----- ----- ----- ----- Justice Department Announces Settlement of Litigation with AMC Entertainment Inc.
The Justice Departent today announced a settlement agreement with AMC Entertainment Incl to resolve a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit challenged, among other things, the design of stadium-style movie theaters that fail to provide persons who use wheelchairs with comparable lines of sight to those of other moviegoers. AMC is the second largest movie theater chain in the country with about 5,300 screens. “Going to the movies is an archetypal American leisure activity,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights. “We are pleased that AMC is taking steps to provide persons who use wheelchairs with access to the enhanced viewing experience of stadium-style theaters.” http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/November/10-crt-1319.html ///// Suit says ethnic stereotypes in nursing textbook
(Reuters) - Do many African Americans tend to be high-keyed, animated, confrontational and interpersonal? Are men of Japanese heritage presumed incapable of managing their day-to-day affairs? Are Cubans particularly sexually attracted to the overweight? A former nursing professor at the University of Central Florida says she was fired in 2008 after refusing to use a textbook, "Guide to Culturally Competent Health Care" by Larry Purnell and Betty Paulanka, containing descriptions like these. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AH4OO20101118 ///// Senator pushes for vote on gender discrimination treaty
From Robert Koeni, St. Louis Beacon, Washington correspondent: When Linda Tarr-Whelan was President Jimmy Carter's White House assistant for women's issues in 1980, she and her 12-year-old daughter were thrilled when he signed an international pact called the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (called CEDAW). This year, that daughter celebrated her 42nd birthday, and Tarr-Whelan's 12-year-old granddaughter was assigned to write a school paper about why the U.S. Senate had never ratified the treaty, which affirms principles of human rights and equality for women -- even though 186 of 193 countries have done so. http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/280-washington/106408-durbin-pushes-for-vote-on-gender-discrimination-treaty /////
Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation. ///// You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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Volume 1, Issue 20. Published Each Monday - Friday
Welcome back to Diversity Briefings
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading! Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher P.S. This is a VERY brief issue today. Our apologies. We will be back in full form, tomorrow. sk
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Delivered by FeedBurner ----- ----- ----- ----- 12,000 American Muslims to Make Pilgrimage to Mecca (United States, Saudi Arabia) Omar Sacirbey, for Religion News Service: Some 12,000 American Muslims are expected to join an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca for the hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage that this year runs between Nov. 14 and 18. The number of pilgrims expected is about the same as in recent years, said Nail Al-Jubeir, a spokesman for the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, D.C., which limits pilgrims to making the pilgrimage no more than once every five years.Islam requires followers who are physically and financially capable to complete the hajj once in their lifetime. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/09/12000-american-muslims-to_n_781230.html ///// Alameda County juries not reflective of community diversity, report finds Paul T. Rosynsky, for The Oakland Tribune: Criminal defendants in Alameda County are being denied their right to be judged by a jury of their peers, a new study found, because the court system is failing to attract enough African-Americans and Latinos to its jury pool. An analysis of 11 criminal cases conducted in the last year found that, on average, blacks and Latinos each make up only 8 percent of a jury while the two racial groups constitute 18 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of the county's population. Meanwhile, the study conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, found that whites make up, on average, 54 percent of juries and Asians constitute 26 percent. Whites constitute 54 percent of the county's population while Asians make up 15 percent. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16629478?nclick_check=1 ///// Queen Bees are the Consequence, Not the Cause, of Workplace Sexism Queen Bee is a term used in business psychology to refer to women in senior positions who boast about their own masculine attributes, whilst derogating their female subordinates and endorsing sexist stereotypes. According to articles in the popular press, the presence of Queen Bees is as much a cause of gender inequality at work as is the sexism shown by men. A new article by Belle Derks and her colleagues challenges this claim, arguing instead that sexist work-places are a breeding ground for Queen Bees - that the latter are a consequence, not a cause, of sexism at work. (Derks B, Ellemers N, van Laar C, and de Groot K (2010). The British journal of social psychology.) http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2010/11/queen-bees-are-consequence-not-cause-of.html ///// Workplace Violence Prevention: That Couldn’t Happen here? Jennifer Brown Shaw and Geoffrey M. Hash for The Daily Recorder: Workplace violence incidents remain in the news. The headlines contain shocking accounts of attacks at workplaces of all sizes, in the public and private sectors. The industries involved range from academia to office environments, from government offices, to manufacturing settings. The locations vary from Connecticut to Texas; from Albuquerque to Baltimore. Perpetrators and victims alike come from all backgrounds, crossing gender, race, socio-economic, educational, professional and virtually all other lines. Yet, the headlines only scratch the surface because the news media typically report on only the most sensational issues, usually involving homicide and guns. In reality, the problem of workplace violence is bigger than we are led to believe by selective coverage. http://shawvalenza.com/publications.php?id=287 ///// Shining a spotlight on gender bias in movies Heidi Stevens, Tribune Newspapers: A new study that reveals family films often portray female characters as eye candy. The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, founded by the "Thelma and Louise" actress in 2004 to improve images of girls in television and films, recently commissioned a study that examined 122 top-grossing domestic family films rated G, PG and PG-13 from 2006 to 2009. The findings: Of 5,554 speaking characters studied, 71 percent were male, 29 percent female, and 24 percent of females were depicted in sexualized attire, as opposed to 4 percent of males. