The Civil Rights Act makes it illegal for businesses to discriminate on the basis of race.

[CreekDog]

However, if the business posts a sign which says, "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone."

This means that:

1 vote, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	The sign does not allow them to legally refuse to serve all black people
	1 (100%)
	The sign allows them to legally refuse to serve all black people
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[el_bryanto]

1. The sign doesn't over ride the civil rights act

But so long as they let some black people eat there they could discriminate against most - i.e. if they made it about behaivor rather than skin color - even a tenuous connection might hold up.

I think anyway - i could be wrong.

Bryant

[CreekDog]

2. you're correct on the sign

however, you're incorrect about just letting a few black folks in.

if they turn away most blacks, and don't turn away most whites, that's a case.

[JI7]

3. i never thought about it much in a legal way because i just assumed it

had to do with people who cause trouble and telling them to get out and stay away.

i'm guessing if someone can prove they were discriminated because of something like race it would be illegal.

[CreekDog]

6. when issues of discrimination and businesses come up on DU...

we usually get a small percentage of users that think that a sign like I talked about in the above gives them the right to refuse to serve people for any reason (religion, race, etc.)

it doesn't, but I would like to know how prevalent that wrong thinking is here.

[cthulu2016]

4. As the poll is written I'd have to take the second option, because

the second option should read, "The sign allows them to legally refuse to serve all black people while continuing to serve white people."

As written, since the business has the right to not serve any people at all, that group (all people) would include the subset all black people.

But no, such a sign does no allow racial discrimination.

All bars are empowered to refuse alcohol to people who strike them as drunk, unruly, unpredictable or just sketchy, which is a tremendous amount of discretion, but even that wide latitude does not include racial discrimination.

Racial discrimination in a public restaurant is unlawful, by federal law, and thus cannot be trumped by any store policy, or even any state law.

[CreekDog]

5. the best answer is the second one?

come on.

[WinkyDink]

7. "This means that" the business owner knows nothing about the law.