Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action

The Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action Essay
Affirmative action has been the topic of debate for many years. It has been controversial because it has been said to be a form of reverse
discrimination. This paper will discuss the purpose behind affirmative action, as well as, its various strengths and weaknesses. Also, this paper will look
at the following issues surrounding affirmative action such as the incompetency myth ( are companies hiring less qualified people?), the impact on
employment (what has changed in the work place?), the impact on women (how have their lives changed?) and the impact on employment law (what
documents back up affirmative action?). Lastly, a discussion of affirmative action on an international scale, and what international documents have to
say about...show more content...
(Goldman, 1976, p. 181) An affirmative action program is a management tool designed to ensure equal employment opportunity. A central premise
underlying affirmative action is that, absent discrimination, over time a contractor's workforce, generally, will reflect the gender, racial and ethnic
profile of the labour pools from which the contractor recruits and selects.
This section will be outlining the weaknesses of affirmative action or the arguments against it. Affirmative Action is supposed to be a program
designed to end racism, but isn't it really justifying racism by its own actions. Its policies judge people solely on skin color and gender. That is
discrimination in itself. Is discrimination the solution to resolving past discrimination? No, it's not. No program can be considered good when it
hurts others. Affirmative Action tried to help minorities and women, but in the process, reverse discrimination has taken place. Now, white males
are discriminated against. This can not be an affirmative program if there is a form of discrimination involved. Instead of choosing a candidate for
a job or for school admission, because of one's color or gender, it should be because of their talents and abilities. The best any colored male or female
should be selected for the job, or to get accepted into school. Why should some people get special preferences over
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Essay about Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action has been an issue of contention since its inception during the Civil Rights struggles of mid 20th century America. Discrimination
could no longer be tolerated and the Unites States government had an obligation to encourage equality at all levels of the social infrastructure. The
main type of discrimination being addressed by Affirmative Action programs was racial discrimination. The Merriam Webster dictionary definesracism
as: 'a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular
race.' The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination of any kind, laid the foundation for the introduction of Affirmative Action
...show
more content...
However, Affirmative Action was initially created to tackle the discrimination of blacks. Over the years, random testing has been conducted to analyze
America's social structure and the level of racial divide. The Fair Employment Council of Greater Washington Inc. did some testing between 1992 and
1994. The studies discovered that blacks were treated worse than whites 24 percent of the time when interviewing for jobs. In fact, when a car
dealership conducted interviews, the black candidate was offered a car washing position while the white candidate, with identical qualifications, was
offered a sales position. White males maintain 97 percent of the senior management positions in Fortune 1000 companies. The unemployment rate of
whites is less than half that of blacks. The poverty rate in the black community hovers around 26 percent. The poverty rate for whites is 9 percent. The
inequality between white and black America is alarming and Affirmative Action is desperately needed to establish some sense of equality. The fight for
equal opportunity begins with the government, and all government agencies have made a concerted effort to establish Affirmative Action programs.
The United States Department of Labor offers this statement on its website:
"For federal contractors and subcontractors, affirmative action must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women,
persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.

Affirmitive Action Essay
The Facts
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issues an Executive Order 11246 requiring federal contractors to "take affirmative action" to ensure that they
do not engage in discriminatory practices against workers because of race creed, color, or national origin. Two years later gender was added to the list.
Affirmative action is the practice, usually by institutions or employment in government and business, of giving preference to racial minorities and
women. The politics were originally developed to correct decades of discrimination and to give disadvantaged minorities a boost. The diversity of our
current society as opposed to that of 50 years ago seems to indicate the programs have been a success. Now,...show more content...
Many were not amused.
Curry argued that diversity is desirable and will not always occur if left to chance. Part of the education process is learning to interact with other races
and nationalities. Many students live very segregated lives up until the time they start college. Thus, the opinion of other races and nationalities are
based on stereotypes. Interaction allows students to learn that persons of the opposite race are people too, more or less just like themselves.
Affirmative action draws people to areas of study and work they many never consider otherwise. Whether it is men being brought to into nursing,
women brought into technology fields, or minorities brought into Ivy League schools, it is always desirable to bring people to areas of study or work
that they may not have considered otherwise
Opponents
Ward Connerly is one the country's leading opponents of affirmation action. He felt that President Johnson was correct in saying that the nation
needed to address the fact the black people and women were not being allowed to fully participate in all phases of American public life. However, he
felt that President Johnson never intended for affirmative action to evolve into a set of policies and practices that treat people differently on the bases
of race. Ward felt it is

