In God We Trust

Critical Race Theory (CRT) Infiltrates American Express Company 

 

By Dr. Rolando M. Ochoa D.B.A.

Among the many negative events that have happened in the last months, I was extremely surprised when I read an article in Fox Business about CRT. The article describes the training program for American Express Company’s staff given by a consulting company.

Knowing that CRT is an important part of the dangerous plan to implement socialism in the US, I wrote a letter to Amex CEO Stephen J. Squeri, found below, to protest this fact as a customer of Amex. Several other news outlets have also reported this event.

I know that I am only one customer and if I leave them, they will not care much, but I did it anyway with the hope that if more customers complain, Amex might cancel this training. Sometimes we must take a stance and express our views in the hope of helping our country and also with the hope for the possibility that more Amex customers will also complain.

Several days have passed and I have not heard from Amex. This is why I am publishing this article as I told Amex I would. Hopefully you will help in this mission.

Here is the letter:

Pembroke Pines, Florida

August 11, 2021

Mr. Stephen J. Squeri

Chairman and CEO
American Express Co.
200 Vesey Street
New York, NY 10285

Dear Mr. Squeri:

I am your card holder since 1975 who currently has a Platinum and Gold cards. I am generally satisfied with your service and try to promote your company to my family and friends.

Today I am really upset after reading and article which describe how you have put your employees through a Critical Race Theory (CRT) training. This theory is one of the most racist theories ever invented. Its main idea is that there are different classes of people, which is nothing new, but the way they divide these groups is by using their gender, sex orientation, race, national origin, religion, able-bodied or handicapped, age, and other parameters.

This theory erroneously assumes that people in certain groups are either “Privileged” or “Marginalized.” You asked your staff to place themselves in one of these two groups and further requested that those that consider themselves “privileged,” act a certain way and refrain from using certain phrases as they interact with the other group. This theory fails to account for each individual’s drive, intelligence, education, and motivation. It assumes that if you are classified as “Marginalized,” you cannot be successful unless you are helped by others. This is pure racism at its best!

If I were one of your staff members using the directives of this training, I would classify myself as a “Marginalized.” I am Hispanic of Cuban decent, my family came to the US with nothing, so we were poor, I did not have dominion of the English language, I am now considered old. I worked hard and went to school while having three jobs to raise my family. I was a banker for 41 years and a college professor for 7 years. I obtained a doctorate degree at age 66. I refuse to be classified as “marginalized” because in the US, I had the opportunity to do all of these as long as I had the motivation to do so.

I am sure you have many employees that probably feel the same way I do  and have important positions in your company that they have earned with their hard work and tenacity. I am sure that these do not feel “marginalized” either. This theory also assumes that if you are white, male, heterosexual, Christian, able-bodied, and born in the US, you are “privileged.” That is even more racists, because it assumes that you have succeeded because of these qualities and not because of your motivation and effort. I know, and I am sure you also know, of many people who fit this “privileged” criteria that are failures and high-risk workers and people not to be trusted.

After looking at the members of your executive cadre, I see there many who would be considered “marginalized” by this theory, but yet they hold high and important positions in your company. This fact alone, discredits the CRT completely.

American Express is a symbol of Corporate America and has the record and reputation of being at the top of the list. Capitalism was not founded in racism as a recent speaker, Khalil Muhammad, told your staff at the racism event you sponsored. This speaker proposed that American Express should reduce credit standard for black customers. This a racist comment which assumes that all black people are poor credit risks. He also said: “If you want to do good, then you’re going to have to set up products and lines that don’t maximize profits.” This is clearly a socialistic idea which should not have any space in the US. Mainly because, it has been tried, and it does not work.

I sincerely hope you stop this CRT training and go back to the corporate culture that has propelled you and many other companies to excel. By stopping this nonsense, you would be showing your leadership in Corporate America for other companies to follow and eliminate this racist and damaging theory.

I am just one customer, but if I do not receive a satisfactory response to my letter, I will stop doing business with you and I will do anything, in my limited power, to persuade others to also stop doing business with you.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Rolando M. Ochoa D.B.A.