(WASHINGTON, DC) -- In the immediate aftermath of the
protests that shot up across the country following the killing of George Floyd,
many energy and industry groups have made public gestures of support. Oil
giants like ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and the industry group American Petroleum
Institute came out with statements condemning racism, as did leaders of the
wind and solar energy sectors.
But those statements came from leaders in an industry that
is still predominantly white, especially in the highest management positions,
Pro's Gavin Bade and Ben Lefebvre report this morning.
One 2016 study from API found nearly three-quarters of oil
and gas industry workers were white. The rank and file of the wind and solar
sectors are slightly more diverse, according to a 2019 report for state energy
officials, but many of the highest paid jobs are dominated by white workers.
The oil and gas industry as a whole also has long generated complaints that it
has been hostile to women and minorities.
"Those who have statements have good statements, but
from where I sit, what we want to know is what happens after your
statement," said Paula Glover, head of American Association of Blacks in
Energy. "Because [a statement] that says we abhor racism and inequality,
it's not that it rings hollow, but if you do nothing to back that up by making
change in your organization, then it's just words on the page."
Industry groups seek diversity rising. API says a majority
of new oil and gas jobs through 2040 will be filled by women and people of
color — though that portion is smaller for managerial and C-suite positions.
Leaders in the wind and solar sector have said they plan to redouble their
diversity efforts in the wake of recent protests.
But protesters from the energy sector said they want
companies to not only hire more black and Latino employees but to focus
business development on their communities and transform an industry culture
that is often hostile to non-white workers.
"The system is not broken — it's working exactly how it
should for a certain population," said Jamez Staples, a clean energy
entrepreneur in North Minneapolis who attended Floyd's funeral last week.
"Now that there's more people of color coming up through these systems,
they're realizing that they're broken or aren't functioning well and they need
to be demolished and rebuilt ... to create economic models that are more
inclusive."