Affirmative Action Research Paper
Affirmative Action
University of Phoenix
Susan E. Ricard
Since the beginning of affirmative action, there has been controversy about the program being an effective tool to eliminate discrimination in education
and the workplace. Even though the numbers with affirmative action plans seemed to have improved the percentage of minorities in schools and
workplaces, it does not work to mandate that people change. Once the mandates disappear the numbers begin to decrease.
In its conception in 1964 with the implementation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, affirmative action was meant to be a way of allowing an equal
opportunity for, at this time, blacks to be given the same chances as white men. The argument was that since the beginning...show more content...
Should not the proponents of affirmative action, rather, want to improve the education of the minorities before college so that the standards can
remain equal? How compassionate are people when the standards are lowered and what does that do to the mentality of the ones who get accepted
without actually being good enough. Lyndon Johnson stated it perfectly by saying, "You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by
chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say," 'You are free to compete'... and still justly believe that you have been
completely fair". (Nagel, 2001). To make someone more equal, progressive steps should be involved.
Those on the minority side, who may not have the best education, sometimes must work harder to prove themselves. This work ethic is not all bad
and especially, today, does not only apply to minorities but also to those with any disadvantage. Who has ever been disappointed in themselves for
working hard to get where they are, or for their accomplishments? Those that work hard to acquire success have greater self–esteem and more
self–worth than those who have not had to earn a position or status. There are many prominent blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and women who have gotten
their positions by hard work and determination, not affirmative action. Some of the black prominent figures who advanced themselves include:

Affirmative Action Essay
The purpose of affirmative action is to ensure equal opportunity for minorities. But it has strayed from its original intent and has become largely a
program to achieve not equal opportunity but equal results. It is a system of quotas forced upon American businesses and working class by the federal
government. A law which forces people to look at race before looking at the individual cannot promote equal opportunity. Affirmative action continues
the judgement of minorities by race; it causes reverse discrimination, and contradicts its purpose.
Affirmative action is not creating a colorblind society. In fact it continues the judgement of minorities according to race. Affirmative action forces
employers and...show more content...
When a minority is turned down because of the color of their skin, it is unconstitutional. But when a white person is turned down because they are
white, it is called equal opportunity. There is no excuse for anyone to be judged by something as trivial as race. There should not be a double standard.
The third major reason why affirmative action should not exist is that it completely contradicts its purpose. Its purpose is to create a colorblind
society. But in reality, it forces people to look at race by mandatingquotas. The thinking behind affirmative action is to eliminate racism, we must first
take race into account. Yet this causes a judgmental atmosphere in which many people feel cheated because the focus has been taken off the individual
and placed everyone into groups based on race and gender.
It is illegal for the government to require quotas as well. Therefore affirmative action is unconstitutional and should be illegal.
Affirmative action is also taking the focus off the individual. That is why Florida governor, Jeb Bush, has banned race and gender preference with his
"One Florida" plan which will end affirmative action. The plan also guarantees that every student within the top 20% is guaranteed admission into
college.
Seldom has a democratic government's policy so completely contradicted the core values of its citizenry

