The Interview
Three potential candidates attend a panel interview for a position at Mella Co.
The interview takes place in the company’s high-rise conference room that features a grand display of graffiti and murals of historical black figures. Seated around the large conference room table is Head of HR, IMANI; Director of West Indian Affairs, JEVAUN; and VP of Urban Development, D’ANDRE.
ENTER MARQUIS, 24, handsome fair-skinned biracial (Jamaican/English) man from Brooklyn, NY. Has a B.A in New Media. Head full of dreads neatly cornrowed, wearing a crisp white button down black slacks and dress shoes.
MARQUIS
Morning all (with a pleasant smile)
The panel nods with a smile at MARQUIS as he takes a seat.
ENTER KATY, 24, pleasant looking white woman from Manhattan, NY. Has a B.A in Business Administration. Shoulder-length blonde hair in a neat bun, wearing a pale blue blouse and black pencil skirt and appropriate black work pumps.
KATY
Good morning everyone! (with a full smile)
JEVAUN stifles a chuckle as IMANI shoots him a sharp look before looking at KATY as she takes a seat.
IMANI
Good morning
D’ANDRE nods with a slight grin.
ENTER TERELL, 26, hard but attractive looking man from Queens, NY. Has an A.S in liberal arts. Neat and tapered dark caesar, wearing a red Polo sweater, black jeans, and black ACGs.
TERELL
What’s good y’all.
(Proceeds to give D’ANDRE & JEVAUN daps, and gives IMANI a deep nod)
Sis.
IMANI
Morning (nodding back to TERELL)
TERELL grabs a seat as KATY gives him a slightly incredulous look.
MARQUIS leans across KATY to give TERELL a fist bump as they nod at each other.
TERELL reaches out to KATY to shake her hand. She hesitates at first but accepts it.
IMANI
Okay, let’s get started.
D’ANDRE, KATY, TERELL, thank you all for coming.
If you’ve never participated in a group interview before, it can be quite awkward at first.
We are aware of that. Being that we’re still a developing company, we are using this process to efficiently fill positions with qualified people. I encourage you to speak freely, but with consciousness that another candidate will have to answer as well.
JEVAUN
In other words, try fi keep yah answers dem brief.
KATY squints at JEVAUN but doesn’t say anything, while the other two candidates nod.
D’ANDRE
Let’s jump right in.
What do you know about this company?
KATY
I’m aware of how popular your organization has become. Mella’s revenue has grown by 27% over the last year, mainly due to how much you appeal to ethnic groups.
JEVAUN
Oo you ah talk bout ethnic, yuh funny.
KATY
Umm, thank you?! (with an awkward smile)
TERELL rolls his eyes.
TERELL
Y’all are revolutionary. Black folks ain’t never had a mainstream company they could vibe with that ain’t tryna sell them clothes or Hollywood dreams. I feel y’all.
MARQUIS
I agree entirely. Your company has a culture that resonates with me, and I believe, the entire black community. Education is important, and the type of education that you are giving inner city youth and their parents stuck in the black hole we call the hood, is invaluable.
TERELL
For sho. I’ve seen some things… It changes you. You gain a perspective of life that can harden you.
Mella allows you to take a step out of the hood even if you’re still chillin on the couch.
KATY
I can’t say that I can relate. I came in knowing that I may be a bit out of place. However, it never hurts to have some diversity in your company. Especially when the right individual can appeal to a wider range of people. I have experience in marketing as well as public relations and I believe I can help company branding.
D’ANDRE raises an eyebrow.
IMANI
Oh really? What do you feel is lacking in our branding? Diverse faces?
KATY
Well… Yes. I love the message Mella is looking to spread. I think it would be beneficial to humans of all races. I can be more than just a token, I am highly qualified and…
JEVAUN
Qualified?! My girl you nuh undahstand a word mi ah seh since yuh comyah.
IMANI clears her throat.
KATY
Erm… I, uh…
MARQUIS
If I may. I think there’s a huge misconception that seeing a bunch of dark faces on an ad means that it lacks diversity. Black people span nations and are so underrepresented in some countries that you’d think we don’t even exist there. An Afro-American, Jamaican, and Nigerian are all from very different cultures. I love that Mella tries to bridge the gap between each to foster a community that will uplift us all.
TERELL
Word! How many white people you see on these shows. Talkin bout, I’m this that and the third? I get it, I mean, you get an Irishman, an Italian, an Australian and a Dutchman and boom, diversity, right? To us, we just see wypipo. Ain’t nothing wrong with having something for ourselves.
