True Colors- ABC Primetime Live delves into the issue of racial discrimination in the United States, exploring the experiences of people of colour compared to whites. Diane Sawyer, the ABC News Prime Time Anchor, explores racial prejudice against blacks in the U.S.A. with the help of two persons trained to display similar aspects (Scott Lukas, 2016). Glen is black, and John is white. Their varied experiences were recorded in a hidden camera for close examination regarding the reactions of each of the testers in several situations for each of them. Both were subjected to the exact conditions to reveal how they were treated. Both of them sort the same services, in particular, shopping, purchasing a car, and job listing. The reactions, treatment, and reception showcased the racial discrimination among the blacks under varied circumstances. Consistency in the reactions and responses they got in public demonstrated the reality of the discrimination among racially mixed persons in all situations. The black tester, Glen, faced biased law enforcement authorities and unfriendly salespersons, subjecting him to long waits and high prices.
In contrast, the salesperson’s persons served John promptly and was willing to assist him. Furthermore, despite both John and John displaying similar behavioural traits, in some instances, the attendants treated Glen with suspicion, but they were more supportive and helpful to John (Scott Lukas, 2016). These variations in the same setting between the two raised the question of whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of national origin, colour or race, was influential in addressing racial disparities in the United States of America, hence the question, “Thirty years after “True Colors”, has there been substantial change in how those in business deal with people of color or lower socio-economic status?” While the trends in the United States workforce statistics show better treatment, opportunities, and treatment for people of colour in social and corporate settings, there is a need for continued support from national leaders to better realize the objectives of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the efforts to reduce and eventually eradicate racial disparities among the Americans, regardless of their colour.
The United States has made several strides concerning equality in opportunities and equal treatment in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established in accordance with the law to address discrimination in the workforce acquisition and treatment based on sex, religion, colour, or race. The agency is mandated to enforce federal laws against discrimination in the workplace (Significant EEOC Race, n.d). Hence, it protects the minority, such as people of colour. Movements and organizations championing equality, such as Color of Change and Equal Justice initiatives, have also played a crucial role in fighting for civil rights for mixed races. Even though the uniformity in opportunities and social-economic disparities initiatives have not been fully met, progress has been made in these areas.
EEOC has handled a variety of cases involving racial harassment, hostile working environments and compensation disparities affecting people of colour. Such legal actions can reduce racial and other forms of discrimination (Significant EEOC Race, n.d). Besides, the person facing such disadvantages is compensated accordingly, and their quest for justice is fulfilled, hence the appreciation of the government’s efforts to address the racial disparities arising in workplaces.
Racial discrimination may be controlled and prohibited by the law, but in most cases, it emanates from unconscious bias. Training the public and corporate workers for inclusion and workplace diversity requires effective and proven initiatives to address the root cause of such biases. Even though some individuals may not intentionally discriminate against others, the ingrained social norms, values, and attitudes may lead to microaggressions that can escalate to poor interactions and deteriorate into harassment accusations. Some organizations have demonstrated their efforts in training the workforce for inclusivity, ethics, equality, and consciousness. These efforts can go a long way toward achieving the organizational objectives of providing conducive environments for minority groups. However, like other training models, they are subject to inefficiencies. According to Forscher et al. (2019), conventional unconscious bias training adequately provides the desired results. The study involving over 80000 participants and analysis of approximately 490 research studies concluded that the training could backfire due to the feeling that some stakeholders may feel insufficient to address the underlying societal issues (Gino, 2019). Notably, the public cannot be fully effective in addressing societal problems such as discrimination. The effectiveness of the initiatives requires collaboration, cooperation, and commitment among the stakeholders. Achieving racial equality involves the adoption of behaviour-changing initiatives into businesses’ workplace policy and engagement.
The progress achieved from public policy and corporate initiatives is commendable, but unequivocal public demonstrates the need for the leaders and the country at large to provide Americans equal rights. According to Mitchell (2023), Black Americans were sceptical of the possibility of the country eradicating the current disparities affecting people of colour. In addition, the members of the public feel that whites are more privileged than other races. While civil rights violations may have reduced since the introduction of the law requiring equal opportunities and treatment for all persons in the American territory, a racial equity framework to address the underlying issues in policymaking and enforcement is necessary (Forscher et al., 2019). The purpose of such a policy is to assess the policy’s effectiveness in achieving the desired outcomes (Fashaw-Walters, 2023). Policymakers’ roles in addressing disparities in the context of public policy require proactivity in tackling specific racial groups’ challenges. In other words, public policy should go beyond race neutrality and instead focus on the policy that each minority group explicitly needs.
The question of whether American racial groups enjoy civil rights in businesses and workplaces implies the achievements in addressing racially instigated disparities in the workplace. Noteworthy milestones are evident in the efforts to provide equal opportunities for all. Government efforts to enforce civil rights laws have positively impacted the treatment of minority groups, including people of colour, in the workplace. However, gaps are eminent in public policy, hence the inefficiencies of the policy in tackling race-specific challenges. On the same note, addressing discrimination as a policy issue is not sufficient, given the social impacts of unconscious biases cultivated in an individual’s environment. The challenge to change inculcated behaviour among the members of the public and corporate class necessitates the adoption of approaches that are effective in dealing with the social implications of unconscious biases in training and policy making. Policymakers are, therefore, required to consider civil rights equality in the context of focused groups, needs, and measurements of such policy to address social, economic, and political issues comprehensively.
Fashaw-Walters, S. A., & McGuire, C. (2023). Proposing a Racism-Conscious approach to policymaking and health care practices. Health Affairs, 42(10), 1351–1358. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00482
Forscher, P. S., Lai, C. K., Axt, J., Ebersole, C. R., Herman, M., Devine, P. G., & Nosek, B. A. (2019). A meta-analysis of procedures to change implicit measures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 117(3), 522–559. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000160
Gino, F. (2021, August 30). Unconscious bias training that works. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/09/unconscious-bias-training-that-works
Mitchell, T. (2023, November 22). Views of racial inequality in America | Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/04/09/views-of-racial-inequality/
Scott Lukas. (2016, January 28). True Colors – ABC Primetime Live [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi_DF9Iu2xA
Significant EEOC Race/Color Cases(Covering private and federal sectors). (n.d.). US EEOC. https://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/e-race/significant-eeoc-racecolor-casescovering-private-and-federal-sectors