I'm not sure if the company's executives would consider this to be a Kodak moment, but it's certainly a moment in racial history. Kodak, the large film company based out of Rochester, New York, just had a racial discrimination suit settled for the princely sum of $21.4 million.
The suit was filed on behalf of black employees who argued that their white co-workers were being favored for higher pay and more promotions. The legal battle took nearly seven years, and roughly 3,000 current and past workers were given amounts ranging from $1,000 to $50,000.
In addition to favoring white employees over black ones, the company was accused of maintaining a racially-hostile working environment. Out of the massive settlement, roughly $9.7 million is set to go to the attorneys. The employees have complained about the legal fees, since it seems that the lawyers are the ones who stand to benefit the most.
Part of the settlement will go toward the creation of diversity programs to make the working environment more racially-inclusive. Kodak is also set to hire an industrial psychologist and labor statisticians to analyze the company's pay and promotion policies.
In a public statement, Kodak said that the settlement "represents a resolution of mutual interest and it absolutely does not suggest any wrongdoing on the company's part... Kodak is widely recognized as a company committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace in which all employees are valued, treated fairly and can contribute to their full potential."
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Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Full-length chenille robes by Blair
Hazard:The robes are flammable and can catch fire. The items were recalled in April -- about 160,000 of them -- but the deaths all occurred
after the recall notice, and all six deaths were elderly women whose robes caught fire while they were cooking.
Recall notice:
Product: Full-length chenille robes by Blair
Hazard:The robes are flammable and can catch fire. The items were recalled in April -- about 160,000 of them -- but the deaths all occurred after the recall notice, and all six deaths were elderly women whose robes caught fire while they were cooking.
Recall notice:
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Hill Sportswear Inc. Pullover Hood Sweatshirt and Kid Zipper Sweatshirt with Hood
Hazard: The sweatshirts have drawstrings contrary to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines.
What happened: A 3-year-old strangled after the drawstring on his sweatshirt got caught on a play set. Dozens of children have been strangled by drawstrings, leading to the creation of the guidelines in 1996.
What to do: If you have this or any other garment used by a child that has drawstrings, remove them. If you have the Hill Sportswear sweatshirts, return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers can contact Hill Sportswear toll-free at (877) 322-8760 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday.
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09129.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: IKEA Iris and Alvine Roman Blinds
Hazard: Children can strangle in the exposed inner cord on the rear of the blinds. If looped pull cords are present or exposed inner cords are found on the back of blinds or shades and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, the CPSC suggests replacing them with blinds or shades that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords.
What happened: A 1-year-old strangled when the cord wrapped twice around her neck.
What to do: Stop using the recalled blinds and return them to any IKEA store to obtain a full refund. For more information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.ikea-usa.com
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09050.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Ameriwood Industries Inc., Ridgewood/Charleswood entertainment centers.
Hazard: The entertainment centers can collapse if the back panel is not secured.
What happened: A 19-month-old was killed when one of the entertainment centers collapsed and fell on them.
What to do: Stop using the recalled entertainment centers and contact Ameriwood to receive a free support panel repair kit. For more information, contact Ameriwood at 877- 732-8252 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit their Web site at www.ameriwood.com
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08114.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Reebok Heart-Shaped Charm Bracelets
Hazard: Contains high levels of lead, posing risks to young children.
What happened: A 4-year-old reportedly swallowed a piece of one of the bracelets and died. The bracelets were given away after the purchase of certain children's footwear.
What to do: Take the charm bracelets away from children and dispose of the entire bracelet. For more information, contact Reebok at 800-994-6260 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit Reebok's Web site at www.reebok.com
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06119.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Regent Sports Corporation MacGregor Folding Soccer Goals and Mitre Folding Soccer Goals
Hazard: Young children can have their heads or necks caught in the flexible openings of the net and strangle.
What happened: A 20-month-old was found strangled in one of the goals with his arms and neck tangled in the net.
What to do: Consumers should stop using the recalled soccer goal nets immediately and return them to Regent Sports to receive a free replacement net. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Regent Sports at (877) 516-9707 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08400.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Playskool Team Talkin' Tool Bench
Hazard: Oversized, plastic nail toys pose a suffocation hazard to young children.
What happened: Two toddlers suffocated when the toy nails became lodged in their throats.
What to do: If you have this set, do not allow children to play with the toy nails. Contact Playskool for information on returning the nails and receiving a $50 certificate toward the purchase of another product from Playskool or one of its sister companies.
For additional information, call (800) 509-9554 anytime, or go to
http://www.hasbro.com/customer-service/recall/
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06266.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Delta Enterprise Corp. drop side cribs
Hazard: Failure to use or install safety pegs can cause an entrapment and suffocation risk to infants and toddlers. When the pegs are missing from the lower track, the crib's lock can disengage and create a gap that could catch a small child to become trapped and suffocate.
What happened: An 8-month-old was trapped and suffocated. The CPSC said it also heard of two more children who had gotten trapped, but survived.
What to do: Do not use one of the cribs if the safety peg is missing. Delta will provide a free repair kit. Those with cribs that have all safety pegs installed may continue to use the cribs. Still, the CPSC recommends they contact Delta for the repair kit. Call Delta 800-816-5304 or go to www.cribrecallcenter.com to order the free replacement kit.
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09017.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: MEGA Brands/Rose Art Magnetix play sets
Hazard: Magnets in the sets can fall out and, if more than one is swallowed, can attract each other and cause blockages or perforations in the intestines.
What happened: At the time of the recall, CPSC had been informed of 34 incidents involving the magnets, including the death of a 20-month-old boy and four children aged 3-8 who required surgery and hospitalization.
What to do: Stop using the toys and return them to MEGA Brands for a free replacement toy. Contact MEGA at 800-779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.megabrands.com.
Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06127.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Product: Simplicity Inc. convertible "close-sleeper/bedside sleeper" bassinets
Hazard: Risk of strangulation after entrapment. Metal bars in the cribs are spaced too far apart – beyond what is permitted by the federal crib safety standard.
What happened: Two infants strangled after becoming entrapped in the bassinets' metal bars.
What to do: The company that purchased Simplicity refused to cooperation with the recall. The CPSC warns that no child should be placed in one of the recalled cribs.
Recall notice: Recall notice: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08378.html
Deadly Products You May Have at Home
Workplace discrimination is a common problem within many corporations and universities across America. Many of us are affected by it, but don't always have the resources or capabilities to do something about it. The disenchanting experience of being cheated out of opportunities you've worked hard for can be devastating to some, even leading to prolonged anger, stress and mental illness. What's even worse is that many institutions that are guilty of racial exclusion are not even aware that they are doing it.
Most of our nation's institutions were built on a foundation of racial inequality: For the first 50 or more years of existence, these companies and universities were legally allowed to consider black folks to be the bottom of the barrel. Unfortunately, most institutions continue to hold on to old ways of doing things and refuse to adjust for the racial inequality created from past decisions. That's what leads to much of the racism that we are forced to deal with today.
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If you want to know if your institution discriminates, the data will tell you nearly everything you need to know. For example, if you teach at a university that hasn't hired or tenured a single African American in over 40 years, that's racism. One of the reasons I vehemently opposed the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court is because her campus, the Harvard Law School, has excluded African Americans from tenure track faculty positions for hundreds of years. Kagan chose not to challenge the system, but instead maintained it by not giving tenure to a single African American during her entire time as Dean.
My point here is not to focus on Elena Kagan, but to explain how racism can lurk in the hallways of an institution long after the original perpetrators are dead. If you find yourself excusing racism or simply accepting it as the way things are, then you are doing nothing more than perpetuating America's crippling commitment to sickening inequality.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
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Comments: (18)
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By: EMBA on 9/05/2010 10:43PM
That is simply a fallacy.
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By: EMBA on 9/05/2010 10:42PM
I have been in Corporate America for over a decade and witness discriminatory and racial practices very often.
There is a perception that African and Latino Americans are looking for a hand-out and do not want to work for anything, etc. America cannot continue to hang their hat on such a lie. This non-sense about AA and Latinos not being qualified for certain positions is saddening.
If employers would focus on skills, potential versus race and gender, then the workforce could be more equitable for everyone, not just some.
Hopefully this will send a message to Corporate America, but probably not. So, we must continue to push for equality for all.
