In 1964, the Civil Rights Act officially ended segregation and discrimination of all races in schools, transportation systems, public facilities, and services provided to citizens. With this groundbreaking legislation in place, discrimination was finally eradicated from schools, transportation services, public facilities and services provided to all Americans without regard for race.
However, a movement has emerged that seeks to use law to roll back some of these significant cultural victories – and their laws are increasingly targeting education.
Changes in the Laws and Policies Resulting From the Movement Against Rude, Entitled, and Racist Karens
In recent years, the anti-rude, entitled, and racist Karen movement has taken hold of the internet. From social media commentariat to power structures – law enforcement officers, politicians, corporations alike have all joined in on this racialized form of microaggression.
Karen is a stereotypically middle-class white woman whose actions often stem from her privilege and are considered rude, entitled or racist. Such behaviors include demanding to speak to the manager in an effort to belittle service industry workers, refusing vaccinations, engaging in racist microaggressions and showing extreme judgment towards people of color.
These behaviours have caused some white Americans to worry that their demographic decline is imminent. In response, a number of laws and policies have been passed as a direct response to this fear.
First, the Equal Pay Act was passed to outlaw sex-based discrimination in the workplace. Furthermore, the EPA is now included within the federal government’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Second, after COVID-19 was discovered to be a potentially lethal coronavirus, the Obama Administration implemented mandatory face coverings in an effort to protect children from exposure to this deadly virus. However, many in the public criticized this move as discriminatory and anti-freedom.
Third, in the wake of Black Lives Matter demonstrations, some individuals have taken to calling police on people of color for seemingly minor infractions. These calls have been documented in various locations such as parks and stores and have become an online staple.
Fourth, the Karen phenomenon has also led to the passage of laws in some cities such as San Francisco’s Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies (CAREN) Act which makes it illegal to call police on someone for a non-emergency such as being at a park or shopping.
Fifth, the movement has produced a new generation of anti-racist activists such as Terence Fitzgerald who has lived with this type of microaggression his whole life. He’s noticed how many incidents his young sons experience are caused by racial profiling and cultural redlining.
Finally, and perhaps most significantly, this is an age where many people of color feel threatened by economic and societal changes. This has resulted in all sorts of anxieties around political matters such as taxes, so-called national security threats, and public school funding issues.
Resentments against white employees have been compounded in some cases due to furloughs and layoffs in industries where white employees once formed the backbone of businesses. Furthermore, the rise of neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements have added fuel to this sense of threat and insecurity experienced by some Karens.
Though its impact on society remains uncertain, many Karens have taken a hard look at themselves and their actions and are making significant changes to improve themselves and their relationships with others. It could be seen as an essential step forward in combatting racial micro-aggressions; ultimately however, these improvements will only serve to better safeguard people of all races from such prejudice.
