Reply #36: I'm so glad you responded. Your viewpoint explains a lot.

[Tatiana]

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SETTLES RACE DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST CRACKER BARREL RESTAURANT CHAIN
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Justice today announced the filing and settlement of a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against African-American customers by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., a nationwide family restaurant chain. In the agreement, memorialized in a consent order filed with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Cracker Barrel commits to implementing far reaching changes to policies and practices, to prevent discrimination.

The Justice Department’s complaint alleges that Cracker Barrel violated Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American customers and prospective customers on the basis of their race or color. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Cracker Barrel:

- allowed white servers to refuse to wait on African-American customers;

- segregated customer seating by race;

- seated white customers before African-American customers who arrived earlier;

- provided inferior service to African-American customers after they were seated; and

- treated African-Americans who complained about the quality of Cracker Barrel's food or service less favorably than white customers who lodged similar complaints.

The Justice Department’s investigation revealed evidence of such conduct in approximately 50 different Cracker Barrel restaurants in seven states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Justice Department’s investigation included interviews with approximately 150 persons, mostly former Cracker Barrel employees, of whom 80 percent stated that they experienced or witnessed discriminatory treatment of customers at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. The investigation suggested that managers often directed, participated in, or condoned the discriminatory behavior.

http://www.industrypages.com/artman/publish/Industry_News_4145.stm

Justice Department Settles Discrimination Lawsuit Against Virginia Beach Nightclub Owner

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2008, WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today reached a settlement resolving allegations of racial discrimination with the owner and operator of Kokoamos’ Island Bar & Grill (“Kokoamos”), a restaurant and nightclub in Virginia Beach, Va. The Justice Department alleged that the nightclub discriminated against African-American patrons by denying them admission into the facility for discriminatory reasons. The settlement requires the nightclub to implement changes to its policies and practices in order to prevent such discrimination.

“It is unfortunate that in today’s society, African-Americans and other individuals still must endure discrimination and segregation in public gathering places such as restaurants and nightclubs,” said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “As long as such illegal discrimination persists, the Civil Rights Division will remain committed to vigorously enforcing this nation's civil rights laws.”

http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48742799_justice-department-settles-discrimination-lawsuit-

NAACP FILES RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST FRIENDLY'S RESTAURANT

The NAACP, the Conway, S.C. Branch of the NAACP and a Maryland resident have filed a class action lawsuit against a major family restaurant chain for racially discriminatory practices at one of its Myrtle Beach, S.C. restaurants.

The lawsuit challenges Friendly’s Ice Cream Corporation, local franchisee, Myrtle Beach Friends Boulevard LLC, and the franchisee owners for discriminating against African Americans by closing the Ocean Boulevard location during every Black Bike Week from 2000 through 2005.

The lawsuit arises from different treatment of two large motorcycle events held each May in Myrtle Beach. In mid-May, thousands of white motorcyclists and tourists visit Myrtle Beach for an event known as “Harley Weekend.” A week later, over Memorial Day weekend, a similar number of African-American tourists attend Black Bike Week in the Myrtle Beach area. This is the only weekend each year when the majority of tourists in the area are African American.

The lawsuit asserts that the defendants did not allow customers to eat inside the restaurant and only offered inferior services outside the restaurant. Customers during Black Bike Week were not allowed to order items on the full national Friendly’s menu and instead were only offered a limited selection of items cooked on an outdoor grill. As described in the lawsuit, defendants closed the ice cream window and refused to serve the restaurant’s national recognized ice cream products.

During Harley Week, the same Friendly’s restaurant location was open for business. Defendants allowed customers to eat inside the restaurant and the full national Friendly’s menu was available. The defendants sold their famous ice cream and operated the outside ice cream window.

http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2007-10-30/index.htm

And so on and so forth... Even someone as "light-skinned" as Harold Ford Jr. has admitted to racial discrimination. Bush's (Bush's!!!!!) justice department is prosecuting and settling numerous racial discrimination lawsuits. That is how bad it *STILL* is. So perhaps the "White America bullshit" you speak of will end when the pertinent White Americans stop discriminating against people of color. Until it ends, you will hear more of the fiery rhetoric that has caused so much controversy.

It has been more than 40 years since Title II of the Civil Rights Act became law. Forty years and by your own admission, "It's a beginning, you know, the place we all start, but are not there yet."

Think about that. Think about why you describe Obama as an "aristocratic young man" (BTW, did you ever call Bill Clinton "aristocratic" or a "young man" when he ran in '92?).

I don't mean to get on your case at all, but I have to point out that attitudes like yours sound suspiciously like "get over it." The point is we WANT to get over it, WANT to move past racism and the ugliness it exemplifies, but unfortunately the same violation of our civil rights keeps happening to us even today.