Affirmative Action
The Webster dictionary defines affirmative action as an "active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority
groups..." This paper will discuss the history of affirmative action and its effects on education and the work force in our society. I will argue why
affirmative action is necessary for minorities to gain equal opportunities educationally and economically and how affirmative action is morally
required as reparation for past discrimination. I will also discuss why many people believe that affirmative action is a step in the wrong direction and
point out several arguments as to why we should get rid of affirmative action and try to validate their claims. Affirmative...show more content...
The history of the United States is infested with past discrimination, oppression, and hostility toward certain minority groups, especially African
Americans, and the Government needed to formulate a plot that would reconcile the past. Although affirmative action has its flaws, it has been the best
strategy to make reparations for the hundreds of years that colored people were deemed inferior to white people. My belief is that had we not
discriminated so inhumanely towards these groups of people they would not be considered "inferior" by many in modern times. In much of the history
of the United States, blacks were not given the opportunity to compete for things such as job availability, wages, and housing, and so there was not
fair competition between the races. This made it possible for a rapid advancement of the white population, while minority groups were forced to do the
best they could with the limited amount of resources that were available to them. A fair starting point in the race of competition for opportunities was
clearly lacking, and this discrepancy in competition is what affirmative action is trying to amend in the modern world. Lyndon B. Johnson was the first
president to implement some sort of affirmative action program in 1965, where he declared that government contracted jobs must take into
consideration ethnic backgrounds when hiring, and it also gave

Affirmative Action Case Study Essay
In this case study, Mr. Jackson has proven that he has the ability to sustain a leadership position within the Dynamo organizations. It is quite
impressive that he is an assistant manager considering his age and his years of experience. With time Mr. Jackson would be considered an ideal
candidate. If he can continue on the track that he is on he will develop some necessary skills that might make him a possible candidate in the future.
When comparing Mr. Jackson with the other candidates it would appear that he is not the most qualified out of the applicants. However he does meet
the minimum qualification needed to complete the duties for the job he is being considered for. Research by Holzer and Neumark (2000) supports that
affirmative action was created to ensure that an individual would not be limited to improving their education or occupational opportunities based on
their race, sex, etc. With this understanding of what affirmative action it would still have to be determined whether Mr. Jackson is the only possible
candidate within this protected group. Mr. Jackson is an individual in this protected group. That means that if he is selected for this position it is not
because he is the most qualified. Meaning that it is possible for him to be given the position because the organization wants to ensure...show more
content...
This information is helpful to Dynamo affirmative action program. This will allow them to consider a candidate that is still within the protected group
but perhaps better meets the qualifications needed to perform the job effectively. Even though Mr. Jackson does have the minimum qualifications
needed to complete the task here is a woman who would allow the Ad Hoc Committee on diversity to consider her as a possible candidate for this

Affirmative Action Thesis
affirmative action
By: lauren
Affirmative Action Thesis: Although many people believe that affirmative Action is a form of racism, it is actually used to help minorities find
employment in an otherwise racist world. "In the United States, equality is a recurring theme. It has flared into a fervent moral issue at crucial stages
of American history: The revolutionary and Jacksonian Period, and the New Deal. In each era, the legitimacy of American society is challenged by
some set of people unhappy with the degree of equality" (Verba and Orren). Following the Civil War, Congress passed a number of laws designed to
put former slaves on an equal level with white people. The Fourteenth Amendment made the freedmen citizen and prohibited states...show more
content...
Title VII of the act banned employment discrimination based on "race, color, sex, and nationality," it also created a permanent equal employment
opportunity commission to enforce its provisions. The act also for the first time included obligations not to discriminate to private employees, labor
unions, and governmental agencies.(Urofsky 17). In executive order 11246, issued on September 24, 1965, Johnson require that federal contractors take
affirmative action to recruit, hire, and promote more minorities. Two years later in executive order 11375 Johnson added women to the group covered
by previous anti– discrimination order" (Urofsky17). Each new order was a modification of the previous one. Increasing minorities' and women's
chances to compete in the job market. When Richard Nixon took office in 1969, he asked Art Fletcher, the Assistant Secretary of Labor and a black
man himself, to find a way to enforce the hiring provisions of Title VII in a way that it would withstand court challenge. Fletcher did, and in 1971
Nixon unveiled the Philadelphia Plan. The Philadelphia Plan made federal contractors meet specific numerical goals in hiring minorities. Each
contractor was to have nine percent of its work force be made up of minorities and women. Even with all these Executive Orders, Civil Rights Act, and
Amendments passed, only a small percent of minorities held position in the job force. In recent years, in order to combat job discrimination in the
employment market,

