A discrimination case dating back to the late-1990s involving two employees of the City of Cambridge was finally settled this month, according to the Boston Globe. The two employees, Linda Stamper and Mary Wong, had alleged racial discrimination and retaliation against the City. They were on the verge of trial when settlement was reached. The terms of the settlement were not announced.
A third city employee was originally involved in the lawsuit, but Malvino Monteiro's claims had already gone to trial, resulting in a multimillion dollar verdict for Monteiro which the state appeals court recently upheld.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Discrimination in rental market: it still happens, and it can be blatant
What happened to Keisha Willis should be a wake-up call to those people, too many it seems, who think that racial discrimination is not a major problem in America anymore. Willis, a real estate broker who is black, contacted a landlord in Newton to inquire about a listing and whether he wanted a broker. The landlord provided some details, and then told Willis that he did not want to rent to those "Africans." Startled, Willis asked what he meant, and the landlord, Alfred Defazio, made himself clear: he did not want any blacks in his property.
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination found Defazio liable for racial discrimination in violation of the Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination Statute, Chapter 151B. This ruling should not be surprising. The case is particularly noteworthy, I believe, because, while the situation was obviously painful and distressing for the victim, it serves as a helpful lesson for Americans at large. As the government has increasingly enforced laws against racial discrimination, American society has seen less overt racial discrimination. But that does not mean, necessarily, that there are less racists, or that discrimination does not still occur. There are people today (even in Newton, Massachusetts) who would post "no blacks allowed" signs if they could; it just happens that most of these people are smarter than this landlord, and achieve their discrimination through subtler means.
(Apologies for the month long break between posts. September was particularly busy.)
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination found Defazio liable for racial discrimination in violation of the Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination Statute, Chapter 151B. This ruling should not be surprising. The case is particularly noteworthy, I believe, because, while the situation was obviously painful and distressing for the victim, it serves as a helpful lesson for Americans at large. As the government has increasingly enforced laws against racial discrimination, American society has seen less overt racial discrimination. But that does not mean, necessarily, that there are less racists, or that discrimination does not still occur. There are people today (even in Newton, Massachusetts) who would post "no blacks allowed" signs if they could; it just happens that most of these people are smarter than this landlord, and achieve their discrimination through subtler means.
(Apologies for the month long break between posts. September was particularly busy.)
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