Corshonda Johnson

English 102-11
Dr. McDonald
April 12, 2016
Racial Discrimination
When applying for jobs and colleges , many applicants freeze at the race/ethnicity
portion of the application. Many applicants wonder Will this effect my chances? when
filling out this part of an application. Often times this part of the application has
prominent influence on which candidate the company will choose. Various companies
claim that they remove the background portion of the application, and they do not
consider an individuals personal information when deciding who to recruit or hire. Due
to this increasing problem the race/ethnicity portion of any application should be
removed. I believe that the race/ethnicity portion of an application automatically hinders
the applicant. Not only does this apply to minorities but it can also apply to the majority.
Most corporations in the United States claim they have an anti-discrimination
policy, when the truth is that they do not. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited
discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public
facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. This document was the most
sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction (Our Governments). The Civil
Rights Act of 1964 is still in use today as schools and companies are prohibited to
discriminate against an individual due to the color of their skin. By companies taking
race/ethnicity into account during the application process they are breaking a law. Racial
discrimination in the workplace can also happen in different forms such as, an individual

getting paid less due to the color their skin (Find Law). This is also an increasing problem
because individuals are not getting paid what they deserve. They often have to search for
another job.
Racial discrimination happens no matter what age a person may be. When I first
turned sixteen years old, I wanted to enter the workforce so I started to apply for jobs
frequently. Countless times I would get offered an interview and be judged from the
moment I walked in. There was one instance when I was applying to work at the
Victorias Secret store at my local mall. As I walked into the interview, I noticed the look
of surprise that the two interviewers had on their faces. The look of disappointment in
their eyes as I walked into the room showed exactly what they were thinking. I had seen
that look many times and knew what it meant they could not believe that I was an
African American girl.
Companies break the law by discriminating illegally. Companies discriminating
can have a major impact on a persons life/ well being. Imagine a mother of three who got
laid off from her last job six months ago. She has been struggling to find a way to provide
for her children and is quickly running out of money. The caring mother of three is
constantly applying for jobs but is not getting any call back because the employers see
that she is African American based on the application. In an ideal situation such as the
one listed previously discrimination can have an effect on not only adults but also
children.
Racial discrimination is a social injustice that has persisted for many years. The
Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial discrimination in every public setting. Although
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial discrimination it is still a major problem in

society; that is why I believe that it should be against the law to have the race/ethnicity
portion on an application.

Works Cited
"Civil Rights Act (1964)." Our Documents -. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=97>.
"Workplace Fairness." Race Discrimination -. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
<https://www.workplacefairness.org/race-discrimination>.