EEOC Modernizes Approach to Combat Racism

March 5, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is giving its mission to combat racism in the workplace a facelift, which includes strengthening old alliances and combining some of its existing initiatives.

According to a press release , E-RACE is an outreach, education, and enforcement campaign to advance the statutory right to a workplace free of race and color discrimination – the most prevalent cause of employment discrimination, according to the agency.

The EEOC will identify specific issues, criteria and barriers that contribute to race and color discrimination; explore strategies to improve the administrative processing and litigation of race and color cases; and enhance public awareness of race and color discrimination in employment.

The EEOC will combine the objectives of E-RACE with existing commission initiatives by:

  • Integrating the Systemic Initiative by addressing race and color issues with class and systemic implications;
  • Incorporating the principles of the Youth@Work Initiative by combating disparate treatment of youth based on race and color; and
  • Complementing the outreach and enforcement efforts of the LEAD Initiative by challenging exclusionary employment policies that target certain disabilities and may adversely impact people of color.

“By rolling out the E-RACE Initiative, the Commission is taking a new approach to eradicating racism and colorism in the workplace,” EEOC chair Naomi Earp said in the press release. “New times demand new strategies to stay ahead of the curve. These old evils are still around in new forms and we intend to act vigorously to eradicate them.”

For more information on E-RACE visit, http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/e-race/index.html .

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