Question 1

Which of the following is(are)meant by references to "the institutional role of race"?
A) Prior to passage of Title VII, African-Americans were not permitted to testify against whites in court, nor look them in the eyes.
B) Homeland Security required certain TSA officers to attend a special class on why racial profiling is not acceptable and is not an effective way to spot terrorists after they were found to be stopping more blacks and Hispanics who they thought would have more outstanding warrants or be in possession of drugs
C) neither A nor B
D) both A and B

Accepted Answer

African-Americans could not testify against whites in court; look whites in the eye; stay on the sidewalk when whites passed by; be called by common honorific titles such as "Mr.," "Mrs.," or "Miss"; or contradict anything a white person said. The simple act of registering to vote could cost an African-American his or her job, family, home, or life. It was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that African-Americans received full voting rights in the United States. Breach of Jim Crow law or social policy by African-Americans resulted in swift retribution, up to and including death-generally by lynching for males-an event that was often attended by whole families of whites, including children, and treated as a festive family outing, complete with photos, picnic baskets, postcards of the event, newspaper announcements ahead of time, and even special trains to the event. TSA officers in a behavioral detection program designed to spot terrorists at Boston's Logan International Airport, and managers of similar programs nationwide, were ordered by Homeland Security to attend a special class on why racial profiling is not acceptable and is not an effective way to spot terrorists after they were investigated for stopping more blacks and Hispanics who they thought would have more outstanding warrants or be in possession of drugs

Question 2

Pat,a black woman,had been working as an associate photographer for Style Trends magazine for five years.When the chief photographer position opened up,Pat applied for the position but did not get selected.Instead,Sharon,a white woman,was appointed as the chief photographer.Even though Pat was aware that Sharon had better qualifications and experience to be a chief photographer,she filed a racial discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).Which of the following holds true in this scenario?
A) Pat's complaint will likely prevail because an employee can be hired or promoted simply because he or she belongs to a protected class.
B) Pat's complaint will likely prevail under the business necessity defense.
C) Pat's complaint will likely not prevail because not every decision that is arbitrary or unfair is discrimination.
D) Pat's complaint will likely not prevail because Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits promotions from within an organization.

Accepted Answer

Pat's complaint will likely not prevail because not every decision that is arbitrary or unfair is discrimination. It takes far more than alleging discrimination to win a case under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is necessary to present credible evidence of discrimination in order to succeed.

Question 3

According to the U.S.Supreme Court,white managers using the term "boy" in reference to black employees is not enough to evidence workplace race discrimination.

Accepted Answer

In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that the term "boy" used by white managers at an Alabama Tyson Foods plant to refer to black employees could, alone, be used as evidence of workplace race discrimination. The term is one used in the slave and Jim Crow era to refer to black men.

Question 4

Skin color is a divisive issue within many ethnicities,including African-Americans,Hispanics,Asians and East-Asians.

Accepted Answer

Color has been a divisive issue for as long as African-Americans have been in this country, and it is still with us today. As other ethnicities have joined the mix, it is clear that color is an issue with them also. Lighter-toned Hispanics, East Asians, and Asians, among others, all have experienced serious color issues within their cultures. While you may not think that you care about color, research indicates that we tend to feel more comfortable with those most like ourselves, and one of the ways this is manifested is through color discrimination.

Question 5

In 2008,the U.S.House of Representatives passed a resolution apologizing for ________.
A) slavery, Jim Crow, and its present-day impact on blacks
B) terrorism and its impact on foreign trade
C) corruption, bad governance, and its impact on the economy
D) unemployment and its impact on young Americans

Accepted Answer

In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution apologizing for slavery, Jim Crow, and its present-day impact on blacks. The Senate passed a similar resolution the next year.

Question 6

In a claim of reverse race discrimination,the ultimate burden of persuasion remains always on the defendant.