Affirmative Action: Equality for All? Essay
Affirmative Action: Equality for All?
Affirmative action in the United States has become a misused and misguided practice in modern times. In the current form of affirmative action, it is
impossible to create a truly equal society. It was originally used as an equal opportunity measure to allow qualified minorities into positions they were
denied because of race. However, affirmative action has become a system of racial quotas that lowers standards for minority applicants in order to
give them a chance to succeed in universities, jobs, and leadership positions. At first, it may not seem like such a bad idea to have racial quotas
because it increases diversity. But with racial quotas qualified applicants to universities, jobs, etc...show more content...
The case of Barbara Grutter vs. University of Michigan Law School is a real life example of affirmative action's reverse discrimination. Grutter applied
to University of Michigan Law School with a 3.81 GPA and a Law School Admission Test score of 161. While all black students with similar scores
were accepted, she was denied, along with 90% of white students scoring in her range. When applying to University of Michigan black and hispanic
students were more likely to be accepted than white students with similar academic backgrounds (Pearson 15). This use of affirmative is completely
unethical. According to Kant's first categorical imperative "act as though your actions will become universal law", the use of reverse discrimination
within preferential treatment in affirmative action is unethical. If we say that it is ok for some students to receive preferential treatment based on race
then we are telling society that it is ok to use race–based preferential treatment in all circumstances. We are also allowing discrimination. If we lived in
a society where everyone practiced race–based preferential treatment then it would create an unfair society where we just use race and not credentials
to determine whether people are qualified for positions. This would be an unfair world that people would not want to live in. Affirmative action also
lowers standards for minorities. Affirmative action is implemented by

Essay on Against Affirmative Action
Affirmative action was created to assist minority groups against discrimination, but affirmative action does more harm than what it can do to help.
Affirmative action was created with the intention of leveling the playing field so that everyone can have an equal opportunity to be hired or accepted
in to a school, but it does the opposite of what it is meant to do. Affirmative action is reverse discrimination against white males, lesser qualified
people are admitted into jobs and colleges, and not all people have an equal opportunity to advance.
Affirmative action should be abolished because the negatives from the program far outweigh the positives. The program is doing a lot of harm to
American society instead of helping.
If...show more content...
In eight University of California campuses where affirmative action is no longer implemented the enrollment of black students only declined by 17%
and the enrollment of Hispanics declined only by 6.9%. Even without the use of it, minorities are still getting into colleges. There is no need for
discriminatory programs like affirmative action because there is not a big difference between minority groups and whites anymore. If some person has
the potential and desire to succeed they can succeed. Everyone can do anything they want to do if they have what is takes to enter the university or job.
Some people argue that affirmative action is a program of opportunity, and not a program of discrimination. Although affirmative action might be a
program of opportunity it only gives opportunity to a select few. If it would give everyone the same opportunity affirmative action would be a good
program, but it does not. Minorities are given the upper hand with affirmative action.
Supporters of affirmative action also argue affirmative action helps to diversify jobs and schools. Although the program does bring some minorities
into jobs and schools, there is a price to pay for it. Whites are not allowed into those places because they need to "diversify" the schools and
workplaces. In order for diversification to happen everyone should be able to be accepted instead of taking in the minorities and

