Abercrombie & Fitch, the hugely successful apparel company that has long marketed an “all-American” image to high school and college students, recently settled a $40 million lawsuit out of court. The suit alleged that Abercrombie had a “back of the bus” mentality in its hiring practices by hiring white employees to work in service positions that interacted with customers, while allotting stock room positions to Hispanics, Asians and African-Americans.

As a part of the out-of-court settlement, Abercrombie admitted no guilt, but agreed to hire “diversity recruiters” to ensure fair hiring practices, as well as diversify the largely white image they portray in their catalogs and advertisements.

While changing hiring practices is just, dictating a company’s image, however, goes too far.

As socially stifling as it may be, Abercrombie should have the right to market towards a largely white, wealthy, fraternity-sorority member type image by featuring a disproportionate number of white models in its advertisements and catalogs.

Similarly, thin models should not be able to take Lane Bryant, an apparel company for plus-sized women, to court for not allowing them to model its clothing. Just the same, white women with small butts should not be able to sue Apple Bottom Jeans for marketing towards an urban, largely black image.

As frustrating and unfair as it may seem to a black person looking for another black face in an Abercrombie catalog or a white person looking for a proportionate number of white people in FUBU’s advertisements, these companies deserve the right to pursue these racially divisive images.

If you’re not pleased, voice your dissatisfaction by shopping elsewhere.