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-11-16/features/sc-fam-1116-movie-bias-20101116_1_gender-character-geena-davis-institute ///// Senate looks at a bill to update the Equal Pay Act of 1963 From National Public Radio: The Senate will take up a bill making sure men and women receive the same pay for the same work. Some see it as a needed update to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, other think it will be a burden on businesses. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/11/17/am-the-senate-looks-at-a-bill-to-update-the-equal-pay-act-of-196/
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Volume 1, Issue 18. Published Each Monday - Friday
Today’s New Diversity Topics: Shirley Sherrod, Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event - American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace - Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind - Hate-crime Law Called Ineffective - Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics - Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue - Brief History of Multicultural Education - Too Sensual For Promotion? - Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies+ Today's Diversity Management Briefing
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Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading! Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher
P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner ----- ----- ----- ----- Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event
The American Institute for Managing Diversity Hosts an Evening Reception with Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. on December 8, 2010. Emory University Law School,Tull Auditorium.
--Dr. Thomas writes: “During the 25 plus years I have been active in the diversity arena, many have asked, “How can we achieve a society with communities and organizations that move beyond race?” Shirley Sherrod’s story provides a case study of how one person got over her racial animosities and developed a capability to serve non-discriminately with respect to race. Yet, as her story has unfolded, relatively little attention has been paid to her reconciliation process.” Registration information at http://www.aimd.org/index.php /// American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace
The demographics of organizations continue to change over the years due to the entrance of younger workers and delayed retirement of older workers. As a result, organizations must effectively manage the existence of four different generational groups with divergent work ethics, values, expectations and behaviors. AIMD has culled through an array of research and diversity literature to produce two user friendly reports on approaches and practices that help foster effective cross-generational engagement. http://www.aimd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=85 /// Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind
DUQ News reports: The National Federation of the Blind has filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Penn State University discriminates against blind students and faculty. The advocacy group alleges that various university computer and technology based services and websites are inaccessible to the blind. The organization says there are text-to-speech programs and other tools to make the services accessible but Penn State has not used them. http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2010/11/group-alleges-discrimination-against.html /// Revised hate-crime law criticized as ineffective
Chron National reports: WASHINGTON — No one has been brought to trial or convicted under an amended federal hate crimes law in the year since it was expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity.The Department of Justice reports there are about 76 such cases pending across the country, a category that includes anything from an investigation to an indictment. Some gay and civil rights groups say the law has proved ineffective. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/7293936.html /// Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics
DiversityInc reports: "In today's America, incivility is on prominent display: in the schools, where bullying is pervasive; in the workplace, where an increasing number are more stressed out by coworkers than their jobs; on the roads, where road rage maims and kills; in politics, where strident intolerance takes the place of earnest dialogue; and on the web, where many check their inhibitions at the digital door," says Pier M. Forni, author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People are Rude" and director of The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. http://diversityinc.com/article/8105/The-Culture-of-Bullying-Loss-of-Civility-at-School-Work-Politics/ /// Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue
“Cultures will change, but this can't be an exporting of an American culture, a British culture, or a French culture to anywhere else. This has to be an evolution of a culture on its own. I always say to our people around the world that if we are leading that cultural change within each geography, then we're doing the right thing. If we try to be too far out ahead of it, that's not going to work.” From an interview with Jim Turley, chairman and CEO of Ernst &Young, reported by DiversityInc. http://diversityinc.com/article/8092/CEO-Chat-EYs-Leader-Tells-How-Global-Diversity-Drives-Revenue/ /// A Brief History of Multicultural Education
