Tech Exec Prioritizes Job Opening to People of Color, Critics Argue Civil Rights Violation

Dropbox’s Senior Director of Product Design Jasmin Friedl indicated in a post on Twitter that she was “prioritizing” people of color in her hiring practices at the company.

First up, I care deeply about building teams that represent the communities we work in and the people we serve,” Friedl said in a tweet explaining details about a new job opening. “I also deeply care about equity in hiring. Therefore, I choose to prioritize folks in our BIPOC and URM communities.

The acronym “BIPOC” stands for “Black and Indigenous People of Color,” while “URM” stands for “underrepresented minorities.”

Critics of Firedl’s post argued her actions – limiting who she considers for the position – violated equal opportunity employment requirements outlined by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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According to the Department of Labor, “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, protects applicants and employees from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), or national origin.”

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