If this feels racist (it should), think about whether it's really that different from saying that a residency requirement in an 82% Black and Latinx city is keeping you from hiring qualified city government department heads.
And let me be clear: I'm not saying that supporting the change in Hartford residency rules = racist intent. I'm saying it is an embrace of a concept of talent and qualifications that is rooted in structurally racist gatekeeping.
If you believe all groups of people, including the people who live in Hartford, have a fundamentally equal distribution of intellect and talent, then to say that Hartford lacks enough qualified candidates is to recognize the difference between qualification and actual ability.
The scientist and writer Stephen Jay Gould, when considering some discussion of analyzing Einstein's brain to find the root of his genius, said this:
That's the heart of the issue: we could be content with the measures we have for merit, and say that we can't find qualified candidates in Hartford, or recognize that those measures are flawed and seek out the merit we know lies undiscovered in our city.
I'd rather find the math wiz who never had a shot at going to MIT and get them the resources & training they need to be the finance manager for their own city than give the job to someone who lives out of town and has no investment in how their actions will be felt on the block.
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.