Are We There Yet? Forty Years After the Passage of the Civil Rights Act: Revolution in the Workforce and the Unfulfilled Promises that Remain

Authors

Thomas H. Barnard
Adrienne L. Rapp

Abstract

This Article provides an overview of the evolutionary developments in employment law, placed in the context of Title VII jurisprudence, with an eye toward whether we have achieved the lofty goals embodied in that legislation. Statistics covering discrimination incidents and charges filed with the EEOC are examined to trace the impact that anti-discrimination efforts have had on employment opportunities in this country. Through anecdotal evidence of the employment discrimination faced by Americans in each decade, this piece assesses the legal and social changes promised by the Act. The changes resulting from the enforcement of Title VII prohibitions are examined by tracing incremental jumps in the number of charges filed to social events that increased the popular awareness of proscribed discrimination. The authors conclude by examining the developing face of America's workforce to predict future issues likely to challenge the efforts to eradicate employment discrimination.

Recommended Citation

Barnard, Thomas H. and Rapp, Adrienne L. (2005) "Are We There Yet? Forty Years After the Passage of the Civil Rights Act: Revolution in the Workforce and the Unfulfilled Promises that Remain," Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal: Vol. 22: Iss. 2, Article 10.
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/hlelj/vol22/iss2/10