The racism and abuse that John Christopher Smith experienced for five straight years conjures cruel images of a centuries-old slavery plantation era. Smith, a former employee of a South Carolina restaurant, was treated like a slave by his boss Bobby Paul Edwards: Smith, who is African-American, was subjected to racial epithets while Edwards, who is white, beat Smith with pot and pans, a belt, his fists and forced Smith to work more than 100 hours a week without pay. Edwards also choked and slapped Smith and, in another grossly inhumane act, Edwards burned Smith’s neck with hot tongs to make Smith work faster.