Prejudice, the attitude, and discrimination, the action, are still

found too often in society and the workplace. Due to the tremendous

demographic shifts, these twin problems are even more concerning:

       1-     Many of the retired elderly will need to go back to work for    two reasons:

                  a.       the need for employees as the labor pool shrinks.

b.      To supplement their income, as social security and other retirement plans will not be enough or may even fail

2-     Yet the current population of older adults, as a whole, are more prejudice than younger population members and may have difficulty working in a more diverse workplace. 

      Many of our older citizens lived the formative years of their lives during segregation and misunderstanding. Of course, not all of the elderly were prejudice in their early years, but they may have been taught incorrect principles about minority groups and may have sheltered themselves in their own ethnic enclaves. They may not feel like they are prejudice, but also may not know how to work with minority members.

       For those who once believed in white supremacy, some have been able to make an adjustment of sorts starting after the sweeping changes brought about after Brown versus the Board of Topeka Kansas (1954). Yet some have not been able to embrace diversity and still have difficulty when “one of those people” is in the store or even in the area.

      These often are the very people, perhaps on the economic margin themselves, who are the most likely to have to work during their last years to keep food on the table. They most likely will have lower paying, part-time service jobs right along side the minority people that they distrust.

       A greater hope for the future lies with the younger generations who, as a whole, appear to be less prejudicial than their parents and grandparents. Those who are college trained with the new diversity requirement for graduation should fare better in the workforce and be more able to manage diversity.