A case addressed to the Supreme Court of the United States that could have a tremendously negative impact on the civil rights of the black community in regards to fair play in recruitment and other measures is beginning to capture attention.
Almost a week after the Justice Department filed an amicus report on the lawsuit between the president and chief executive of Entertainment Studios, Byron Allen and Comcast Corp., at least one group has reacted, criticizing the Trump administration as it progresses the case.
Allen is suing Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications for racial discrimination after the cable giant refused to include Entertainment Studios programming in its networks. He cites a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, whose 1981 section prohibits racial discrimination in contracts.
Specifically:
All persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall have the same right in each State and Territory to enforce and enforce contracts, sue, be parties, present evidence and for the full and equal benefit of all laws and procedures for the security of people and property enjoyed by white citizens, and will be subject to punishment, pain, fines, taxes, licenses and levies of all kinds, and no other.
This means that the impact of the case could affect civil rights in all areas by setting a precedent in which companies will be guided as to whether or not they are subject to the provisions of the statute. If the Department of Justice report is favored by the Supreme Court in November, it means that the interpretation of the statute could affect the intention to protect the civil rights of African Americans, which has been maintained for more than 150 years.
Justice Department says they want Allen to prove that race was the unique motivating factor in his claim, which he says misinterprets the statute at its disadvantage.
Allen called it “perverting a key provision of the law that protects minority businesses at a time when people of color are under heavy attack.” Everything Comcast says is “in your best financial interest.”
When the Trump administration and Comcast came to a comment on this unprecedented movement to attack the civil rights of African Americans, a spokesman for the Black Caucus of Congress issued a statement:
“The Trump Administration has worked aggressively to dismantle policies aimed at eradicating discrimination,” said Gabrielle Brown, Communications Director of the Black Caucus of Congress. “We have long said that, despite the heinous words of Donald Trump’s racist words, his policies are even worse and are causing the greatest damage to minority communities. Our committee is committed to continuing with the aggressive supervision of the Administration to mitigate the impacts of its dangerous and out-of-contact policies, which include opening the door to discrimination in contracts”.
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