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Case Study Title: I am not your slave.

PALAYON, JOHN CEDRICK C.

H228

Lyceum of the Philippine University

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I. INTRODUCTION

It is clear in this case study that Mr. John Jones is not the root of the problem

or incident happened during their duty wherein Mr. Ben Cotten were offended

because John ordered him to serve the food that was sitting on the kitchen counters

waiting to be served on the two large tables. Ben may also not be the problem in

this incident as it is because of their racial background that made him feel offended

by the order given to him, he may be busy on the bread service, but the way he said

“No one should speak to us like that” gives us a hint the being busy with his role

on the bread service is really not the issue here, he might have experience the

slavery of white American people as a result of how he react on the situation, which

will lead us to the background between the White Americans and African

Americans.

II. BACKGROUND

Researching specifically on the views of racial inequality in America gives us

a brief background how white Americans were really bothered not just the African

American race but almost all of the race that came on their country. They were

being possessive of their country that it hurts them to know that other races who

lives in their country gets ahead of them especially on achievements. With that

being said, this is not applicable to all white Americans as there are some of them
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got educated with these racial inequality approach as it is also stated on one of the

texts reading, I have searched that being born as white American does not give you

the blood of a racist person and be inherently racist. Influence of your surroundings

such as culture and its norms are a big factor that every person has to encounter, as

these factors will set a person’s mind as he/she grows. Although a person has its

own mind to decide rationally to know what’s right and wrong.

Racial stereotyping is very common as people always assume that one’s

characteristics are generally the same with others depending on the person’s race.

Obviously, this has been getting out of hand as this affects other people who are

pure and nice, and those who doesn’t even recognize races as a barrier of to treat

other people right.

America is known for having racist citizens as they used to slave other people

who has different races, it is clear in the history that they think of themselves as

superior to everybody else, and even lately, there are always incidents happening

around USA that’s getting viral on social media platforms that these white

Americans are insulting other people based on their color and race. Even the former

president Donald Trump showed its true color by giving more importance with the

white Americans and did not even make a move to address the issue of racist acts

of his own supporters.

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Having to experience racism will not only make you feel less of a person, but it

could also cause some traumatic experience to a person. Relating this statement to

the case study being tackled here, this might be the reason why Mr. Cotten reacts

on the simple order Mr. Jones gave him. It may not happen to him personally, but

there are some possibilities that it happened to someone he knows, it could be his

family, friend, or some stranger he passed by. Racist acts could cause some major

effect to one’s way of living and thinking, these acts could give them depression,

stress, emotional distress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), or

suicidal thoughts. According to an article by Medical News Today, it could be a

contributing factor to worsen someone’s mental and physical health among Black,

Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) by having to have mental health issues

stated above. Mental health could also be the root of a person’s cause to act such

things on their body which could cause them to have minor to major issues on their

physical health.

III. PROPOSED SOLUTION /CHANGES

To avoid these types of incidents to happen at any workplace, every

employee should have a briefing process so that they could analyze and know that

the establishment they are in are multi-culturally diverse and accepts every people

that seems to be different on other’s perspectives. This briefing process is also for

the establishment to understand their employee’s belief and opinion towards others,
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so they know how to approach their employees and made them feel welcome and

accepted all throughout their stay as an employee of the establishment.

By giving them the briefing process before exposing them publicly on the

workplace, it is important for the establishment to educate them as part of the

briefing session as they may have some different mindsets with others, and they

may be the ones who will cause some trouble in the workplace. This is to ensure

that all employees will have the same mindset when it comes to diversity, as this

will help the establishment to avoid commotions in the workplace and also increase

their productivity rate. Make them realize to value things as is without demanding

to change something just because it is wrong in their own perspective as they may

be the mistake, they keep on finding to their co-workers.

Team building is another to get to know your employees, by simply having

a get together with the whole department even just for a day may make some

changes with the way they approach each other. With some fun activities and team

building exercises they can already develop and improve their teamwork skills that

they can apply in while working. Always relate the things they would do on a team

building with how they will function as group to succeed in achieving the vision of

the company.
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IV. RECOMMENDATION

As for the proposed solutions to avoid the differences in the workplace, it is

important to know how it will be conducted as to clear things and see the application

of the process on the actions of the employees after they got educated.

For the first proposed solution, which is to brief the employees beforehand to

understand their situation and perspectives, the establishment, specifically the

Human Resource Department will conduct the briefing as they are the first ones

who will face the employee. To successfully conduct the briefing, well-educated

HRs are a must in terms of advocating diversity within the workplace, this is

important because they will be the one to educate the employees with basic

knowledge about diversity and also to make them feel that in the establishment,

everyone is welcome regardless of their race and color such as to relate the situation

of this case study wherein the African American employee tends to have this

stereotypical mindset that affect his action toward his co-worker. He may have been

through a rough in which it results to the incident, but this can somehow lessen the

negative mindset by the HR who conducts the briefing. Mr. Cotten may be

traumatized with the history of African American, especially during the

colonization of America which is refers to certain stereotypes such as the Sambo

stereotype that focuses on how Americans started slavery with their people, and to

simply address and change this mindset the establishment itself should help him to

recover and look over to a new perspective.

