In my opinion, stronger efforts should be made to curtail incidents based on prejudice and elitism, rather than on fairness and performance. .
The United States has many minority groups. These minorities include blacks, Jews, Asian Americans, European immigrants, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, homosexuals, and people with handicaps. Members of these groups often have not had an equal chance for economic, political, or social advancement. Members of some minorities have been denied the right to vote. Many persons have been discriminated against in housing, education, and employment, and have been denied equal access to restaurants, hotels, and other public accommodations and facilities. A main goal of the United States has been to end such discrimination and guarantee equal rights and opportunities for all people.
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the strongest civil rights bills in U.S. history. It ordered restaurants, hotels, and other businesses that serve the general public to serve all people without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin. It also barred discrimination by employers and unions, and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce fair employment practices. In addition, the act provided for a cutoff of federal funds from any program or activity that allowed racial discrimination. .
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It has been nearly four decades since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave minorities legal equality. Yet, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charges of harassment based on race or national origin have more than doubled at the end of 1999 to nearly 7,000 since 1990 (EEOC). In an article in Business Week highlighting black workers at a Lockheed plant located in Marietta, Georgia, the magazine claims that the problem is not contained to small Southern cities. Boeing, Texaco, Coca-Cola, along with dozens of other household names face complaints of racism in their workforce (Bernstein 65).
