, here we are,” but it’s basically, “This is where we are; just get with it.”

One member of the committee, asked, “I do want to ask for clarity; we are still going to move forward with the idea of an advisory board. Is that true, committee? Okay. I just want to double-check cause I think that’s really important.”

Another submitted, “Can we move on?”

Co-Chair Benjamin Danielson remarked, “This sounds so much like what Dr. Johnson is talking about just a minute ago; about ‘through this work the office of equity should model practices and decolonize boards by identifying, dismantling, culture-bound rules and decorum, time-requirement, education, and what we call ‘expertise.’” He mouthed, “Thank you.”

Political commentator James Lindsay noted, “When I say that the goal of Critical Race Theory is to move the United States in the direction of South Africa, I mean that literally. It’s an aspirational goal. Here’s receipts from Inslee’s Equity Task Force in Washington last year.”

When I say that the goal of Critical Race Theory is to move the United States in the direction of South Africa, I mean that literally. It’s an aspirational goal. Here’s receipts from Inslee’s Equity Task Force in Washington last year. Courtesy of @BenjaminABoyce. pic.twitter.com/LQy5gWuP2v

— James Lindsay, increasingly relevant (@ConceptualJames) February 17, 2021

After Johnson was named the director of the state Office of Equity last Thursday, Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra said, “The Office of Equity Task Force benefitted tremendously from the great experience and strong moral force that Dr. Johnson brought to the table. As director of the Office of Equity, she will be a strong and inspirational champion for creating a future that we want our children to live in.”

Inslee added, “Karen brings extensive experience working to transform local and state government systems to more equitably serve Washingtonians. She has oriented her entire career around helping disadvantaged communities and instituting lasting systemic and institutional change for generations to come. I have every confidence that she will be an excellent, effective director.”

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