Accepted Answer

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits race discrimination against all persons, including Caucasians. A plaintiff may prove a claim of discrimination through direct or circumstantial evidence. Also, the ultimate burden of persuasion remains always on the plaintiff.

Question 7

Employees can sue under state tort laws for defamation,intentional infliction of emotional distress,assault,or any other tort the facts support.

Accepted Answer

Employees can sue under the state or federal Constitution for a denial of equal protection if they work for the government or under state tort laws for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault, or any other tort the facts support.

Question 8

Which of the following were missing from the workplace?
A) equal access and opportunity
B) monitoring of employee appraisals and/or total compensation
C) neither A nor B
D) both A and B

Accepted Answer

According to the studies, monitoring for equal access and opportunity was almost never considered a corporate responsibility or a part of the planning and developmental programs and policies of the employer, nor as part of participation with regard to senior management levels. Neither employee appraisals nor total compensation systems were usually monitored. Most companies had inadequate records regarding equal employment opportunity and affirmative action responsibilities in recruitment, employment, and developmental activities for management level positions. This has changed a great deal since then with employers, both public and private, giving more attention to the issues, but there is still far too much potential for liability.

Question 9

Title VII's (of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)ban on racial discrimination applies:
A) only to black people.
B) specifically to black and Hispanic people.
C) to all citizens equally.
D) to all member countries of the United Nations.

Accepted Answer

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted primarily in response to discrimination against African-Americans in the United States, but the act applies equally to all. However, there are times when it appears the law does not equally protect rights of non-minorities; this is done only in a remedial context with strict safeguards in place.

Question 10

Black codes and social custom kept racial discrimination alive in some places even into the 1970s and 1980s.

Accepted Answer

Following Reconstruction, Slave Codes were, for the most part, simply renamed "Black Codes" and used virtually as if slavery had never ended. This system of laws governing black and white relations was based on both law and social custom that was as ironclad as any law ever was. The system, adopted by either law or social custom all over the country, remained in place until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and in some places well into the 1970s and 80s, constantly reasserting the institutionalized role of race in the United States.

Question 11

The main reason for passing Title VII,and the first of the prohibited categories is race.

Accepted Answer

Race is the first of the prohibited categories in Title VII, the main reason for passage of the law, and it remains, even today, a factor in the lives of many employees.

Question 12

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave African-Americans full voting rights in the United States.

Accepted Answer

It was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that African-Americans received full voting rights in the United States. Before this, the simple act of registering to vote could cost an African-American his or her job, family, home, or life.

Question 13

Racial harassment is a practice that still continues today.Which of the following is least likely to be considered racial harassment?
A) Hanging a noose near an African-American's desk.
B) Use of racial epithets like the N-word.
C) Sending racist emails, or leaving racist brochures in common work areas.
D) Calling a Hispanic colleague "Taco," a nickname from childhood given him by his grandmother because of his love for tacos.

Accepted Answer

In addition to an employer being liable for race discrimination under Title VII, the employer also can be liable for workplace racial harassment. Harassment can take many forms and claims filed with the EEOC have been increasing, particularly incidents involving nooses, the "N-word," and other racial epithets. "It is shocking that such egregious and unlawful conduct toward African-American employees is still occurring, even increasing, in the 21st century workplace, 50 years after enactment of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964," said David Grinberg of the EEOC. The display of hangman's nooses became so frequent that beginning in 2007, states began amending existing laws and passing new laws banning the display of them if it was done to intimidate. For example, Connecticut and New York amended their existing laws in 2007, and Louisiana passed such a law in 2008. to the EEOC, harassment claims have more than doubled since the early 1990s and continue to rise with race the most frequently alleged basis. As then-EEOC general counsel Eric Dreiband said, "As blatant discrimination decreases, other areas like harassment increase." African-Americans, women, Hispanics, Muslims, and those perceived to be Middle Eastern have all increasingly been victims.

Question 14

Largely as a result of affirmative action,women and minorities receive comparable pay and benefits to white males.