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By: Folsom George on 9/05/2010 11:37PM
Boyce...You are a lying race baiter. People this is statement about the settlement. Facts folks....always look at the FACTS
\\"In a statement, Kodak said the settlement "represents a resolution of mutual interest and it absolutely does not suggest any wrongdoing" on the company's part.
"Kodak is widely recognized as a company committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace in which all employees are valued, treated fairly and can contribute to their full potential," it added.
The judge noted that a Kodak damage expert, Harvard University Professor David Bloom, analyzed historical payroll data and concluded "there were no race-based disparities in promotion and compensation at Kodak between 1999 and 2005 and African-Americans were, in fact, statistically favored in promotion and base salary increases during the 1999-2005 time period.""
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By: huge_bullbone on 9/08/2010 11:35AM
George Fool-son, you sound very young and naive. Am I correct? As to Professor Blooms findings, I say this: Figures don't lie, but liars do figure". Go figure. Having worked as a consultant and expert witness for more than 40 years in arbitration and legal court cases, it is a well established fact that it behooves the hired gun -- from a job security and a financial and career perspective -- to ALWAYS dance to the tune of their employer -- Kodak, in this case. As a consultant you begin and end your "work" knowing exactly what your client expects the end result to be. Hello! Being based at Harvard only serves as window dressing designed to put a facade of authenticity and irrefutability on the findings of the Bloomer report. I wonder if the plaintiff's attorneys were too stingy -- as is often the case -- to spend money on their own more objective analysis or take the time to analyze Dr. Blooper's data and findings. I would guess not. These were not FACTS. A better description would be FARTS -- the kind that stink and blow your mind.
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By: aventcpa on 9/06/2010 12:38PM
It not a matter of race in this country, it is a motter of the "haves" and the "havenots". The USA is rapidly becoming a third world nation due to the greed of its businesspeople and politicians.
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By: K on 9/08/2010 1:02AM
Having worked with Kodak as a consultant, I can confirm that the organization is well aware of the discrimination and racism that occurs within its organization. Most fortune 100-500 organizations assess for problems and take corrective actions to avoid litigation, however it is apparent that Kodak ignored the data. For those individuals who are quick to dismiss the complaints of the plaintiffs, keep on living, you will eventually experience your own “isim” including gender or age to name a few. Let’s hope your disparagement or dismissal is met with empathy as opposed to hostility and suspicion.
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By: Sharon on 9/08/2010 2:33PM
Most of American Corporation is prejudice, Kodak is the only one that has been caught. Liberty Mutual is one of the most prejudice company that any black person wants to work for. It's only that they are not expose because. Most attorney's does not want to deal with racial prejudice in the workplace as a case. I had that problem and no attorney wanted to take my case. So I suffer great lost. Mental and financial and they are still trying to prevent my employment in the market place.
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By: Jeannette on 9/08/2010 10:02PM
I worked at a facility where I always gave 125%. Not only did I complete my assignments, but I was always helping my co-workers to complete their assignments. If I saw something else that needed to be done, I did it without being asked. I always got excellent evaluations. One day, a new employee, was showing me how much she made, to my amazement, not only was she a new employee, she had less experience, and less education than I had. When I approached my manager with this, she said that I was wrong for discussing someone else's pay. The manager told me that she was trying to retain as much help as she could, and that she could only do it with that kind of incentive. For all of you that do not believe that racism does not exist should be taken out and shot.This managers response is the typical answer that they give to black people to explain such disparaging salaries.I reminded her that I had excellent attendance, always on time, came in on my days off, did more than my fair share of work, and always got excellent evaluations, and I felt that being paid less than a newby was unjust. She claimed that her budget was gone, and she felt that I was the type of person that got real pleasure out of their work. I handed her my two weeks notice, and told her that now she can pass all that pleasure on her choosen few, because I was not getting any pleasure out of being discriminated against. Her boss called me and begged me to come back, and work things out, I refused, and told them that I was filing a complaint. I was told that the other blacks in that department got their pay ajusted. They all thought they got raises, and was told not to discuss their salaries.
I got me another job at a super rate, and now, my job only gets what they pay for.Racism is alive and well, and they will pay blacks and other minorities as little as possible.
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