Education is important because, first of all, people need to know that discrimination still exists. It is still real in the workplace, and we should not take that for granted.

Herman frames education as a practical tool for social awareness rather than mere credentialing. The quote argues that discrimination is not a relic of the past but an ongoing workplace reality, and that ignorance or complacency (“take that for granted”) enables it to persist. By insisting people must first recognize discrimination’s continued presence, she implies that effective remedies—policy, enforcement, and cultural change—depend on informed acknowledgment. The emphasis on the workplace aligns with Herman’s public career in labor and civil-rights–adjacent policy, where unequal treatment often appears in hiring, pay, promotion, and everyday professional interactions.