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Time Warner CEO: View from a Black Man at the Top

By Wafeeq Zarif
Black College Wire

Sara Fajardo/@UNITY.org photo Richard Parsons, chairman and CEO of Time Warner, told Unity attendees that not every ill-timed comment by a white person is racist.

When diversity is on the agenda at a convention of journalists of color, expect a few people to show up.

But when the person speaking is one of the nation�s top Fortune 500 executives and happens to be African American, expect a full house.

It was standing room only when Time Warner Chairman Richard D. Parsons, 55, spoke on racism in America, the challenges people of color face in the workplace, and the future of his company during a question-and-answer session Aug. 6 during the Unity 2004 convention.

Parsons became Time Warner chairman in 2003. As a result of the America Online-Time Warner merger in 2000, Parsons oversees properties http://www.timewarner.com/companies/index.adp that include AOL, Netscape, Warner Brothers Entertainment, Home Box Office and Time Warner Cable.

�Racism is the pre-eminent fact of life in America,� Parsons said. �I don�t think about [race] constantly, but we live in a country where it�s unavoidable.�

Parsons said minorities aren�t on an equal footing in the workplace from the start. He said that if a well-bred white person makes a mistake on the job, an employer is likely to excuse it as a rookie error.

�If [people of color] slip that first time, they say, �I knew he couldn�t do it,�� Parsons said. �That is why first impressions are so important for minorities.� Parsons said one of the biggest challenges facing African Americans in the workplace is learning to let things slide. He said not every ill-timed comment by a white person is racist.

Parsons recalled the time a white associate complained about his practice of recruiting from historically black colleges and universities. Parsons said the man was worried that the recruits couldn�t relate to the company�s customers, who are mostly middle-class whites. The man asked Parsons why he didn�t hire a white recruit.

�He said, �he has blond hair, blue eyes and he�s a great golfer �- a real white man,�� Parsons said. �Then he thought about it for a minute and said, �uh, I didn�t mean that the way it sounded,� and he didn�t,� Parsons said.

The CEO said his associate grew up in an era when the workplace was drastically different. He knew the man didn�t mean any harm, so he wasn�t offended, and he didn�t make a big deal about it, Parsons said.

While Parsons quickly answered questions on minority issues, he took time to tackle some about the future of AOL.

The AOL-Time Warner merger was supposed to be a huge financial success for both parties, but that never happened. AOL was perceived as a drag and "AOL Time Warner" reverted to "Time Warner."

Parsons said Time Warner lost $99 billion over three years, but that he remains optimistic about his company�s future.

�The timing of the merger was the worst in history, but the strategy was one of the best,� Parsons said. �AOL is a vibrant part of Time Warner -� maybe not as much as people thought five years ago �- but it�s getting there,� Parsons said.

Asked whether AOL was part of Time Warner�s long-term future, Parsons paused for a moment.

�As far as its future, I can�t say with absolute certainty right now, but I�m increasingly confident about it,� Parsons said.

He explained the vagueness of his answer by saying he didn�t come to Unity to break news.

The reporters in attendance quickly expressed disappointment.

Despite the losses associated with the merger, Parsons came away unscathed. He was a winner in the management shakeup that followed, moving from CEO in May 2002 to chairman of the board a year later. He credited his hard work and his company�s desire to be a beacon for diversity as two of the reasons he has thrived.

Parsons said comedian Wanda Sykes summed it up best. He said Sykes spoke at a convention he attended, and joked about the $99 billion loss.

�She said she used to be a big proponent of affirmative action, but now she feels it�s no longer needed,� Parsons said. �She said that�s because when a brother can lose $99 billion and not get run out of town, we�ve made it.�

Wafeeq Zarif is a student at Benedict College.

Posted Aug. 10, 2004