Why Is Affirmative Action Important
Support for Affirmative Action
In 1955, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment in the federal government because of race, color, or national origin, laid the groundwork that evolved into something bigger and more controversial than anyone could imagine. Subsequently, in 1961, for the first time President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order that used the words “Affirmative Action”. This order marked the distinct departure point for policies designed solely to promote equal employment opportunities.
Decades after the introduction of affirmative action in America, the affirmative action debate continues. Is affirmative action live up to its
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But, after reading the history and evolution of Affirmative Action in this country and around the world, I believe that Affirmative Action is doing more harm than good to the class of people that it intends to help. It causes companies to hire less qualify employees. It causes colleges and universities to admit inferior students. It promotes laziness and creates whole class of people sitting around waiting for government handouts. I am a strong believer of “may the best candidate” win in any kind of situation. Using laws and legislations to try to change the outcome is not only anti-competition, it distorts the law of the nature; survival of the fittest. We need more of Steve Job, Bill Gates, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Mark Zuckerberg, Jerry Yang, David Filo, Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, and Noah Glass in this country regardless their skin color or origin. In order to finance all the Affirmative Action and welfare programs, the government increases the taxes to a point it is no longer desirable to be Americans. U. S. citizenship was once the most sought after citizenship in the world. Now, record number of the richest and the most talented Americans are giving up their U. S.
Case Study: Adarand V. Pena
105 Words | 1 PagesIn Adarand v. Pena, Adarand challenged a federal program that provided incentives to employers that employ individuals that are “economically and socially disadvantaged” (Alexander 149). Adarand, a subcontractor provided the lowest bid for a job, however due to the federal government’s financial incentives the contract was awarded to Gonzales, who was certified as a disadvantaged business. The Court in Adarand held that strict scrutiny should be applied to affirmative action or remedial programs that was based on race because similar arguments in previous case laws recur, such as “skepticism of race-based classifications” and “position on the question of benefits vs. burdens or race neutrality”(Alexander 150).
Analysis Of Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria
411 Words | 2 PagesErica Beckman Duran English 1A 28 October 2015 Affirmative Action In Chapter Seven of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? , Beverly Tatum discusses affirmative action, an action that guarantees equal opportunity to all individuals, regardless of any circumstances (117). Tatum remarks on the history of affirmative action, in which it was introduced to language and our legal system by executive order 11246 by President Lyndon B. Johnson (1965), and obligated federal contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, religion, sex, or national origin” (116-117).
Ira Katznelson's When Affirmative Action Was White
438 Words | 2 PagesIn the book, “When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America,” by Ira Katznelson, he takes us, the readers, back to the 1930’s through 1950’s during the when he considered affirmative action to be pro-white rather than today’s perception of affirmative action where we ensure that interviewees are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, belief, color, or national origin. Katznelson points out that this period of history was driven by politicians during the New Deal started creating government programs in order to take care of the wellbeing of people, their work, and during World War II in the 1930s and 1940s. The government intentionally single out and treated the vast majority of African Americans very differently. The fundamental issue was the support of Southern representatives in Congress was needed in order for the Democratic leaders to pass laws that are not in favor to African Americans. Simply put, that the New Deal union was being framed as a real mean middle man, making bargains between white people that want to help (aka progressives) and the white people that do not want to help and keep all the government benefit to themselves (aka
Summary Of When Affirmative Action Was White
1556 Words | 7 PagesKatznelson’s argument that affirmative action policies were enacted with purposeful, deliberate discrimination is convincing. Namely, he considers the historical context that would have shaped Americans at the time and swayed their opinions. For example, Katznelson references the Civil War and the end of slavery, and how these events shaped the attitudes of key players like the Southern Democrats, which would then result in the faulty policies that perpetuated affirmative action’s favoritism of whites. His evidence is sufficient as well. Katznelson highlights the trend of Southern Democrats interfering in affirmative action policies and the footholds they had in specific acts.
Summary Of A Troublesome Inheritance By Nicholas Wade
1629 Words | 7 PagesWe have seen in the past four decades race-based affirmative action programs that have arisen and fitfully developed through judicial challenges. As in most case, the best of intentions do not always lead to positive outcomes. Nothing could be more apt in describing the perilous position we have bestowed upon millions of minority students who have been admitted to higher learning institutions under the auspices of diversity. As illustrated by the standardized test and GPA numbers in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the students admitted to the medical school of UC-Davis under their affirmative action policy were extraordinarily less qualified when compared to the student body as a whole. This not only unfairly displaced white and Asian students who would have otherwise been admitted to those spot on merit but also places those underperforming students in an environment in which they are destined to fail.
