Black isn't a protected class. The protected classes are race, religion, gender, etc. It isn't any PARTICULAR race or gender that is protected by laws prohibiting discrimination. The law is against discrimination based on race.

This common confusion is often exploited by those arguing against any extension of basic human rights protections. They say that nobody should be in any special protected class, as if there were some groups of people proteced while others are not.

The use of the word class in this context isn't the same usage as middle class, working class, or upper class. Rather, it is a classification, such as race, gender or religion…..merely the different classes of discrimination that are illegal.

If the laws protected people differently, they would be unconstitutional, because we are all covered by equal protection under the law.