Accepted Answer

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, while women are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to men, on average, for African-American women, it is 70 cents for every dollar paid to men, and only 64 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. That is $18,817 less per year. Latina women receive only 55 cents per dollar that non-Hispanic white males make, or $23, 298 less per year than non-Hispanic white men. In 2008, blacks were making about $.62 for every dollar whites made. In 2007, it was $.60. In the mid-1970s it had narrowed to about $.50 on the dollar.

Question 15

Lighter-toned Hispanics,East Asians,and Asians,among others,all have experienced serious color issues within their cultures.

Accepted Answer

Color has been a divisive issue for as long as African-Americans have been in the United States, and it still is. As other ethnicities have joined the mix, it is clear that color is an issue with them also. Lighter-toned Hispanics, East Asians, and Asians, among others, all have experienced serious color issues within their cultures.

Question 16

Racial harassment can only be established by a showing of significant discriminatory action(s).Little,insignificant incidents can never constitute racial harassment.

Accepted Answer

In the Henderson v. Irving Materials, Inc. case, it is clear that racial harassment may be established by piecing together many things that in and of themselves may seem insignificant but, when taken together, as they must be for racial harassment, create for the harassee a very different workplace than for those not being harassed. This is extremely important for employers to keep in mind, as it may not be one big harassing act that causes liability, but rather, many small ones.

Question 17

An employee must show each of the following to hold an employer liable for racial harassment,except:
A) the harassment was so pervasive or severe that it created an abusive environment.
B) the harassment was based on race.
C) the harassment was unwelcome.
D) the employer was directly responsible for the harassment.

Accepted Answer

To hold an employer liable for racial harassment, the employee must show that the harassment was (l) unwelcome, (2) based on race, and (3) so severe or pervasive that it altered the conditions of employment and created an abusive environment, and that (4) there is a basis for imposing liability on the employer. The employer is responsible for such activity if the employer himself or herself is the one who perpetrates the harassment, or if it is permitted in the workplace by the employer or supervisory employees.

Question 18

An English-only rule may be used at a workplace if it is needed to promote the safe or efficient operation of the employer's business.

Accepted Answer

English-only rules must be adopted for non-discriminatory reasons. An English-only rule may be used if it is needed to promote the safe or efficient operation of an employer's business.

Question 19

The only time that a discussion of race should be initiated in a workplace is in the midst of an allegation of racial discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Employers should not shy away from discussing race when the issue arises. It is important for employers to provide a positive, nonthreatening, constructive forum for the discussion of racial issues.

Question 20

Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964,the Slave Codes or the Black Codes:
A) helped in eliminating slavery and racial discrimination against blacks completely.
B) helped in exercising psychological control over blacks in the United States.
C) mandated that employers should provide extra benefits to their black employees.
D) prohibited blacks from seeking any sort of employment in the United States.

Accepted Answer

In many places, there were many more slaves than whites, so absolute control was necessary in order to prevent slave uprisings, which were a major concern for whites. Without having sufficient manpower to exercise this control physically, such control had to be imposed psychologically, as well. This was done quite systematically and with the intention of keeping the system of slavery in place forever. Each of the rules and regulations contained in the Slave Codes, and later, after Reconstruction, in the Black Codes, was designed to do this.

Quiz 6: Race and Color Discrimination

Which of the following is(are) meant by references to "the institutional role of race"?

According to the U.S.Supreme Court,white managers using the term "boy" in reference to black employees is not enough to evidence workplace race discrimination.

Skin color is a divisive issue within many ethnicities,including African-Americans,Hispanics,Asians and East-Asians.

In 2008,the U.S.House of Representatives passed a resolution apologizing for ________.

In a claim of reverse race discrimination,the ultimate burden of persuasion remains always on the defendant.

Employees can sue under state tort laws for defamation,intentional infliction of emotional distress,assault,or any other tort the facts support.

Which of the following were missing from the workplace?

Title VII's (of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) ban on racial discrimination applies: