Emely Navarro  |  February 18, 2022

Category: In Depth Features

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February is Black History Month, the annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time dedicated to recognizing their role in United States history. Black History Month was conceived by historian Carter G. Woodson and was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. It expanded to a month-long celebration in 1976.

In celebration of Black History Month, Top Class Actions took a look at several lawsuits that have been impactful on civil rights and the history of Black Americans.

Brown v. Board of Education: the case that ended ‘separate but equal’

Believe it or not, the milestone case Brown v. Board of Education was a class action lawsuit. The case changed the public school system in the United States forever when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment. As a result, it declared that having separate educational facilities for people of color and white students was unconstitutional. Although the ruling specifically only applied to public schools, it also implied that segregation wasn’t permitted in other public facilities. 

The outcome of Brown v. Board of Education is considered one of the most important rulings in the history of the Supreme Court. It brought significant awareness to the racial inequalities African Americans faced in the United States.

Coca-Cola Company millions to settle a discrimination case

In 2000 Coca-Cola agreed to pay more than $156 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit that alleged racial discrimination brought by African American employees. The massive payout became the largest settlement ever in a racial discrimination case. 

The lawsuit was filed in April 1999 by four current and former African-American employees on behalf of themselves and 2,200 others. It alleged that they had suffered discrimination in pay, promotions, and performance evaluations. It also accused the company of paying Black employees on average $26,000 a year less than white workers. 

In addition to the hefty payout, the settlement also requires the company to make several internal changes that add up to $36 million. 

FedEx Express discrimination suit settles for $50 million

FedEx agreed to pay $53.5 million to settle a racial discrimination lawsuit against its express unit in 2007. 

The suit was filed in 2003 and alleged that FedEx Express had discriminated against African-American and Hispanic employees, giving them fewer promotions, treating them unfairly, and paying them less than white workers. The settlement would affect about 20,000 employees who work or have worked for FedEx since October 1999.

Kodak Co. settles race discrimination claims

In 2009, Eastman Kodak Co. paid $21.4 million to settle two class action lawsuits from current and former employees that accused the company of race discrimination. 

The first lawsuit was filed in July 2004. The second was filed in October 2007. The cases were consolidated for the settlement and represented all black employees who worked for Kodak between Jan. 1, 1999, and May 18, 2006. 

The two lawsuits alleged that Kodak discriminated against black employees regarding compensation, promotions, pay, and job classifications. It also alleged that the company maintained a hostile work environment. The class-action lawsuit was settled with a hefty payout in 2009. The company did not admit to any wrongdoing, but as part of the settlement, it agreed to conduct a review of employment policies. 

Baltimore County pays $2 million to end discrimination case

The United States Justice Department announced a $2 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged discrimination toward African Americans by the Baltimore County Police Department. 

The complaint was filed in August 2019. It alleges that since Jan. 1, 2013, the BCPD discriminated against African Americans who applied for entry-level officer and police cadet positions by making “hiring decisions based on written examinations that caused a disparate impact on African Americans in violation of Title VII.” Title VII is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. 

Now, the BCPD will pay $2 million in back pay to eligible African Americans who were previously denied employment because of these tests. It must also hire up to 20 of these previous applicants as entry-level police officers or cadets as long as they meet current qualifications. 

More Recent Lawsuits

Civil rights lawsuits are not relegated to the history books. Especially in the wake of the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was later convicted of murder and sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, many lawsuits have cropped up in recent years alleging systemic racial discrimination by police and brutality in connection with protests against law enforcement.

Racial justice protesters sued the city of San Jose, California, in 2020 over injuries they say they suffered at the hands of police.

A similar lawsuit was filed against the city of New York and the New York Police Department in 2021, alleging officers used excessive force during a racial justice protest in 2020.

And Black women officers in the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department filed a class action lawsuit last year saying they suffered decades of racial and sexual discrimination.

These are just some examples of lawsuits over civil rights for Black Americans. Top Class Actions will continue to be a source for information about civil rights class actions for as long as they continue to be filed.

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53 thoughts onBlack History Month: the Biggest Civil Rights Class Actions from Brown v. Board to Now

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    The outcome of Brown v. Board of Education is considered one of the most important rulings in the history of the Supreme Court. It brought significant awareness to the racial inequalities African Americans faced in the United States. Include me for this settlement review

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