Many people believe that racial discrimination is a thing of the past, however, nothing could be further from the truth. This remains a problem in today’s age, and spans a variety of situations. For example, discrimination in the workplace continues to plague certain groups of people.
There are many federal laws in place that prohibit discrimination based on race. Furthermore, some states have their own laws as well.
Some of the most well know federal laws associated with racial discrimination include:
— Civil Rights Act of 1964: Title VII (Equal Employment Opportunities)
— The Equal Credit Opportunity Act
— Fair Housing Act
— Voting Rights Act of 1965
— Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
As you can see, each law is associated with a different situation. For example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, and national origin.
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, however, has nothing to do with employment. Instead, this law is in place to prohibit creditors from discriminating when making a credit decision.
On the plus side, there are many federal laws in place to help prevent racial discrimination. These laws have definitely helped decrease the number of incidents over the years.
On the downside, racial discrimination has not completely disappeared. This can still come into play, such as when a person of color is discriminated against at his or her place of employment.
If a person feels he or she has has been a victim of racial discrimination, the individual should take the time to better understand which laws are in place to protect his or her rights.
Source: FindLaw, “Race Discrimination: Applicable Laws,” accessed Nov. 10, 2015
