Paul Ryan's 'so white' Instagram post sparks ridicule & ignites diversity debate

An Instagram post showing scores of interns has been criticised for its lack of diversity – The Guardian reports.

The post – by Paul Ryan, 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives - read: “I think this sets a record for the most number of #CapitolHill interns in a single selfie. #SpeakerSelfie.”

However, the majority of the interns were white, with the lack of diversity on show prompting criticism online. It also reinvigorates the debate around diversity quotas. Those against quotas say that the best talent will always find a way, but others – such as Marcus Noland, the Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Peterson Institute for International Economics – disagrees.

He spoke to Executive Grapevine about the issue earlier this year: “Legal mandates are one avenue to achieve diversity. Another would be something like the ‘Rooney Rule’ in professional football: when a head coach (and more recently general manager) position opens, the team is required to interview at least one minority candidate.