Law Commons^™

A New Deal For A Right To Work: Confronting Racism And Inequality In The U.S., James A. Gross

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Whites have always controlled the country’s major economic and political institutions at all levels. Starting with slavery, the enduring and pervasive dogmas of White superiority and Black inferiority, once openly asserted as “keeping Negroes in their place,” were also used to restrict Black men and women to subordinate “negro jobs.” The vast riches of the United States “were available to all who had the enterprise to take them and the good fortune to be White.”

This denial of the right to work in freely chosen endeavors continues to have immense consequences for Black men, women, and children in every aspect …

Maternity Rights: A Comparative View Of Mexico And The United States, Roberto Rosas

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Women play a large role in the workplace and require additional protection during pregnancy, childbirth, and while raising children. This article compares how Mexico and the United States have approached the issue of maternity rights and benefits. First, Mexico provides eighty-four days of paid leave to mothers, while the United States provides unpaid leave for up to twelve weeks. Second, Mexico allows two thirty-minute breaks a day for breastfeeding, while the United States allows a reasonable amount of time per day to breastfeed. Third, Mexico provides childcare to most federal employees, while the United States provides daycares to a small …

A Textuary Ray Of Hope For Lgbtq+ Workers: Does Title Vii Mean What It Says?, Eduardo Juarez

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Venturing Into A Minefield: Potential Effects Of The Hobby Lobby Decision Of The Lgbt Community., Aglae Eufracio

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

While freedom of religion is a right guaranteed to the American people, what that freedom entails, is often misunderstood. Religious freedom affords every American the right to practice any faith without fear of being persecuted or ostracized by the government. This fundamental right is frequently used to oppress certain groups of Americans because their lifestyle is not in accordance with traditional Christian values. This was highlighted in the recent case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The controversy stemmed from the corporation’s use of religion as a method to deny women access to full healthcare coverage, citing religious opposition to abortion …

Are Americans Good Samaritans - How Martin Luther King's Example Can Empower American's Humanitarian Majority., Charles Martel

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

The essay challenges the notion that the American conception of human rights is limited to civil and political rights and excludes internationally recognized principles that accord right status to economic, cultural and social justice. The author points to the U.S. civil rights movement and its societal transformative success as evidence that Americans support a comprehensive humanitarian agenda that conforms to international human rights law. The civil rights movement promoted economic and social rights and treated those issues as integrated with civil and political rights. Thus U.S. civil rights law - and the revolutionary transformation of the American socio-political landscape brought …

Justice For None: The Fourth Circuit's Decision In Denny V. Elizabeth Arden Salons, Inc. Undermines The Civil Rights Act Of 1964., Sarah Martinez

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Since Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, courts continue to grapple with identifying what establishments qualify as public accommodations. More specifically, the most contested section covers places of entertainment. There is a split in interpretation regarding whether to include establishments not expressly listed. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Denny v. Elizabeth Arden Salons, Inc., ruled to exclude establishments not expressly listed, applying a strict textual approach. This Court’s ruling directly undermines the Civil Rights Act’s purpose of affording equal protection by drawing arbitrary distinctions between full-service spas and other spas. The Fourth Circuit Court’s narrow interpretation …