Chapter 4 Blacks African Americans Timeline 1619 First sale of African slaves 1863 Emancipation Proclamation ends the formal institution of slavery 1865 1964 Separate but equal segregation under Jim Crow laws Separate was viewed as unequal inferior and substandard facilities 1964 Passing of the Civil Rights Act outlawing employment discrimination Blacks in the Military Relegated put someone in a lower role to menial unskilled lacking prestige service roles and segregated combat units Overt discrimination included Unfounded accusations for theft insubordination and rape and harassment Biased court martials and punishment Denial of service in restaurants theatres and bars Lynching by townspeople The Civil Rights Movement Allowed both legal and social changes Theoretically obtained long denied rights for Blacks Blacks used boycotts picketing and sit ins to pressure business and societal change Many White activists participated to help this change Legislations Relevant to African Americans Title VII of the Civil Rights Act Executive orders of Affirmative Action Population of Blacks in the U S Comprise 13 of the population o 80 under age 50 and 30 aged 18 Have slightly higher than average birthrate and shorter life expectancy o More Blacks will enter the workforce in future Victims of access discrimination crime poverty and concentration in high injury risk occupations Education There is marked increase in level of Black education Blacks with same level of education as Whites are more likely to be unemployed or earn less than whites Asian men have highest earnings and Hispanic women have the lowest earnings Across educational levels o Blacks earn less than non Hispanic Whites Asians and Hispanics o Black men earn more than the women Participation Rates and Unemployment ON EXAM Participation rates higher among White men and women when compared to Black men and women o Higher among Black women when compared to White women Unemployment level higher among Blacks Shows influence of race across socio economic status markers Employment Experiences Access discrimination Denying employment opportunities or access to jobs based on factors which are not related to productivity Ex name based discrimination o Statistical discrimination Using observable characteristics as proxies for information about the productivity of workers Treatment discrimination Treating employees differently o Providing fewer job related rewards or opportunities than they should receive Glass ceiling Invisible barrier that prevents women people of color and people with disabilities from progressing beyond a certain level in organizations Glass walls Horizontal barriers that confine minorities and women to certain positions within organizations Effects of Discrimination Microaggression leads to hypertension and increases the risk of heart attack Racial socialization Behaviors communications and interactions concerning Black cultural heritage o Includes appropriate responses to racial discrimination and hostility o Bolsters self esteem and increases a sense of shared or collective Black identity Immigrant and Native Born Blacks There are 3 million foreign born Blacks in U S Perceived and treated as native born Blacks Subject to racial profiling along with native born Blacks Native born Hispanics and Asians are perceived and treated as immigrants Racial profiling is based on skin color not country of origin African American Women at Work Possess the highest rates of workforce participation among women Expected to miss work because of their children Fertility rates indicate that White and Black women have approximately the same number of children Are more likely to experience race and sex discrimination and harassment Consumer Racial Profiling Based on beliefs like Blacks are more likely to be shoplifters Blacks are less likely to have money to spend Areas of discrimination include New car pricing Loan rates and mortgage terms Outcome Loss of Black customers can be a costly affair Recommendations for African Americans Obtain a college degree when possible Seek employment in affirmative action firms and avoid segregated work Do not internalize the rejection Women Stay aware of the fact that race and sex discrimination is illegal and there are resources to help against perpetrators Pursue entrepreneurship Recommendations Be aware of personal stereotypes and biases and made a conscious effort to challenge and address them Ignore race biases stereotypes while hiring and evaluating performance Implement organization wide use of structured interviews Challenge unfair behavior exhibited by others Implement policies training and monitoring Customer Service Recommendations Make concerted efforts to ensure that all customers are treated fairly Train salespeople to treat all customers fairly Pay attention to survey data gathered from diverse customers Conduct internal audits to spot disparate treatment of customers Use mystery shoppers Investigate and address customer complaints