Analyzing The Supreme Court Case Against The Lawfulness Of Affirmative Action
197 Words | 1 PagesAffirmative action was designed by the federal government and seemed to be a strong tactic but there are many imperfections in this policy. For example, California vs Bakke is a famous court case based off of reverse discrimination. A white male by the name Allan Bakke was denied admission to The University of California medical school. Instead of picking Bakke the school accepted a less qualified black male because the school must accept at least 16 minorities out of 100 into the medical program. The university uses race as an aid to admit minorities and increase diversity instead of accepting well qualified individuals.
Affirmative Action Vs Libertarianism
987 Words | 4 PagesThus, often without realizing it, the United States has practiced what, in effect, was white affirmative action on a highly generous and widespread basis, followed by a much more modest program of black affirmative action. By understanding this history, we can come to terms with the widening gap between blacks and whites noted by Lyndon Johnson and with the incapacity of many blacks to be able to make good this gap in the following four decades (Katznelson,
Grutter V. Bollinger Essay
1526 Words | 7 PagesIs affirmative action still necessary for guaranteeing equal access to educational opportunities at elite universities and graduate schools? Should admissions decisions be based solely on academic criteria and merit? Key Words: affirmative action, Grutter V. Bollinger, and diversity. Grutter V. Bollinger Research Paper 3 Affirmative Action in Education Affirmative action was formed more than fifty years ago.
Tien Dang
510 Words | 3 PagesAs a society we have to understand that the system oppresses certain individuals. One can be highly qualified for a job but not receive it because of their race. Black people work hard but they don’t make it as far as many other minorities it’s because of their race, the color of their skin inhibits them from achieving every goals they want to, the system is not in their favor. As learned in class Social justice and equality for all people should be of paramount importance. Society needs to stand against prejudice and make sure very member of the community is not discriminated against us.
Colorblind Research Paper
514 Words | 3 PagesAlthough many people will appear to believe in racial equality, they do not recognize in our society people of color are disadvantaged due to race due to socioeconomic factors, which are affected by legislation. It is often presumed everyone has an equal opportunity for success and nothing can determine it except for the individual’s effort. So with a distorted definition of racism society can not collectively fight against true racist legislation that hinders the success of people of
When Affirmative Action Was White Summary
985 Words | 4 PagesThe New Deal, World War II, and post-World War II marked significant periods in American history as the federal government created various programs to relieve the nation from the Great Depression and spur economic growth. However, as Ira Katznelson points out in his book, “When Affirmative Action Was White,” these programs held disparities that disproportionately benefited white Americans. This essay will examine how New Deal, World War II, and post-World War II programs represented affirmative action for white Americans. In “When Affirmative Action Was White,” Katznelson explores how New Deal programs represented affirmative action for white Americans.
Blaxican American Culture
377 Words | 2 PagesAffirmative Action played a crucial part in Perez’s story. Affirmative action is an executive order from former President John F.
Arguments Against Affirmative Action
1011 Words | 5 PagesAffirmative action has become obsolete in today’s society. Affirmative action is an active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women; also: a similar effort to promote the rights or progress of other disadvantaged persons (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Today’s affirmative action will demoralize the very concepts that the policy was implemented to uphold: those of equality for all people regardless of color and discrimination. This policy supports racial multiplicity at the price of distinction, impartiality and experience; it also follows the line of reverse discrimination and sexual bias against white men (Reyna, Tucker, Korfmacher, & Henry, 2005).
Shackled Runner Thesis
1028 Words | 5 PagesAs far as morality and justice are concerned, if a school or business or government declines to practice affirmative action, that’s okay” – says the
Argumentative Essay On Racial Equality
1734 Words | 7 PagesThroughout many of the affirmative action legal cases, one of the main arguments from proponents is that it is necessary in order to right the wrongs of past racial discrimination. Some say that affirmative action is justified because even though white applicants may be more qualified, this is only because they did not face the same hardships as their minority counterparts (Rachels, Ethics, 1973). Many argue if we do not integrate disadvantaged minorities into mainstream social institutions, they will continue to suffer the discrimination that has plagued our country for centuries and that this is detrimental to not only the minorities but also society as a whole (Anderson, 2002, 1270–71). However, the debate has recently shifted to the benefits of diversity in the classroom which the Supreme Court has affirmed as being a positive thing
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