In 1971-2 Robert Gnaizda was the lawyer I used in bringing the first successful case of employment discrimination in America (not discrimination against me). I put together the case, I found the plaintiffs and I provided the convincing inside data.
The successful settlement with the
Bank of California provided for significant and measurable job access
for women, blacks and Latinos to management, for specific jobs in the
top 18 management slots and significant training funds for women and
minorities.
Mr. Gnaizda took the Federal Court settlement and got every other major bank, Savings and Loans and major insurance companies to sign on to the same agreement. To this day, banking and insurance have the best records of minority employment.
Neither Mr. Gnaizda nor I have ever sought recognition for this major contribution to diversity in America and for 30 years we never got any.
A few years ago when Bob Gnaizda
and I were doing research on the treatment of minorities by banks in
maintaining a national 'no checking account list' of 5 million names we
went to Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland to do interviews. Allen
Temple is one of the largest black churches in America.
The reverend Alfred Smith, of Allen Temple, asked a lawyer in his congregation to do research on us. The lawyer found the 1971-2 banking anti-discrimination case and explained its importance to Rev. Smith.
Rev. Smith told the parishioners of the church, on the Sunday when we were visiting, about our history in establishing the core American anti-discrimination employment law.
Bob and I got a five minute wild cheering standing ovation from thousands of blacks. That was more than enough lifetime reward for both of us.