History of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The first presidential action ever taken to prevent employment discrimination was taken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in June 1941, when he signed Executive Order 8802 which prohibited government contractors from engaging in employment discrimination based on race, color or national origin (EEOC Milestones). Throughout the Civil Rights movement a number of other legislative actions took place to help better equal opportunity in the United States.
In June 1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 which protected men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination. Just two months later approximately 250,000 Americans of all races marched in Washington, D.C. for racial equality and justice. The large peaceful gathering took place in front of the Lincoln Memorial and was the event which included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech (EEOC Milestones).
In 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 officially created the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a five-member, bipartisan commission whose mission is to eliminate unlawful employment discrimination. The EEOC opened for business on July 2, 1965, one year after Title VII's was enacted into law. The EEOC has been working to prevent employment discrimination over the last five decades. Their mission has remained the same but changing laws have force them to make some modifications on processes and controls.
Structure of the EEOC
The EEOC is a “bipartisan Commission comprised of five presidentially appointed members, including the Chair, Vice Chair, and three Commissioners. The Chair is responsible for the administr...
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...r one party refuses mediation then the normal process outlined above is followed.
Conclusion
Overall, the EEOC provides services to rectify discrimination cases filed by United States employees both in the private and public sectors as well as working to prevent discrimination before it occurs. The EEOC wants prevent as much workplace discrimination as possible by giving presentations to employees and employers about the laws they enforce. They also write and publish documents about equal employment opportunity laws and rules to help applicants, employees, and employers understand their rights and responsibilities at work.
The ultimate goal is to reduce workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, age (40 or older), or genetic information by enforcing the federal laws in place to do just that.
One of the issues in the case EEOC v. Target Corp. is that the EEOC alleged that Target violated the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by engaging in race discrimination against African-American applicants who were interested in management positions. It is argued that Target did not give the opportunity to schedule an interview to plaintiffs, Kalisha White, Ralpheal Edgeston and Cherise Brown-Easley, because of racial discrimination. On the other hand, it argues that Target is in violation of the Act because the company failed to retain and present records that would determine if there was reason to believe that an unlawful practice had been committed.
President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order, 1981. On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman orders the desegregation of the Armed Forces by Executive Order 9981. Prior to Harry Truman passing the Executive Order 9981 on February 2, 1948 he asked Congress to create a permanent FEPC, and in December 1946, he appointed a distinguished panel to serve as the President's Commission on Civil Rights, which would recommend "more adequate means and procedures for the protection of the civil rights of the people of the United States." The Commission noted the many restrictions on blacks, and urged that each person, regardless of race, color or national origin, should have access to equal opportunity in securing education, decent housing and jobs. Harry Truman sent a special message to Congress on February 2, 1948 calling for prompt implementation of the Commission's recommendations.
The 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, where Martin Luther King gave his prophetic “I have a Dream Speech” attracted over 250,000 followers (Stewart, Smith, & Denton 2012, p. 12). The Civil Rights Movement had enormous momentum and was ready stay until justice was brought to every African-American in the United States of
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the historical I Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. With an audience of about 250,00 people from all racial backgrounds, Dr. King addressed discrimination, prejudice and police brutality against African Americans, and his hopes and dreams of freedom for all people in the United States. Dr. King needed to have a dream because of the mistreatment African
"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the single most important piece of legislation that has helped to shape and define employment law rights in this country (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2001)". Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, gender, disability, religion and national origin. However, it was racial discrimination that was the moving force of the law that created a whirlwind of a variety of discriminations to be amended into Title VII. Title VII was a striving section of legislation, an effort which had never been tried which made the passage of the law an extremely uneasy task. This paper will discuss the evolution of Title VII as well as the impact Title VII has had in the workforce.