Paul C. Gorski, Hamline University and EdChange writes: “As conceptualizations of multicultural education evolve and diversify, it is important to revisit its historical foundation -- the roots from which it sprang. What did the earliest forms of multicultural education look like and what social conditions gave rise to them? What educational traditions and philosophies provided the framework for the development of multicultural education? How has multicultural education changed since its earliest conceptualization? The answers to these questions provide an important contextual grounding for understanding the various models of multicultural education evolving today.” http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/edchange_history.html /// “Too Sensual For Promotion?” Fired Employee Claims Harassment, Sues
Former Devereux Foundation employee, Amy-Erin Blakely, is alleging she was fired because she complained she was being harassed when she reportedly was told she was "too sensual" for promotion. Blakely is now suing the company, saying that for the six years she worked there she felt harassed and humiliated. She also said she was reprimanded for filing an initial complaint after she was told that male colleagues were distracted in meetings because of her "large breasts." She said that it was when she complained for a second time that she was fired. Devereux Foundation says the lawsuit is "purposefully inflammatory," and does not "represent the truth about our organization." Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/12/too-sensual-for-promotion-amy-erin-blakely-sues-employer-for-harassment/#ixzz15N4FaMZT /// Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies
The idea of Black Faces in White Places isn't just a numbers game. It is "about pursuing greatness in ways that leverage your culture and ethnicity as assets, not as liabilities," the authors say. The conventional wisdom passed down that blacks must work twice as hard as their white counterparts isn't completely off the mark, they say. But these strategies aren't enough. Among the strategies they map out is No. 3: Demonstrate excellence. “This may sound obvious, but the challenge is that American society tells us that we will be rewarded for being our best, but sometimes when we are the best, another set of rules based on nepotism, cronyism, or some arbitrary criteria seems to apply. And the way it plays out can be subtle,” says business scholar Jeffrey Robinson. http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/kay/2010-11-15-black-faces-in-white-places_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip /// Managing Diversity: Success With Diversity, Globalization Means Cutting Through Communication Noise
"You're kidding me. I can't graduate unless I take a speech class? But my major is engineering." Sue isn't happy after learning about this added requirement. "It is going to cost me time and money - something I am almost out of since you keep increasing my class requirements and my tuition keeps going up," she complains to her academic advisor.
--"Is this speech class really necessary?" Like Sue, many students are not happy about taking a speech class, especially if they in an "unrelated" field. Besides time and money, fear can be another factor. (Who among us can say they were not scared stiff to give their first public speech?)
--Yet, with increased globalization and diversity, the need to learn as much as possible about communication and cross-cultural communication before taking a first job, and throughout one's professional career, is becoming more and more apparent.
--If Sue's academic counselor is at all communication savvy, she will point out three immediate reasons why a speech class is required for all students: first, communication is critical for functioning in society. Second, oral tradition is a keystone to the democratic process, and third, globalization and expanding information technologies making our world smaller, putting us in contact more and more with people who communicate differently than the members of the dominant U.S. culture. As these three reasons expand due to global economic change, there becomes even more need for people to be better communicators. http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/muting-noise-in-cultural-and-cross.html _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation. ///// You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here Enter your email address:
Volume 1, Issue 17. Published Each Monday - Friday
Today’s New Diversity Topics: Latin American Leaders at G-20 Call For Responsibility From Rich Countries - Court Nixes Bedtime Story For Female Employee - US Airways Promises To Improve Diversity Activities - Ethnic Tensions Cost Banker Her Job, She Claims - Bad Economy Doesn’t Mean Harassment, Discrimination Okay - Millennials Have Little Patience For Bureaucracy; Want To Change The World - Experts: Not Enough Done In Schools About Anti-gay Bullying - DOMA Lawsuits Filed By Gay Civil Rights Groups - Chilean Government Supports Muslim School Girl Use Of ‘Hijab’- Lawmakers Divided Over Whether NBC-Comcast Merger Would Aid Diversity - Uneven Gains For Diversity + Today's Diversity Management Briefing
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Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading! Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here Enter your email address:
Latin American Leaders at G-20 Call For Responsibility From Rich Countries From MercoPress: Leaders from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina in the framework of the G-20 summit in Korea called on rich countries for a commitment to end the “currencies war” and ensure balanced growth out of the current crisis. “Developed countries must increase their domestic demand, in contrast with US policy which is geared to promote domestic demand in developing countries”, said Lula da Silva in Seoul warning that if rich countries don’t increase consumption instead of promoting exports, “we’re heading for a major global collapse”. http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/11/latin-american-leaders-at-g-20-call-for-responsibility-from-rich-countries?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily /////
US Airways Promises To Improve Diversity Activities Diversity News reports: US Airways has pledged to strengthen its diversity initiatives in the workplace after being accused of discriminating against African Americans in a suit brought on by the NAACP. The suit was voluntarily dismissed by the NAACP last Friday after a settlement was reached. http://diversityjobs.com/news/naccp-dismisses-discrimination-suit-against-us-airways/ /////
