The Harlem Dispute

Their attempts to create a comfortable environment for their own seems to

attribute to positive intentions, but in reality of today s social discrepancies we

continually defeat, in perspective of humanitarian ethics, it can only be considered that of

a hypocritical institution. Established as a private social club for professional African

American and Hispanic males, its founder's attitudes represent many of those considered

when discussing United States history of all white country clubs throughout the nation.

Pronounced as the Harlem Club, it is scheduled to open doors later this year or

early 2005 with expectations of charging its male members a annual fee of $2,500, while

its female counterparts are relinquished of the fee but instead demanded to pass physical

and intellectual requirements. After what is only a percentage of its flaws stated, a

question to accept the opportunity for membership is pondered and in conclusion rejected

for reasons of unethical membership requirements, its racially discriminative attitudes,

and its inevitable detrimental effect to the future of intimate minority relationships.

With careful analysis into this issue, we first open the scope with interest into its

unethical practices when allowing membership to the general public. As carefully stated

on the Harlem Club website, the process of becoming an affiliate is not as easy as signing

on the dotted line, the perspective member must pass a rigorous face to face interview,

as well as present recognized status in the community. In addition to this, females must

pass physical appearance standards set by those in the club. When asked to elaborate on

this obligation, Thomas Pierre, managing partner of the Harlem Club stated "we are not

accepting heavy set women, and we're not accepting average looking women." With

this in mind, we are given a complete representation and even a glimpse of the club's

discriminatory behaviors and attitudes.

In connection, we refer again to its own media outsource, HarlemClub.com on the

World Wide Web. In its brief five page description on the perceptions of the club to be,

there is a feeling of racial conformity. Throughout the pages, statements like "The

majority of the General Members of the Harlem Club will be African-American and

Hispanic professional men and women," provide evidence of their plan of action an

preferences consisting of ideas and practices of discrimination, racism to be exact. But as

an African American male, why should one feel hesitant to join what many may consider

as an advancement in the life of minorities.

I am a probable candidate for membership, instead I choose to refuse. In its

description, the club poses a great underlying effect, its contradiction of societies current