20/20 Linguistic Profiling

[jenp27]

Straying from the topic of the clip, my previous landlord had all Black, Asian, and Latino residents in one building and across the lawn, all White in another. It scared me. The buildings are identical. I'm glad I don't live there anymore.

[MeAndHubbyToo]

Poor americans. They can't help but be foaming at the mouth racists. Poor babies.

Interesting: people here with American names are discriminated against, especially in regard to college entry, housing and employment - and that's regardless of their skin color. Many remain unemployed here (the vast majority do) or they simply return to the US where their "status" is color-based and their paleness puts them at an advantage..

At least they get their comeuppance in life.

[Americcan]

These "tests" never use a similarly ignorant sounding domestic white person accent. If someone called me up for a job and said "They was..." or "I seen..." he's not being considered. I'm not going to listen to hillbilly all day long.

[pgthinker007]

This morning I got a phone call from employment agency. The agent asks questions like this:

What is your background?

What are your salary requirements?

What is your native language?

... tomorrow at 11 o'clock... I will email you directions.... Thank you.

No email from her:-(

[ZeroHour2012]

Do you have the other parts of this video or is that all? By the way thank you for posting this, very informative.

[willywooba]

The black guy in the intro sounds black, yes, be he also sounds uneducated because he fails to use the correct words when speaking. There are many blacks who have a "black accent" but also use the correct words, like the lady that was discriminated against. That's bullshit.

[TraineeInTraining]

shit i didnt have to listen to rosa's voice to know she was black, i could tell by just looking at her hair.

[whitecloudification]

Here's the deal.....

have all your bros rebuild all our inner cities that they tore down ,starting with detroit.

Then mabie we will consider letting you live in our community......mabie.

[SinclairNicholas]

@whitecloudification Who's "we"? Don't speak for me ever, racist punkboy. That's "the deal".

[iago201]

the concept of a white voice and black voice is racist. It implies black people speak impoper english

[s00shy]

No, you're the only one saying that. Many African Americans, as a result of their slave heritage, speak a dialect of English which is enriched with Southern American and African traits. Discriminating against someone because they have these traits is clearly against our constitution and American values.

[Americcan]

@s00shy

"Discriminating against someone because they have these traits is clearly against our constitution and American values."

Actually, it isn't against either our Constitution or our American values. Freedom of association is central to liberty, and as Rand Paul said (and was wrongly attacked for saying) the civil rights laws violate your freedom of association.

[maxime32]

Shut the fuck up, people don't like me for various arbitrary reasons sometimes, it does not mean I keep the related newspaper ad for two years, go on national television, and threaten a lawsuit.

[MissPMS]

When I picked up the phone, a telemarketer asked to speak to my mom. That's ageist. I'm going to sue and go on 20/20 and complain about it!

[Politick82]

What's your point? Were you paying attention to the facts of this case miss? Apparently you were not. The issue is not that the landowner, upon hearing a "black voice," asked to speak to someone with a "white voice" (which also would likely raise housing rights problems); rather, it is about a person being denied a right to lease property based purely on that person's voice "sounding black".

[Harmonikdiskorde]

It is an issue if the HUD discriminates. As a department of the executive branch, they too must obey those bits of law ensuring equal treatment for all, at least from the government.

[spec24]

the story should not be that these poor assholes have been discriminated against, the story should be that private owners of land/real estate are being forced to rent/sell to people they don't want to sell to. People sohuld be able to rent OR NOT RENT to anyone they want. It's not the gov't's business to tell you who to like or NOT LIKE!

[Politick82]

Yes. But it is the government's business to protect commerce (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8 + case law-- inter-state regulations: Heart of Atlanta Motel case; Katzenbach case, etc.; intra-state regulations: Wickard case precedent). Discrimination can adversely affect interstate commerce (e.g., people won't spend money, will boycott, won't travel etc).

Remember, the federal government's power is extremely broad under the Commerce Clause. They can regulate almost anything.

[Politick82]

Also, the Supreme Court has interpreted the 13th Amendment to allow Congress to determine the "badges and incidents of slavery" and to prohibit private racial discrimination, through legislation (13th Amendment, section 2). This supports laws such as 42 U.S.C. 1982, which says that all citizens have "the same right, in every state and territory, as is enjoyed by white citizens thereof to inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold, and convey real and personal property." (Jones v. Mayer)

[catherinedavies15]

hiop