Diversity in Pharma

[JohnMack]

Who and where are the role models in the pharmaceutical industry for people of color trying to make it in the industry? I think it would be a great idea to seek out these professionals and have them tell their stories.

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[JohnMack]

[I have re-opened this thread to accept posts about diversity issues facing the pharmaceutical industry. I welcome all comments from readers.]

Here's a piece recently posted on the On Pharma Blog:

Just received this troubling news release , which alleges that Lilly is allowing a racist workplace culture to thrive in Indiana. Last month, the release reports, an African American security guard found a noose tied to a tree on the corporate campus, and that this imagery has been turning up for the past 11 years.

I can’t vouch for the authenticity or credibility of the news source, but a class action lawsuit has been filed by a group of employees, led by former employee Cassandra Welch, who claim that they have been subjected to racist actions, including discriminatory pay differences. Here’s a copy of the class action complaint. Last November, the NAACP joined the plaintiffs, adding a great deal of credibility to their claims.

One snippet from the release:

”The presence of a hangman’s noose was first reported at Eli Lilly’s Clinton Plant in 1996, where a stuffed white sheet painted black with a noose around its neck was left dangling where dozens of employees could observe it. Then four years ago, also during Black History Month, Welch reported a black doll with a hangman’s noose around its neck dangling from her desk at the company’s headquarters.”

Haven’t seen an official response from Lilly yet to this latest press release, but no doubt one will be forthcoming.

The following (with a comment by an alleged former colleague of Ms. Welch’s) may offer some insights.

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2004/06/112187_comment.php

[wilsonallen01]

Hi John,

I read the url given by you. It is very informative and interesting one.

keep posting like this one.

Thank You..