Related Links:

• Black Highway Department Employee & Community Organizer Put On 30-Day Unpaid Leave Since January 2021

• "Wait, What Is That?" Episode 5: Reuben Simmons And His One-Time Job Position As Highway Superintendent
  Hear it from Reuben himself, the summer before he was put on 30-Day Unpaid Leave

• Beacon’s New HR Director Hears From City Employees About Discrimination, Inequality, Growing Tensions; Suggests Solutions; Begins With Highway Department

• These 2 Black Beaconites Describe Being Ignored When Applying For Recent Water Department Or City Jobs

• "Beacon's Water Department Is A Completely Caucasian Department... Some Of Their [Highway Department Employees’] Behaviors Are Questionable"

• During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement

• Beacon Gets New City Administrator Chris White - Taking A Moment To Look Back At Past Administrator Actions

• Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) Signs In Storefront Windows Still Matter In 2021

Months ago, a caller from the public, Stefon Seward, asked the City Council why the City of Beacon’s Water Department was “all Caucasian.” That question led to other questions and some revelation of events that you can read about here.

Additionally, another member of the public, Wendel Henson, who lives in Beacon, called in to say that he was confused, as he had applied for the Water Department job, was interviewed for the Water Department job by Beacon’s new HR Director Gina Basile, and never heard from the City of Beacon again. You can hear his voice in the video of that City Council member here.

Based on that night, which included an apparent incorrect job title posting (it was stated as Superintendent, which is the boss, but the actual position was Operator, which is lower level - and the City of Beacon won’t comment on this), A Little Beacon Blog posted an article: “Beacon's Water Department Is A Completely Caucasian Department... Some Of Their [Highway Department Employees’] Behaviors Are Questionable"

After that article, as well as the article: “During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement,” two Beaconites who are Black reached out to A Little Beacon Blog to share their experiences with being ignored after applying for jobs with the City.

John and Tyree gave us permission to share their stories:

John Galloway, Jr.
Beacon City School District Board Member; Co-Founder The Label

John Galloway, Jr. is known as “John John” by almost everyone in Beacon. He is very tall, very involved in the community, very much walking up and down Main Street in his pursuits of activities. I know this because I saw him often when I had my office on Main Street, and saw him interact with people on Main Street all of the time.

John most recently worked for the Gap Inc. Distribution Center, from which he was laid off. He campaigned in 2020 to be appointed to a vacant seat on the Beacon City School District; he did so at a time when the Board could have appointed 2 Black candidates to the positions that night (“What Shook The Room At Beacon's Board Of Education (BOE) Meeting: 2 Open Seats, But 1 Was Filled”), and was met with resistance from the board in the name of establishing “process.”

People in the Black community came that night to speak on behalf of the appointments, and on slow experiences with process they had experienced over the decades. John was eventually appointed and currently serves on the Board. “My role on the School Board is to speak on behalf of the community who are facing educational and financial disadvantages in our community.”

Lately, he has been fundraising for a new youth basketball league through a foundation, The Label. He describes himself as a “a co-founder of The Label Foundation Inc. but all members are co-founders.”

Here is what he submitted:

Good afternoon Katie,

I read your article about the Water Department positions, and I just wanted to let you know that I too applied for it. To my knowledge, it is a laborer/entry level position with a future of a career ladder.

I did not receive an interview, but I did receive a letter stating that the position has been filled. I would have loved the chance for a job and to establish a career especially right here in my hometown of 24 years.

From time to time I still question why I didn’t at least get the opportunity for an interview. An interview could have provided me with feedback I could improve on for potential future position(s).

You have my permission to use my name and the information above for your article(s).

Thank you for your time,

John Galloway Jr. (John John)

UPDATE 3/8/2021 10:53pm: After this article published, John Galloway commented on Instagram:
Dear Readers:
I also would like to make it another point that not getting a job for my city isn’t always a racial thing and it may not be the case here, I just think that as a member of the community, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we deserve a chance to obtain a career working for the city. It would make life easier if we were given the opportunity to work for the city we grew up in and connect and learn from others that have been doing said job and are on their way out, continuing a cycle of hiring from within, and that goes for any department, the Water Department isn’t the only issue when it comes to labor issues.

Tyree Burns

I have not met Tryee in person yet, so I’m not in a position to describe him like I did with John above, but perhaps one day soon. Tyree Burns says he has applied for jobs with the City of Beacon, and says he has never been called back or made it to an interview. The reference he used in his note below, Ed McNair, is a longtime Beaconite in the Black community who works in the Highway Department, under Superintendent Manzi, mainly assigned to the Park.

My name is Tyree Burns. I've applied to work for the City of Beacon multiple times, but never got a call back or an interview.

My older brother told me the city was hiring so I went & picked up an application, and filled it out. I used of the City of Beacon's employees, Ed McNair, as a reference both times I applied. I handed my application to the City office & never got an interview or even a call or email back stating they received my application & were considering me or not.