Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, disability or religion. In the workplace, it is illegal to discriminate due to race in regard to hiring, termination, compensation, promotion, job training, or any other right of employment.
Sometimes signs of racism are overt, in the form of racial jokes or name calling, but often in the workplace they are not. Racial discrimination can often be harder to detect, such as an employer not promoting an employee who is as skilled or more, due to his or her race.
How to Identify Racial Discrimination
Racial discrimination can take place without anyone noticing. Unless an employer openly admits to it, it can be hard to determine for sure why one employee won the promotion over the other. When interviewing, employers are prohibited from asking questions about race. If asked, it could provide evidence that race was a factor in their decision in hiring.
Another form of race discrimination is color discrimination. This would be a situation in which people are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to their skin color. While racism is the dependence of social status on the social meaning attached to race; colorism is the dependence of social status on skin color alone.
An example of colorism would be if a dark-skinned African American man working in a restaurant with other African American employees, was put in jobs such as bussing tables, stocking shelves and washing dishes behind the scenes, while a lighter skinned African American would get jobs facing the public like waiting tables, seating people and ringing up checks. If the darker skinned busy persons had more skills and experience in waiting tables, and were place is background roles as a result, they would clearly have been victims of colorism.
Philadelphia Employment Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Fight for Victims of Race Discrimination
If you believe that you we discriminated against by your employer based on the color of your skin, the Philadelphia discrimination lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. can help you figure out whether the facts are on your side to mount a legal challenge. As racial discrimination can be hard to prove, you will want the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable Philadelphia discrimination lawyers to represent you. Call us today at 215-569-1999 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation. Our office is located centrally in Philadelphia, and represents clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