What is Affirmitive Action?
Affirmative action or sometimes known as positive discrimination have been an issue that has going on around the world. Even though the policies
vary from country to country, with some having quotas and others offering preferences in the selection process, the idea of providing special
opportunities to a disadvantaged group remains universal. Our group choose this topic as we all have a personal interest in affirmative action and have
had some form of affiliation with it in our lives. It can been seen when students apply to schools, jobs, and any other institutions. This topic has been
involved around the world and the it seemed like something interesting to learn more about as well.
Affirmative action was first used a way to promote certain actions that would hopefully achieve non–discrimination. Affirmative action is intended to
promote the opportunities of defined minority groups within a society to give them equal access to that of the privileged majority population. This has
become a problem when it comes to applying for jobs, a university, and any other entity. The term was first used in theUnited States in the Executive
Order 10925 and was signed by President Kennedy in the early 1960's. President Johnson signed the Executive Order 11246 in 1965 which required
government employers to hire without regard to race, religion and origin. A few years later sex was added to the list. Such countries as India use a
quota system which sets aside a certain percentage of jobs

Essay on Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action
Since its implementation in the United States in 1965, affirmative action has been a heated topic of debate. Designed to address the issue of inequality
in American society, affirmative action is a number of programs and policies designed to give women and racial minorities more opportunities in
education and the job market. As a result, affirmative action has received opposition, mainly from blue collarwhite males who feel that it compromises
their best interests. In this paper, we will attempt to evaluate the impact of affirmative action on all Americans and its effectiveness in addressing the
issue of inequality.
History:
Affirmative action was first mentioned in executive order 10925 on March 6, 1961....show more content...
As historian Roger Wilkins said, "blacks have a 375 year history on this continent: 245 involving slavery, 100 involving legalized discrimination, and
only 30 involving anything else." In response to taking opportunity away from whites, liberals pointed out that whites were still far superior in terms of
salary and high–level job positions (Brunner).
The first landmark ruling of affirmative action occurred on June 28, 1978 in the Supreme Court case Regents of the University of California v.
Bakke. The case involved the UC Davis medical school that had two admissions pools. One was for standard applications and the other was
specifically for minorities and economically disadvantaged students. Alan Bakke was a white applicant that was rejected twice despite having
significantly better test scores than several minorities who were accepted into the program. He claimed that judging him by his race was a violation of
the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. The court ruled that race was a legitimate factor for admissions but inflexible quotas were not.
The court split five–four and although it made a very important ruling it still had not addressed many of the issues that had surfaced as a result of the
case (Brunner).
The next important case was on July 2, 1980 in the Supreme Court case Fullilove v. Klutznick. The court ruled that some modest quotas were perfectly
constitutional. February 25, 1987 marked

Affirmative Action in College Admissions
Affirmative Action has become one of the most controversial issues regarding college admissions. It is an issue that exposes profiling to its highest
extent. Race, gender and income now become vital factors in education opportunities. Affirmative Action is the procedure that is used as a criteria in
admissions that will increase the points a college applicant receives on their application evaluation based on the previous factors. Whether race should
be considered in the admission of a college applicant, is without a doubt a must in all states. Affirmative Action definitely will improve the opportunities
of a minority student applying at a university but it will not be the deciding factor. When...show more content...
Unfortunately, these children cannot complete their education because they have to travel with their family and learn to manage at a young age a life
of hard labor. This however does not diminish their dreams of completing high school and some day attending a university so that they will not have to
live the life of struggle their parents did to sustain the household. In cities like Detroit, MI there is a large population of low income Hispanic and
African American families. The public school system unfortunately cannot potentially promote a high–quality education. The majority of these students
do not receive an entrance level education simply because of living standards. Income plays an important role in education opportunities regarding the
quality education each student can pertain. Since the minorities in that area are low–income they cannot afford to attend a private high school that can
better prepare them for college. According to a research done at the University of Texas–Pan American, "certain racial or ethnicity factors should play a
role in the admissions decision." (Marklein) Perez 3
Affirmative action will also assist the university in reaching their desired diversity quota. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that universities can
consider race as one of the main

