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Blacks and Hispanics have no trouble getting tapped to lead civil rights commissions, but the same can't be said when it comes to other top-ranking state government jobs nationwide, a new study shows. "I don't know if I would call it tokenism as I would occupational segregation," said report author Judith Saidel, director of the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the State University of New York at Albany. Titled "Democracy Unrealized," the study notes the 2000 U.S. Census showed minorities made up 32 percent of the nation's population, but just 16 percent held key appointed policy positions in state governments in 2004. While blacks made up 12 percent of the U.S. population in 2000, they held 10 percent of the state government policy-leader posts last year. Blacks held an equitable share of leadership jobs in 11 of 29 states surveyed. Hispanics, meanwhile, held the lowest share of executive positions at four percent, despite making up 13 percent of the nation's population. [more]

Minorities represent only 19 percent of top NYC positions. Although African-Americans, Latinos and Asians make up about 57 percent of the NYC workforce they only represent 19 percent of its senior and executive staffs. [more]
Black Staff on the Hill are Endangered Species: According to the Congressional Management Foundation, the percentage of Senate staffers who are black rose from 1.5 in 1991 to 3.1 in 2001. It is estimated that today blacks hold fewer than 5 percent of the policy jobs on the Senate side. The foundation’s 2004 report showed that 6.8 percent of D.C.-based House staffers were black. [more]