New York Offers Accounting Program for Teens -- so Long as They Aren't White

If you’re a New York high schooler and interested in accounting, hopefully, you aren’t white.

For those lucky enough not to be, there’s a new program sponsored by New York colleges.

Nine top universities — including five public ones — are taking part in the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession program.

The plan — sponsored by the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the Moynihan Scholarship Fund — will offer an accounting boost to 250 teens.

Per the official website, they only need to be “promising underrepresented high school students.”

The site sells the program as a “unique learning experience developed to expose” those nonwhites to “accounting and business careers.”

The nonwhites will encounter “successful diverse role models, in addition to an introduction to college campus life and expectations. The program is designed to teach students about the breadth and depth of accounting as a career choice.”

Freely apply, keeping in mind two things:

The student’s full legal name must be used when creating the Smarterselect account for the application.

(Applicant) must be an underrepresented high school student who lives in the State of New York.

But what does “underrepresented” entail?

The site makes clear which races may partake:

Hispanic or Latino – A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Asian (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Native American or Alaska Native (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino) – All persons who identify with more than one of the above five races.

Winners will enjoy virtual sessions, which may include the following:

an accounting profession overview (panel discussion may include a representative from a CPA firm,

industry, education, young CPA and a college student)

forensic accounting

basic accounting concepts

business etiquette

interviewing skills

public speaking

networking

college prep/financial aid

resume writing

They’ll also “hear from professionals in corporations, accounting firms, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to gain valuable exposure to the business world.”

We’re at an odd place in America — a previous generation once discovered that segregation’s for the birds.

But a new generation’s telling the old-timers to take a flying leap.

Hence, occasions such as these:

Minnesota College Requires Monthly ‘Antiracism’ Staff Training — Separated by Race

School District Apologizes for Including White Students in ‘Support Circles’ After Chauvin Verdict

Ivy League School Offers Rock Climbing Class for Everyone But White Students

As for New York’s celebration of diversity, here are the participating colleges (asterisk = public):

Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York

*Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, New York

Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, New York

St. John’s University
Queens, New York

Siena College
Loudonville, New York

*SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, New York

*SUNY Oswego
Oswego, New York

*University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

*Westchester Community College
Valhalla, New York

Campus Reform spoke to SUNY Oswego Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Scott Furlong, who took full responsibility — on behalf of NYSSCPA, not his school:

“The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants sets the policy to provide the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program exclusively to high school students of color.”

Regardless, following the notion that race is so important, the whole point of the program may be moot: If nonwhite aspiring accountants go on to serve only nonwhite customers, there likely won’t be enough work.

Just ask Joe Biden:

BIDEN: "…young black entrepreneurs are just as capable of succeeding given the chance as white entrepreneurs are, but they don't have lawyers, they don't have accountants…" pic.twitter.com/uaVQO6vPeN

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 1, 2021