Black Employees At U.S. Mint Detail Microaggressions, Implicit Bias In New Report

According to a New York Times report, black employees at the U.S. Mint say they feel threatened and marginalized.

The report states Black employees at the mint say the agency has a culture of racist behavior and feel a “lack of psychological safety,” describing a workplace full of biases and microaggressions.

The report comes despite several signs of progress and diversity at the U.S. Mint. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden nominated Ventris Gibson to become the mint’s first Black director. The mint has begun releasing and distributing quarters featuring poet, author, and activist Maya Angelou, making her the first Black woman on the coin.

However, the agency has had issues with employees and race in the past. In 2017, a white employee was placed on leave after using rope from coin bags to make a noose and placing it on a Black employee’s chair. The employee challenged his removal, and the mint later agreed to a settlement with the worker.

CNBC also reported at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Black employees at the U.S. Mint sent a letter to former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin detailing several racist incidents, including the N-word written in restrooms and more nooses.