The Executive Order No. 8802 (doc 15) stated, “it is the policy of the United States to encourage full participation in the national defense program by all citizens of the United States, regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin, in the firm belief that the democratic way of life within the Nation can be defended successfully only with the help and support of all groups within its borders.” This order ensured African Americans that everything possible was being done to end discrimination in the workplace. Therefore, the willingness of the Roosevelt Administration to recognize the existence of a racial problem in America and how they managed to ameliorate that problem, was unprecedented. The New Deal did not end the Great Depression, many were still living in poverty and were unemployed despite the new jobs being offered.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mission is to enforce federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against anyone applying for employment opportunities. Discrimination will be leading to major problems in the next few years, which could cause poverty, violence, and crime. Discrimination cases are having large payouts, but the cases being are not decreasing in large amounts. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is not living up to its mission because the discrimination cases being filed are increasing in the 21st century.
The issue of affirmative action has been a controversial one since its inception. The law was developed during the 1960’s as a result of the civil rights movement and the need to address injustices committed against minorities throughout the United States history. There were multiple attempts to correct the inequities between the majority and the various minorities including the 13, 14 and 15th Amendments. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 allowed for the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to create rules to end discrimination. Affirmative action came into being with the executive order 11246 issued by President Johnson. The Civil Rights Act and President Johnson’s executive order have been updated throughout the years to address gender, disabilities, age and other characteristics that could be considered discriminatory.
former president Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 8802, that banned discrimination in the federal government in 1941 (pamphlet). Also A. Philip Randolph was able to get the attention of various groups and church organizations to march in Washington to demonstrate "power of unity and action" (Pamphlet). After a year of this protest the Civil Rights A...
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the federal agency that enforces the federal laws, policies and regulations as it relates to employment discrimination. Over the course of years, Title VII has been amended to reinforce its prohibitions to include pregnancy as a type of gender discrimination, jury trials, compensatory damage and punitive damages. Its amendments have also strengthened the enforcement policy of the EEOC. An employer and employee need to be aware of those areas that are and are not covered by Title VII. It applies to employers, unions, joint labor and management committees as well as employment agencies whose functions include referral and training decisions among others. It applies to all private, federal, state and local governments who employ 15 employees or more. An employer with less than 15 employees is not required to comply with the guidelines set by Title VII. Title VII covers all levels and types of employees. In 1991, the act was further extended to include United States (U.S.) citizens who are employed outside of the U.S. for American employers. Non U.S. citizens are also protected as long as they are employed in the U.S. Title VII however, does not a...
On August 28, 1963 more than 250,000 civil-rights supporters attended the March on Washington. Addressing the protesters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Profoundly, he proclaimed for a free nation of equality where all race would join together in the effort to achieve common ground. King stated his yearning for all colors to unite and be judged by character, not by race. African Americans would not be satisfied until their desire for freedom from persecution, bitterness, and hatred prevailed. Not only were the points in his speech powerful, but also the delivery he gave was so persuading and real that it changed the hearts of many people across America. By using four artificial proofs, mythos, logos, ethos, and pathos, Martin Luther King was able to open the eyes of people who were blinded by the color of skin.
As President Roosevelt failed to follow through on Randolph’s demands, he along with other black leaders of the day initiated to call for thousands of African Americans to March on Washington on the date of July 1, 1941, and demand that President Roosevelt take action. President Roosevelt feeling the pressure being placed upon him issued Executive Order 8802 which officially banned all discrimination in defense industries and also created the first. This victory eventually led President Truman to issue an Executive Order which desegregated all
According to Corley, Reed, Shedd, and Morehead, (2001) “the most important statue eliminating discriminatory employment practices, however, is the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act o 1972 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.” The appropriation section o...
I Have a Dream was a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. This speech was delivered on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The speech was intended for the 250,000 civil rights supporters that attended. The speech addressed the topic of equality for the African Americans and the White people. The purpose of the speech was to address the issues of segregation and racism as a whole. King speaks about the issues of racism and segregation in America during the 1960’s. He encourages the use of non-violent protests and to fight for equality to help America solve the issue.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2002, May). QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE WORKPLACE RIGHTS OF MUSLIMS, ARABS, SOUTH ASIANS, AND SIKHS UNDER THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY LAWS. Retrieved from: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/backlash-employee.html