What is race discrimination? The federal equal opportunity law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, makes it unlawful for an employer of 15 or more employees to discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued enforcement guidance to assist employers to prevent this form of discrimination and has launched an initiative known as "E-RACE" to strengthen enforcement of Title VII. Another federal law, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, prohibits public and private employers from discriminating on the basis of race.