People of color, women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and people from various faith traditions have been at the forefront of the long march toward civil rights and equality in the U.S. A significant part of this struggle has been the fight to be free from discrimination in employment and harassment in the workplace. That battle has been fought in factories and farms, mines and construction sites, hotels and restaurants, warehouses and offices, hospitals and every other workplace imaginable. The marches and protests have inspired generations and delivered landmark victories such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act made it illegal to discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), or religion, and it created the Equal Opportunity Commission. The law reshaped economic opportunity horizons for millions of people, and its impact on the American workplace remains profound. But the work of creating equitable and inclusive workplaces is far from done. Racial and gender wage gaps persist, discrimination still limits opportunity for many, and harassment continues to make many workplaces unproductive and unsafe. Today the American workforce is far more diverse than it was 60 years ago, making progress toward the realizing equal opportunity at work even more urgent. As we look to address the issues of today, and build toward a better future, what can we learn from the history and legacy of Title VII?
This event features a panel discussion with Robert Barea (Prudential Financial, Inc.), Olatunde Johnson (Columbia Law School), Thomas Saenz (MALDEF), Tanya Wallace-Gobern (National Black Worker Center), and moderator Mekaelia Davis (Surdna Foundation). This is the third discussion in a five-part series, The History and Future of U.S. Labor Law: Conversations to Shape the Future of Work.