MARQUIS
MARQUIS
This company gives the world a chance to get to know and love us. As more than just melanin.
TERELL
Facts!
D’ANDRE smoothly applauds.
D’ANDRE
Well said, my brother. We here at Mella are looking to create an image of what we could be without losing the soul and the very essence of what we are. What makes us, us.
IMANI
Speaking of image… KATY, have you ever considered a perm to give your hair some sort of volume or texture?
The policy of our company requires employees to keep a professional look in line with our culture.
The texture of your hair is too… Eurocentric.
D’ANDRE
It would also help if you could consider some tanning salons.
KATY looks absolutely horrified.
KATY
My hair and skin color has nothing to do with my qualifications and my ability to do the work required of me! I am an excellent market researcher. I have recommendations! I…
JEVAUN
Ah whoaleap ah otha people wi can pick weh can do di work. Why wi fi pick you?
KATY
…
TERELL snickers.
MARQUIS
He asked why should they choose you if there are others who are a better fit, culture-wise.
KATY ponders. She needs work. She’s quite desperate for work, she’s been on interview after interview. She knew there was a good chance Mella wouldn’t accept her because well, she’s white. However, she thought that if she could show how great of a candidate she was, they’d be stupid not to hire her.
IMANI
KATY, I’d like you to take a look at the men sitting around this table. I’d like you to think of the places you have worked, the places your parents have worked. How likely would it be, that any one of them would get a job at any of those other places… over you?
KATY looks around. She sees MARQUIS’ dreads but thinks of how articulate he his. But… his dreads. She immediately dismissed TERELL. D’ANDRE and JEVAUN, their names alone wouldn’t have even gotten them a phone call.
KATY
I understand. I do, but I really do think the company is amazing. I would work really hard…
TERELL quickly interjects.
TERELL
Maaannn listen. I’ve been workin hard my whole life. You’re preaching to the choir miss.
MARQUIS
Mi know mi work. That’s all I’ve been doing from Day 1. It’s what you do when you’re trying not to be a statistic. It’s all most of us know. I’ve never been on a family vacation. I have been able to go to places my darker family could not. The whole time there I’m defending one half of me while trying not to offend the other.
TERELL
Pfft. Man at least you can go to those places. I wish I could pass sometimes. As far as family vacations go… First, you need family. Second, you need money. I know two types of homies. The ones who try and do it the right way, and ones who need to do it the quick way. Vacations with your moms and pops when you’re young is like a myth in our community.
D’ANDRE
We’re looking to change that. I’m not going to sit here and say white people don’t run into life problems. That’s an incredibly ignorant thought. However, I will say this. You take an impoverished black boy with a “typical black name” and an impoverished white boy with a “typical white name”, clean them up real nice, give them the same education, and send them on an interview. Unfortunately, the white boy would 9 times out of 10, maybe even 10 out of 10, get the job. That’s just how society is.
JEVAUN
Yes. A suh tings set. At Mella wi nah look fi handouts. We are the giving hand.
For wi brotha an sista dem.
TERELL
We’ve definitely built mad stuff for the man.
IMANI
The idea behind Mella is to end the “woe is me” complex. We can’t forget where we came from. We are a broken people, but we’re looking to fix that ourselves. We won’t be upset about white people portraying us incorrectly. It doesn’t make sense to expect someone who doesn’t like you to paint you in a good light. We will illustrate ourselves, educate ourselves, build our own homes, discipline our own children, write our own stories, love ourselves, and in this case, please do not take offense because we are choosing to hire ourselves.
D’ANDRE
To be honest it seems like the culture of our company would overwhelm you. I also don’t want staff to feel they’d need to conform to a certain type of speech because you’re around. You’d be surprised how quickly employees would code-switch. I want them to be themselves at all times.
JEVAUN
Mi nuh wah people inna dis department yah fi be trifling fih nuh white gyal tek dem promotion.
KATY
I…I understand. Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts with me. I wish your company much success, and when you feel you’d like to collaborate with Caucasians, I’d love to be considered.
KATY EXITS room.
D’ANDRE claps hands together.
D’ANDRE
Alright! Thank you, my brothers for coming!
IMANI
You’ll hear from us within the next two weeks with our decision. Thank you for coming.
JEVAUN nods at both men and stands up to leave.
ALL EXIT the room.