Bad Economy Doesn’t Mean Harassment, Discrimination Okay From The Memphis Business Journal: A challenging economic environment does not alter an employer’s legal obligations to create a workplace free of harassment or other discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is as active at the present time in pursuing harassment charges as it was prior to the economic downturn. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2010/11/12/economy-does-not-alter-need-for.html /////
Millennials Have Little Patience For Bureaucracy; Want To Change The World From BNET: “Millennials” have ADD and high expectations. When it comes to their jobs, those born in the 90s seem to want to be able to move incredibly quickly and have little patience for bureaucracy. It’s natural for Millennails to want their ideas heard and evaluated fairly; most want to change the world. That’s quite a lot to ask any manager or business owner to keep up them, but isn’t a lot of what they’re saying ultimately fairly sound and logical? What about empowering everyone in your company equally? http://www.bnet.com/blog/virtual-manager/want-to-feel-old-in-a-hurry-try-managing-millennials/854?tag=drawer-container;load-section-river /////
Experts: Not Enough Done In Schools About Anti-gay Bullying From Hometown News: A recent spate of suicides by gay teens has brought to light that a lack of information and support for gay students in their schools can be a contributing factor in tragic results. Experts say schools must do more - in their bullying policies, sex education curricula and teacher training - to help the growing number of gay teens who are coming out at earlier ages. --"Growing up as a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) student is hard enough when it comes to getting your family and your friends to accept you, and then you walk into a classroom and you feel even more isolated if the school is not doing enough to make sure that you have a safe and affirming environment," said Daniel Presgraves, spokesman for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. "Schools have an obligation to make sure that all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, have an opportunity to learn." http://www.myhometownnews.net/index.php?id=74920 /////
DOMA Lawsuits Filed By Gay Civil Rights Groups From Insurance Making: Gay civil rights groups trying to build momentum for a possible Supreme Court showdown filed two lawsuits Tuesday that seek to strike down portions of a 1996 law that denies married same-sex couples federal benefits.The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Connecticut and New York and come just months after a federal judge in Boston struck down a key component of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. http://www.insurancemaking.com/politics/41644-doma-lawsuits-filed-gay-civil-rights-groups.html /////
Chilean Government Supports Muslim School Girl Use Of ‘Hijab’ From MercoPress: Yasmin Elsayed, a 9-year old girl who was prohibited from wearing a hijab (an Islamic head scarf) at the W. A. Mozart School in the La Reina borough of Chile’s capital Santiago, was allowed to register again for the 2011 school year this week. The school claimed the hijab was not part of the official school uniform. Yasmin’s parents complained that school officials had said their daughter would not be able to enrol for the following school year if she continued to wear the head scarf. http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/11/chilean-government-supports-muslim-school-girl-use-of-hijab?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily /////
Lawmakers Divided Over Whether NBC-Comcast Merger Would Aid Diversity From The Hill: Lawmakers are increasingly divided on whether Comcast's proposed acquisition of NBC Universal would help or harm the amount of diversity in the media. The proposed merger has drawn scrutiny from competing media companies and advocacy groups who fear the deal would concentrate too much control over media ownership and distribution in the hands of one firm. Lawmakers, especially those representing districts with significant minority populations, have increasingly found themselves choosing sides in the debate. http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/126051-nbc-comcast-merger-divides-lawmakers-on-diversity- /////
Uneven Gains For Diversity From The New York Times: Last month’s game between Virginia and Eastern Michigan marked a milestone for diversity at college football’s highest level as the first such matchup in which both coaches and athletic directors were African-Americans. A study released Thursday found uneven progress toward more moments like it in the future.The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida reported large gains in the number of minority head coaches at college football’s highest level, but less movement in other leadership positions. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/sports/12sportsbriefs-diversity.html /////
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///// Today's Diversity Management Briefing: Diversity Your Business and Watch It Grow --My husband and I were having a quick breakfast in an unfamiliar restaurant, waiting for the doors to open at a nearby museum. As I sipped my coffee, I began to realize why I wasn't comfortable. It wasn't just because we were having Sunday breakfast away from home. Very quickly, I had realized every person serving us, from the greeter to wait staff, was young and white. I peeked into the kitchen and confirmed what I was guessing - the invisible people working behind the scenes, performing the lower paying jobs, were Latino, African American and of varying ages. Will this restaurant get my return business? Probably not. --While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin, it seems that a number of companies still don't get it when it comes to discriminatory advertising or other issues like denying an employee the right to use the Family Medical Leave Act or allowing sexual harassment in the workplace. --Employees understand. In a recent three year period, related employment discrimination lawsuits increased by 77 percent. Susan's article continues -- http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversify-Your-Business-and-Watch-it-Grow&id=4728152 _____ _____ _____ _____
Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation. ///// You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here Enter your email address:
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