Is it fair to charge more based on skin color?

[Scott Theus]

It seems like a very simple question, with a straight forward answer. If someone were to poll 100 random people asking this exact question the response would be overwhelmingly "No."  Charging some people $10 and others $20 based solely on the color of their skin is racist, right? 

Apparently not...

I read an article over the weekend about a music festival in Detroit that was charging "non-POC" (white people) more to attend than POC (everybody else) because according to the promoters white people are able to afford entertainment more easily than people of color. 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/afro-fest-tiny-jag-detroit-153825185.html

I'm still reflecting on this and how it made me feel, and I can't believe such a promotion would be legal.  

Thoughts?

[Thomas Schlegel]

Of course, charging more on skin color is not ok. 

I think and hope, here in Germany you will not find something like this. There are also special rates for events but they are not based on something like a skin color.

If you are retired, handicapped or welfare recipient or something else which grants you a discount for public transport. museum, events, etc, you'll get a pass from the authority and that's your permission. No skin color, no blue hair or anything else will give you a discount.

There's also a German law against that: "Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz" - it shall prevent unequal treatment because of race, gender, religion, handicap, age, sexual identity.  

[Davin Studer]

I love that it is not uncommon to find a German word that is 20+ characters long. : )

[Max Foerster - K15t]

The German language is like LEGO. If you can imagine it, you can "build" it. 😁

[Darryl St_ Pierre]

I seriously cannot believe this is "a thing" in the 21st century! Among almost any classification of people, be it race, gender, etc., there will always be those who have money, and those who do not.

This just feels like another attempt at polarization, only in reverse of what we normally see these days.

[Mary Ramirez]

Growing up, I was told "oh don't go to a mechanic alone, they will charge you more." Or "don't go and buy a car alone, they will charge you more." The idea that someone will get over on me just because I was a women and don't "appear" to know what I am  doing...was/is so frustrating. This may be the reason why I price check everything before I buy it. 😂  

[Kat Warner]

Some businesses do this sort of thing to raise awareness / spark outrage / get free advertising e.g. Nelson cafe charges men more than women to raise gender pay gap awareness

As a long term practice this does not seem economically viable - 'Get woke, go broke': Vegan cafe that boasted about charging male customers an 18% 'man tax' and seating women first is now closing down