RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA

Racial Discrimination in America

Raymond J. Berry Jr.
Hampton University

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA

Abstract
Racial discrimination is seen as a huge dilemma. With its many forms, racial
discrimination is almost impossible to avoid. It is present in school systems, work places, social
environments, and politics. This literature review will inform the reader of the current and
growing racial discrimination problem. To start one would need to understand what racial
discrimination actually is. It is more complex than people would like to believe. The general
definition on discrimination is the unjust treatment or a person or a thing. Once you include
racial, it changes the meaning, racial discrimination is defined as treating a person less favorably
than another person because of their race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant
status. I feel there are a lot of grey areas in the topic matter. So I felt the need to research to get
answers to general questions and also more indebt questions to fully understand this complex
subject. Im also inclined to research this topic because growing up a black male Ive
experienced discrimination. Questions that trouble me about this topic are where did racial
discrimination originate? Also how did it become so prominent? Many of my other questions
revolve around how the development of this mind set starts. My research points prominently to
the environment in how the person was raised. Also, racial discrimination is not only majority
and minority issue, any person or group can discriminate or be discriminated against. I can
conclude and say that racial discrimination is not something that will end like a fad or trend, it is
a permeate thing that can only be reduced.

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According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, racial discrimination is when a

person is treated less favorably than another person in a similar situation because of their race,
color, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status. For centuries, racial discrimination
has taken many forms in America, but has never left. Up to today, racial discrimination still
exists in our workplaces, school systems, justice system, government, and society. Recently,
there have been several occurrences where racial discrimination was made public by several
forms of media.
The news, social media, and print media are some of the sources that brought racial
discrimination in Americas education system to light. On June 26, 2015, Colbert I. King wrote
an article published by the Washington Post about why racism is alive and well in America.
He presented four cases from 2013 to 2015 where fraternities performed racial discrimination.
The first took place in February of 2013, where Washington University in St. Louis suspended
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity after they were accused of singing racial slurs to African
American students. The second was in November of 2014, where the University of Connecticut
suspended Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity after a confrontation with members of the historically black
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in which AKAs were called racially and sexually charged names.
The third was in March of 2015, where a University of Maryland student resigned from Kappa
Sigma fraternity after being suspended for sending an e-mail containing racially and sexually
suggestive language about African American, Indian and Asian women. Also in 2015,
disciplinary action was taken against members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the
University of Oklahoma who participated in a racist chant, caught on video, about lynching
African Americans.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA

On January 22, 2015, Bruce Horovitz wrote an article published by USA Today about ten,
former McDonalds workers that filed a civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the
Western District of Virginia regarding racial discrimination and sexual harassment. Out of the
ten people involved in the lawsuit, nine were African American and one was Hispanic, but all
worked at one of three McDonalds restaurants owned by Michael Simon, a McDonalds
franchisee. The suit states that over a dozen African Americans were simultaneously let go by
the company because they didnt fit the profile. According to Horovitz, it was highlighted in
the lawsuit that one supervisors called African American workers ghetto and bitch. It was
also stated that another supervisor called a Hispanic worker a dirty Mexican and hot
Mexican. The workers claim they presented the complaints to McDonalds corporate office but
no actions were taken.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was put in place to protect individuals from
actions such as what took at these McDonalds locations. According to U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was put in place to protect
individuals from discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, or
religion. The article presented shows that racial discrimination is not being prevented in the
workplace although Title VII is supposed to protect workers. It is supposed to provide protection
for people from racial discrimination, some forms being race-related characteristics, color
discrimination, and harassment. With race-related characteristics under Title VII, it should
protect a person from being discriminated against for things such as their skin color, hair texture,
and facial features. Color discrimination plays a part in the protection of discrimination against
race-related characteristics, but it is supposed to protect people from discrimination subjected by
one within or outside a race. Those that discriminate through harassment of forms such as ethnic

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or racial slurs, offensive comments, intimidating, or any actions that interfere with a persons
work performance could be charged with harassment, which is protected in Title VII. The
workers from McDonalds had their rights violated in many ways while employed at the
restaurants.
Throughout history, the U.S. government has put laws in place to enforce equality. The
presidents role is to enforce those policies, but there has been several racial discriminatory
statements made by Donald Trump and many other politicians. At his rally in Iowa, presidential
candidate Ted Cruz called the Black Lives Matter movement disgraceful. He believes this
movement is one of the most disturbing things because it embraces rabid rhetoric, rabid antipolice language, literally suggesting and embracing and celebrating the murder of police
officers. One of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, Johnetta Elzie, spoke with
ThinkProgress, telling thing Nothing about us affirming our own lives has anything to do with
embracing and celebrating the murder of police officers. She also gave reasoning as to why
this movement started, stating We came out our houses because we were tired of seeing police
officers hurt, harm and murder black bodies with impunity. Not because we want to see any
police officer killed. DeRay McKesson, another leader of the Black Lives Matter Movement,
called Cruzs remarks desperate and a way to perpetuate lies about a movement focused on
ending violence in order to garner attention. He concludes by saying this statement is a
reminder that he is unfit to be the President of the United States. Presidential candidate
Donald trump has made several racial discriminatory remarks towards Muslims, African
Americans, and Hispanics. Following the San Bernardino shooting in California, Trump
proposed total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys
representatives can figure out what is going on. At his presidential candidate kickoff in

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Manhattan, he stated Mexico is sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing
those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists.
Trump has also made statements about African Americans, saying that laziness is a trait in the
black.
Racial discrimination is very prominent with in the political field. Its almost forbidden to
discuss the role racism has played in shaping opposition to Obama. Conservatives consider
talking about race as playing the race card and use it as an opportunity to accuse liberals of
reverse racism. Of course, race isnt the reason conservatives oppose Obama, but it shapes the
nature of their opposition. The right wing would have exploded against Hillary Clinton as well.
But they wouldnt have waged a three-year campaign to discredit her citizenship.
For this paper, a primary research survey consisting of five questions was performed on
31 people. The survey asked the audience if they have encountered racial discrimination, if so
where, how the experience affected them socially with other races, and if they believe laws
protect all races equally. The results from the survey showed 96.77% of those that took the
survey had encountered racial discrimination, one person had not encountered it. Capable of
choosing more than one, the audience was presented with five environments as to where they
encountered racial discrimination. The options were education systems, workplaces, social
settings, governing bodies/police, and consumer services. The most people had encountered
racial discrimination in social settings (19 of 30), second was in consumer services (18 of 30),
third was in education systems (18 of 30), fourth was in the workplace (14 of 30), and last was
by a governing body or police (6 of 30). Next, the survey showed that 90.32% of the audience
that participated do not believe that the laws implemented and enforced by the government
protect all races equally. Although majority of those that participated in this survey had

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encountered racial discrimination, 54.84% of the 31 said that it has not affected how they interact
with other races. Several people responded to how racial discrimination has affected how they
interact with other races. Several respondents said that they try to keep to themselves or interact
less within and outside the workplace. Some feel as though they cannot present or carry
themselves like other races. Others stated that they are more conscious as to what is said or what
they say around other races, also to treat them as you would like to be treated. Three respondents
went into depth with their answers and shared their experiences. The first said that a Caucasian
lady followed the respondent and their grandmother around a store acting like she was fixing
56.67%
merchandise,
but they felt as though she was watching
to46.67%
see if they would steal any merchandise. The
second
is in an interracial relationship and he is told by
63.33%
others
that it lessens their blackness, also that it
20.00%
60.00%
means
that they do not have as much pride in their
race. The last stated that they question every action
to determine if thats the answer or action because theyre black or if its the right answer. They
do this because they figure there is always a secret agenda.
Racial discrimination is a huge problem that can be decreased, but eradicated. As racial
discrimination continues to grow, the current events presented examples of the fuel that has been
added to the fire as time has progressed. Racial discrimination can come from ones own race,
the second respondent attends a HBCU (Historically Black College or University), where they
are told caring about someone deeply has a color. With racial discrimination being publicly
shared with audiences by presidential candidates that are currently in the race with an abundance
of support, the possibility of equality for all races still hangs in the air. I agree with some of the

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA

comments made by the respondents, I do not feel that I can carry myself like some other races, or
that I have equal protection as them. With racial discrimination alive and thriving in the United
States, the best that could be done is to hope for change.

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9
Bibliography

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Race/Color Discrimination. Retrieved from

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/race_color.cfm
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2012). Know your rights: discrimination and
vilification. Retrieved from http://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/racediscrimination/publications/know-your-rights-racial-discrimination-and-vilification
Gass, Nick. (December 8, 2015). The 15 most offensive things that have come out of Trumps
mouth. Retrieved from http://www.politico.eu/article/15-most-offensive-things-trumpcampaign-feminism-migration-racism/
Lerner, Kira. (October 14, 2015). Cruz: Black Lives Matter Is Literally Suggesting And
Embracing And Celebrating The Murder Of Police. Retrieved from
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/10/14/3712373/ted-cruz-black-lives-matter/
Ontario Human Rights Commission. Examples of racial discrimination (fact sheet). Retrieved
from http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/examples-racial-discrimination-fact-sheet
King, Colbert I. (June 26, 2015). The key reason why racism remains alive and well in America.
Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-racism-stillflourishes/2015/06/26/d0e1f2e4-1b6e-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html
Horovitz, Bruce. (January 22, 2015). McDonalds workers sue over racial discrimination.
Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/01/22/mcdonalds-lawsuitfast-food-restaurant-discrimination/22159777/