Steve Harvey Fired the Different Reactions of Letting Go

Black people handle getting fired different from white folks. You can't fire us the same. It ain't gonna go good. See the difference between fire black and white people is this. When you fire white people, they don't ever see it coming, "What? What are you talking about? What are you, nuts? For crying out loud... For the love of god... For petes sake..." Oh they got a list of crap when they think their butt is gone. Cause they can't believe their getting fired.

See black people on the other hand. We figure, "Well, any day now. My butt should be out of here." See we know when there's some firing going on, we first, so we pretty much expect it.

I know what I'm talking about cause I didn't have a lot of jobs before I got into this right here. I prolly have 10 to 11 jobs. Out of those 10, 11 jobs, I have been fired probably 10, 11 times.

I have this one job. The last job I had I was selling insurance. I had this boss name, Tom. Tom was white. I like Tom. Tom was fair. That's what I like about him. He was just a fair man. I never had a beef with him. Tom was going to fire this white guy, named Bob. I like Bob. I used to go to lunch with Bob. Met Bob's family. Bob was a nice guy.

So Tom came out of his office this one morning to fire Bob. Bob was just sitting there. See right away. If I see Tom walking to my desk, you know I perk up. Cause this could be it. Bob didn't look. Tom walked his butt out there, you know. Your boss butt is tight anyways. I don't know why that is. They always walking like somebody is pushing them. Why the walking like that? They prolly scared they might break something off of it or what, but it looks like somebody pushing in there butt all the time. And he walked his tight butt to Bob's desk, "Hey Bob, can I see you in my office for a moment please?"

Bob said, "Sure thing Tom."

Bob stood right up, walked right into Tom office, and said, "Tom, you wanted to see me?"

What the hell you mean that he wanted to see you. He just walked out to your desk, and said, "Bob, can I see you in my office for a minute?" What is this bull crap about. It's denial. He don't see it coming. And Tom proceeded to find Bob right by the book, "Yeah Bob. At the board meeting last week, and going over at the board, we were looking at your evaluation. I want to tell you the truth. You are not just cutting it."

"Tom, what are you saying?" You know good as well hell what he is saying. Your butt is almost out of here. You see what the hell is going on, but denial.

Tom said, "Listen to me. Bob, you are making it so difficult. I know you are going to have a tough time explaining this to Becky, but we gonna have to let you go."

"Ah, oh Jesus. Oh Tom, what am I going to do? What about the mortgage? What about the childrens college fun. Oh father god."

Yeah, but when you go out to fire Willy, it ain't gonna go like that. See believe me. When you go out to fire Willy, you gotta take a whole another approach. Tom came out there one day to fire Willy, and I sat next to Willy. Willy was my boy for sure. So soon that Tom came out, Willy and me went like," ." Cause we know something is going down now.

Tom walked out his ass to Willy, "Hey Willy, can I see you in my office for a minute please?"

"What for? What the hell we're going in the office for, Tom. If you gonna tell me, you gonna tell me right here. I got a desk right here. I ain't going in the office. You got something to tell Willy. You tell Willy right here."

Now Tom knows he got a problem. He knows he got to get this altercation behind close doors right now. Cause he knows Willy will show his whole butt. We gonna act like a damn fool out here. Willy gonna tell all this cubicle. Something is going down. Tom finally got his butt in his office. Willy stood up. Before Willy walked in, he start walking around the desk, "uh huh, it's going to be some bull crap in here. Yeah, I know some bull crap when I see it. Yeah buddy, uh huh. What the hell he calling me in the office for? I've been here for 12 years. Bastard never calls me go to his damn office. This is going to be some crap in here. I'm gona go in there. But I tell you what. It better not be for what I think it is. I know that."

So willy walk in Tom office, "what's up Tom?"

Tom tried to fire Willy just like Bob, "You know Willy, we are at the board meeting last week you know. We were going over your evaluation."

"What evaluation?! I haven't seen any gawd damn evaluation. Where did you have the evaluation. I wasn't there for it. It wasn't post on the board cafeteria last week. I haven't seen nothing. I tell you right now. I ain't signing crap."