The Civil Rights Act Is Broken

A Law Written to Protect Blacks in the Deep South Has Become a Source of Discrimination in a Diversifying Nation

Californians, like other Americans, like to think that race should never be a qualification for a job, that everyone deserves an equal opportunity and a fair shake. This principle undergirds our Civil Rights Act, which turns 50 this month. And yet increasingly, many employers are treating race as a qualification, especially for people of color. We can look no further than the Los Angeles Lakers’ acquisition of Jeremy Lin. “Lakers land Asian-American guard,” exclaimed one headline. “In addition to what he’ll bring us on the court, we think Jeremy will …