Argumentative Essay
One day, there were two people who went to a company for a job interview for only one job position. The first candidate graduated from a prestigious
and highly academic university, had years of work experience in the field, and in the mind of the employer, had the potential to make a positive impact
on the company's performance. The second candidate does not have a college degree and is just starting out in the field and seemed to lack the
ambition that was visible in his opponent. Who do you think was hired for the position? If this story took place before 1964, the answer would be
obvious. However, with the adoption of the social policy known as affirmative action, the answer becomes unclear. Affirmative action is a product of
the civil...show more content...
To many, this made sense. Supporters of affirmative action asked, "why not let the government help them get better jobs?" After all, the white man
was responsible for their suffering. While this may all be true, there is another question to be asked. Are they all truly responsible for the years of
persecution that the African Americans were submitted to? Probably not. Does the person working in the cube next to me resent me knowing
consciously that we are working side by side because of affirmative action and not because we both qualify to be employed there? Probably so. This
type of work environment is not strengthening diversity, it tears it down.
Affirmative action supporters make one large assumption when defending the policy. They assume that minority groups want help. This, however, may
not always be the case. They fought to attain equality, not special treatment. To some of them, the acceptance of special treatment is an admittance of
inferiority. Some would include me. I believe I can become successful on my own. I don't need laws to help me get a great job. I along with many
others who are against affirmative action want to be treated as equals, not as incompetent. Although discrimination is not placed in a well–distant past,
affirmative action is an unneeded and drastic remedy for today's world (Farron, Steven, 2005)
Affirmative

Essay on Affirmative Action
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self–evident: that all
men are created equal." – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (6). Dr. King stated this in his famous "I have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C.
in 1963. Is affirmative action still needed in America? Affirmative action is still needed because America does not have enough equality and diversity.
Almost all of our American history dealt with inequality between the white men and the black men. As time went on, nothing has changed and is still
seen in today's society. There are two definitions of affirmative action: 1) race–neutral, gender–neutral assurance against actual discrimination...show
more content...
Many argue that reverse discrimination takes effect. Reverse discrimination is described as discrimination towards whites. Many of these reverse
discrimination cases have been brought to court, the result is just more confusion. This is because there is a lot of gray in the law concerning this
topic. Sometimes courts allow someone to choose the minority if they are less qualified, while in other cases they don't allow it. For example in a
Supreme Court decision, it was allowed for a Michigan school district to layoff non–minority teachers in order to hire minority teachers with less
experience (1). However, not many cases such as these occur. The minorities have gone through such cases everyday for decades. For the whites or
majority to say that one or two cases are a substantial amount and that justice be served, where have they been when the minorities had the same
troubles years ago and still to this day? There is bound to be some setbacks but overall, affirmative action will lead to a better society where everyone
can be treated and looked at fairly.
Affirmative action is still necessary because of lack of equality. White males typically earn significantly more than women and minorities. According to
the National Committee on Pay Equity, women, overall, make 71 cents as compared to a man's dollar(4). While minority men make more than
non–minority and minority women,

Affirmative Action Argumentative Essay
Here is a little background on the Affirmative action. Affirmative action was a policy of giving preferential treatment to minorities, women, and
other underrepresented groups. It was used in a way to not only to eliminate discrimination but to set rights in effects. The policy was introduced in
1961 when President John F. Kennedy signed the Executive Order, ordering all federally funded programs to take active steps to make sure that
minority groups are employed and treated fairly. I honestly believe that it should be abolished and somewhat kept. Yes, it did help minorities and
women get better job and education, but as the years gone by people misunderstand the meaning of what it was used for. I say this because people use
it for the wrong...show more content...
There's a possibility of success in these situations, but it's more likely they will be in over their heads. If university that hold a high level of
expectation let these students in would make it extremely difficult for them to graduate. So, when we are forced to lower our standards to please
them, we are actually making it hard for them to pass or keep up. I'm no trying to put the down or say that these students are not able to do it, but the
chances are that if they can't reach minimum requirements, shows that there probably not ready to go there, so give them another choice besides just
giving it to they let them work for it. Minorities' graduation rate is so low, because of the university they go to. The original application standards of
schools were put in for a reason, which we should follow and go by.
Lastly many people think that the policies are no longer needed and that they lead to more problems than it had it solve. They say that Affirmative action
leads to the opposite, reverse discrimination, lowering standards of responsibility to perform better and would lead in a nation that would be a
"color–blind society". Affirmative action is designed to end discrimination and unfair action of workers/schoolchildren

