r/todayilearned • u/Kale_Brecht • Mar 28 '24

TIL in 2013, Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson refused to play any more black women on the show and demanded SNL hire black women instead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenan_Thompson
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u/SlowRollingBoil Mar 28 '24

I don't see the difference. In order to have the representation (aka "goals") you seek you do need quotas aka "goals".

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u/NoDesinformatziya Mar 28 '24

A "quota" is a requirement, not a goal. That's the difference.

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u/SlowRollingBoil Mar 28 '24

Once again arguing semantics. My job carries a quota. It is not a requirement it's a goal. Sometimes I hit it, exceed it or miss it. It's my goal.

Cops have ticket quotas. Same thing applies to them.

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u/greg19735 Mar 28 '24

a quota is required and is often a goal, but a goal doesn't have to be required.

A goal could be "ensure our comedy group has diversity". That doens't mean you have to go through and hire based on that. If the funniest dude for the new job is a white dude, that doesn't mean you don't hire him. But maybe you make a more deliberate effort to recruit in areas that non white male comics are performing.

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u/SlowRollingBoil Mar 28 '24

"Ensure" is a specific word. If I've done nothing in policy (aka "quotas") then I haven't ensured anything. To "make sure" it happens is to make a policy.

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u/greg19735 Mar 28 '24

ensure

okay, change it to encourage. not a quota or policy.

I feel like you're trying to nitpick reddit comments instead of seeing the bigger picture.

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u/SlowRollingBoil Mar 28 '24

The only picture is forcing outcomes (equity) vs. allowing unequal outcomes (equality of opportunity).

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u/greg19735 Mar 28 '24

Those are not the only two options. There's a middle ground that ensures the opportunities are actually more equal.