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Second, for the employees to maintain their knowledge form the briefing

conducted by the HR Department, the establishment should also conduct a bi-

annual seminars as a refresher for the employees and keep in their mind that their

co-workers are not their enemy, but they are their family that keeps them going

with their job, supporting each other in a way to improve the skills they acquire as

to also improve their productivity rate. In conducting seminars, the establishment

should hire some experts to deliver a great message for the staffs and fully educated

them regarding the diversity within the company. Mr. Jones may have said his

request to Mr. Cotten in a way he will be offended, seminars are important as this

could be the way for the establishment to tackle some multi-cultural topics such as

the key values of some cultures especially if it relates to their employees, this will

not only be effective within the establishment, but it could also improve the quality

service of the company. According to an article I have searched, African American

families tend to teach their children to be honest, have integrity, and to treat their

fellow human equally and since family is really important for them, they are very

attached to what they have learned from their family, despite of the ignorance and

insensitivity of their oppressions they tend to manage to give a great attitude

towards tother people, but it is also important for them to fight for their right as a

human and not be oppressed by others anymore, especially if it regards slavery.

For the last proposed solution discussed above, team building activities are very

important for the employees to get together and develop their teamwork skills. To

conduct this solution, the establishment must create a team building event annually,
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even if it is just a 1-day-event that conducts some fun and exciting activities for the

employees and make it as their fun day off which will also be considered as an

exercise for them to improve their cooperative skills. Relating this proposed

solution to the case study, Mr. Jones did his best to handle and manage his

restaurant to function properly especially at a time where they are lacking

manpower to increase their productivity. If they were given a chance to reconsider

the thing happened, team building exercises would be the best way to develop a

good relationship with each other as to function properly as a team. But in a realistic

way that Mr. Jones should do after the incident would be to approach Mr. Cotten

after their duty and talk about what happened to that specific scenario, he should

focus first on his role for the day then when the day’s about to end he should think

on how he should approach Mr. Cotten in a way that he will not offend him, by

simply asking Mr. Cotten about what mistake did he do for him to react that way

can make a him open up with his problems with Mr. Jones.

As for these final recommendations, it will not only to connect this with the

case study, but it will also be effective in real life situations in a workplace such as

the same with the incident happened in the case study. I suggest for that Mr. Jones

ask Mr. Cotten what he did wrong for him to react rudely at him, and as he open up

to him, can might understand where that attitude came from, and from that

knowledge he gain from Ben, he could analyze it well and clear things up with him

that it is not his intention to lead that statement in to a negative way and in that way

he Ben may realize John’s intention and they might understand each other. When
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speaking on your employees we should always make them feel that you are not

taking sides with anything that you’re deciding to, as you should always advocate

diversity within your company, even if there are some who can’t understand the

point of it, you should always make a start for them to look at you as the role model

for the great employee everyone wants to have as a co-worker, educate them with

your knowledge about diversity and how it will affect their work environment. This

will not only be the role for a manager or the head to be conducted, but this should

be conducted by every employee to increase their productivity.

V. REFERENCE

Business Health Services. (n.d.). Avoiding Stereotypes in the Workplace.

https://fire.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Avoiding%20Stereotypes%20in%
20the%20Workplace.pdf

Damewood, C. (n.d.). African American Family Values. Family & Relationships.

https://family.lovetoknow.com/african-american-family-values

Deiratani, A. (2021, March 1). 6 Reasons Why Team Building Works. Team
Bonding. https://www.teambonding.com/6-reasons-for-team-building/

Green, L. (n.d.). Negative Racial Stereotypes and Their Effect on Attitudes

Toward African-Americans. Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.
https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/links/essays/vcu.htm

Horowitz, J. M., Brown, A., & Cox, K. (2019, April 9). Views of Racial
Inequality. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-
trends/2019/04/09/views-of-racial-inequality/

Lewsley, J. (2020, July 28). What are the effects of racism on health and mental
health? Medical News Today.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/effects-of-racism

Quinn, S. (2020, June 19). I Am Not Your Slave. Ricochet.

https://ricochet.com/770479/i-am-not-your-
slave/?fbclid=IwAR1cSI8B8AyL5FsyW2ixSToZsjPhZPbaswFgcUJ4hvcXTfj3La
Em2JwabR0