Brenda Lester is a light-skinned African American woman who worked the morning shift as a cashier at the Waltersville All-Night Diner. A few weeks after a dark-skinned African-American manager took over the morning shift, Brenda was moved to the night shift. When Brenda complained, the manager said, "You may have passed the 'paper bag test' but black is beautiful now." When Brenda replied that it was unfair to change her shift for no good reason, he said that he'd be willing to reconsider his decision if she got a tan.

Question

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Brenda can bring a claim of discrimination under Title VII based on color. The manager's comments about passing the "paper bag test" and getting a tan indicate that his decision to move her to the night shift was based on her skin tone, which is a form of color discrimination. While the manager also made comments about race, it is the color discrimination that is the basis for Brenda's claim.

Brenda Lester Is a Light-Skinned African American Woman Who Worked