The Affirmative Of Affirmative Action Essay
Many affirmative action efforts have been made since the end of the Civil War in order to remedy the results of hundreds of years of slavery,
segregation and denial of opportunity for groups that face discrimination. Many African Americans such as President Barack Obama, Senator Cory
Booker, the writer Toni Morrison, the literary scholar Henry Louis Gates, media star Oprah Winfrey, and rap star Jay
–Z have achieved positions of
power and influence in the wider society (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, Carr). However, today blacks and other minorities are still more likely to
live in poverty, be killed by the police, attend poor schools, and have unequal economic opportunities. This object of this paper is to understand why
affirmative action is still needed in the United State by discussing the differences between whites' and racial/ethnic minorities' access to education and
employment.
Racial Inequality in Educational Attainment in America Historically, African
–American, Latino and Native American students were educated in
wholly segregated schools whose funding rates were several times lower than schools made up of all white students. These minority students were also
being excluded from many higher institutions (Darling–Hammond). This happened until legal segregation came to an end in the 1960s and many
efforts were made to equalize school funding. These efforts have made a substantial difference for student achievement and significantly narrowed
minority and white

The Importance Of Affirmative Action
Why does the US have Affirmative action?
As stated in the Washington Post in 2008, Student Abigail Fisher sued the University of Texas, claiming that they denied her due to the color of her
skin. Fisher stated that students that were accepted into UT were minorities that had lower credentials than she did. Race is looked upon during college
acceptances due to Affirmative action and its policies. Colleges must accept different minority groups to enhance the diversity at the school. But should
race be put before grades and criteria during these acceptances?
Affirmative action or other known as positive discrimination was put in place to promote equality for opportunities mainly for minorities of all kinds.
Its' main objective is promote...show more content...
Affirmative Action allows workers that may be a different race to get those jobs instead of the workers that have the credentials and experience
for the job. "Women make up the largest minority in the world and nobody is going out of their way to ensure that they get a fair shake."
(debate.org) This is a good point because equality in any way is the same and we have problems today with equality with women in the workplace,
but yet there is no policy to help that, and if there was it would be making it even more un equal giving people jobs just because they are women. This
is the same thing going on with race in the workplace, but AA makes it that not everyone gets an equal

According to Newman, affirmative action is a "program designed to seek out members of minority groups for positions from which they had
previously been excluded, thereby seeking to overcome some institutional racism" (Newman, 536). Affirmative action made its debut with a piece of
legislature passed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and continues to this day. However, the concept ofaffirmative action is a controversial issue that
continues to be hotly debated.
Affirmative action policies are passionately debated by everyone from educators and politicians to ordinary citizens, all who hold differing opinions on
both the necessity and validity of the policies. There is no doubt affirmative action is an emotional topic and deals with the...show more content...
Among the citizens of America affirmative action is a sensitive subject with some seeing it as a necessity to help those who have been repressed and
others seeing it as reverse racism. Many Americans may also be conflicted about affirmative action, because it is such a complex issue. People
fervently debate affirmative action, because it is a complex issue revolving around one's own race, experiences, and desires.
It cannot be denied that there are many benefits to affirmative action in that it helps to ensure both fairness and diversity in organizations, such as
schools. In many places across American discrimination is still alive and well. Because of this, affirmative action is necessary to action ensure that
people of minority groups will not be denied admission to schools or employment based on their race. After all, there are some organizations who
would not be willing to change their policies unless forced by the government to do so. Also, many minority groups are still underrepresented in
schools and occupations, which is unfortunate because it gives people a skewed view of what the population of America truly looks like and lets them
think of different races as simply the homogenous others, instead of seeing them as people. Being around people who are different is "necessary to
dispel stereotypes about minorities" and as the Department of Education points out, "Interacting with students who have different perspectives and life
experiences can

Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action

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Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action