by Royce Radcliffe

Created on: April 18, 2007   Last Updated: April 23, 2007

The old archetype image of corporate board members being grumpy old white men in suits is slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past. As society evolves so to does the image of the corporate hierarchy. This is of course a great and heartening sign to believers of human rights and equality worldwide. Minorities of all sorts have successfully risen up in many corporations, and the proof is to be found nowhere more than by looking at the content of the current boards of many of the most successful Fortune 5000 companies. There are some flagship examples of minorities on corporate boards that stand out the most.

Despite this, from a percentage standpoint minorities are stills severely underrepresented. Between ten and twenty percent of the board members are minorities, which is not indicative of the population. As we advance as a society we can only expect these numbers to rise, but they have some work to do.

Gwen Jackson is a great example of a minority who has been on numerous non profit boards and has helped to break the stereotypes. She often says that a black female has to work twice as hard to get the same pay and she might be right. By breaking both of these stereotypes at once on her way to great recognition and success as an executive, Jackson helped break the mold. Since her many more females and minorities have assumed leadership positions within companies.

But the problem is not gone, not by a long shot. You see it everywhere. Hispanics are so poorly represented you should think w e didn't have any in the country. Many of the same minorities are "recycled" on other boards. There is controversy among analysts over this. Many contend this is done solely to inflate numbers in statistical studies being done on the subject, others say it is such a common practice that you cannot be sure. But even if it is a common practice that does not change the fact that these members are being recycled at much greater than normal rates. This is the main symptom that the boards might be doing just enough to get by, and that is why the public needs to be ever vigilant in its views on the subject.

There is a lot of headway as far as minorities on corporate boards. The problem is that discrimination is hard to see and almost impossible to define. But the discerning mind will be able t identify such instances. Here's a hint: if you look in the boardroom and think of nothing but snowflakes, there might be a problem.

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