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The Protected Class of Color

Definition

The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines "color" as "the complexion of a person's skin."

See also Facts About Race/Color Discrimination from the EEOC.

What is the Difference between "Color" and "Race"?

The term "color" usually refers only to skin color or pigmentation.

The term "race" usually refers to both physical characteristics and ethnological classifications. Physical characteristics sometimes associated with "race" include facial features, hair texture, and skin color. Ethnological classifications sometimes associated with "race" include Oriental, Negroid, Caucasian, Mongoloid, African, European, Jewish, Asian, Polynesian, and Native American; many people find some of these terms outdated or offensive.

NC State uses the following to define racial categories:

• White (not of Hispanic origin): Having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.

• Black (not of Hispanic origin): Having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

• Asian or Pacific Islander: Having origins in any of the peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands. This includes, for example, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.

• Hispanic: Those of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

• American Indian or Alaskan Native: Having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

The terms "race" and "color" are sometimes used interchangeably, and discrimination based on "color" can occur in conjunction with discrimination based on "race." However, discrimination based on "color" can occur absent discrimination based on "race." Likewise, discrimination can occur (and can be grieved) based on "race" absent discrimination of "color."

One should avoid assuming another person's "race" or "color." For example, some Hispanics are light-skinned while others may have darker skin.

NC State Policies and Procedures Regarding "Color"

• Racial Harassment Policy
  (Board of Trustees Policy 31.06 issued April 17, 1998)

• Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy Statement
  (Administrative Regulation issued August 30, 1999)

• Unlawful Harassment Policy Statement
  (Administrative Regulation issued August 30, 1999)

• Resolution Procedures for Harassment Complaints
  (Administrative Regulation issued August 30, 1999)

NC State Links - Offices & Programs

• African-American Cultural Center Reading Room
• African-American Student Affairs
• African-American Symposium
• Diversity & African American Affairs
• Office of International Scholar and Student Services
• Protected Class Series
• Student Mentor Association
• Student Organization Resource Center

NC State Links - Student Organizations

• African-American Science and Health Society
• African-American Student Advisory Council
• Alpha Kappa Alpha
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• Association for the Concerns of African-American Graduate Students
• Humanities & Social Sciences Multicultural Association for Students
• Iota Phi Theta
• National Society of Black Engineers at NCSU
• Native American Student Association
• Nubian Message
• Omega Psi Phi
• Phi Beta Sigma
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
• Zeta Phi Beta

Federal Links

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (OCR)

Other Links

• Center For World Indigenous Studies
• National Panhellenic Council (NCSU Chapter)
• White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack