Race and Affirmative Action Essay - 2807 Words

Race and Affirmative Action Race is an issue that is embedded in the nation’s history and continues to spur discussions on how the different minorities and ethnic groups must be treated fairly. Affirmative action is a recent attempt to solve the discriminations produced by racial inequality. However, affirmative action is also being scrutinized as scholars and the public debate the benefits and harms of affirmative action. A Historical View Throughout the past 30 years, affirmative action has been the answer to racial inequality. The policy began in 1965 under President Johnson. It was used to redress issues of discrimination, following the civil rights laws and constitutional guarantees on†¦show more content†¦However, by the late 1970s flaws surfaced in the affirmative action policy. Reverse discrimination became an issue, epitomized by the Bakke case of 1978. A medical school that had accepted less qualified minority applicants had rejected Allan Bakke, a white male, two consecutive years. The school had a separate admissions policy for minorities. It reserved 16 out of 100 places for minority students. The Supreme Court voted that it was unconstitutional to set inflexible quota systems in affirmative action programs. The medical school had discriminated against a white applicant. In the same ruling, however, the Court upheld the legality of affirmative action in forms other than quota sys tems. In 1979 the Supreme Court reflected the Bakke decision. The Supreme Court ruled in AFO-CIO v. Weber, 444 U.S. 889 that race-conscious affirmative action efforts designed to eliminate a conspicuous racial imbalance in an employers workforce resulting from past discrimination was permissible, as long as the actions were temporary and did not violate the rights of white employees. College admission imbalances have resurfaced as a problem for affirmative action. Recently, the Smith v. University of Washington case upheld the universitys affirmative action program, although the program could no longer be used after the passage of Initiative 200 in 1998. Initiative 200 is a controversialShow MoreRelatedRace and The Affirmative Action Policies1244 Words   |  5 PagesThe utilization of race in affirmative action policies in higher education has been a topic of contention for several decades now. Since the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we have seen some of the most heated debates over the fairness of affirmative action and the impacts on society the utilization of race creates. With such pending questions on fairness and of the constitutionality of affirmative action policies two major Supreme Court cases have arisen, University of California RegentsRead MoreThe Race Based Affirmative Action1649 Words   |  7 Pagesas race-based affirmative action. Informally called affirmative action, it is a combination of adopted policies that construct an advantage to minority groups, giving them more possibilities to succeed in jobs, education, and other aspects of daily life. The whole concept came from the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement which advocated for equalizing the rights and opportunities for minorities. John F. Kennedy, the current president at the time, accepted the challenge and formally used â€Å"affirmative action†Read MoreThe Race Based Affirmative Action966 Words   |  4 PagesRace-based affirmative action has been challen ged by a great deal of objection during the course of it duration. According to its opponents, Affirmative action proves to be inconsistent. Affirmative action based on race increases race consciousness instead of supporting color-blind justice. By giving people special consideration to ensure equality, it contributes to inequality. 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One scholar argues: Moreover, I doubt very much that individuals who reach top positions through affirmative action are effective models for younger members of their race or sex. What, after all, do they model? A black vice president who got her job through affirmative action is not necessarily a model of how to rise through the corporate meritocracy. She may be a model of how affirmative action can workRead More Affirmative Action - The Battles Against Race-based Educational Plans2292 Words   |  10 PagesAffirmative Action - The Battles Against Race-Based Educational Plans Californias decision in 1996 to outlaw the use of race in public college admissions was widely viewed as the beginning of the end for affirmative action at public universities all over the United States. But in the four years since Californians passed Proposition 209, most states have agreed that killing affirmative action outright would deepen social inequality by denying minority citizens access to higher educationRead MoreAffirmative Action Is The Perfect Plan1173 Words   |  5 PagesAffirmative Action On March 6th, 1955, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 10925 enforcing that government corporations not discriminate against anyone based off their race and skin color. This became â€Å"positive† discrimination otherwise known as affirmative action. Affirmative action is a method benefiting anyone who have experienced discrimination particular to one’s education and/ or employment (Affirmative Action). In today’s age affirmative action is creating â€Å"reverse racism† dueRead MoreAffirmative Action Should Not Be A Program1540 Words   |  7 Pagesmodern American government and yet is still very active today. Affirmative action is defined as â€Å"the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc† (Merriam-Webster). Affirmative action creates a blatantly unfair advantage in college and job applications to non-minority r aces and is ultimately a racist law. Affirmative action is most prominent in the College admission process, where itsRead More Affirmative Action Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Newman, affirmative action is a â€Å"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 of affirmative action is a controversial issue that continues to be hotly debated. Affirmative action policies are passionatelyRead MoreThe Precedency: Supporting the Affrimative Action Essay1486 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative action is a government policy that gives opportunities to minorities, women, and any group who has been the victim of discrimination in the past. Affirmative action is the outcome of the 1960’s Civil Rights movement, growing out of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or gender. It was the 1978 Supreme Court decision, The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, which allowed for the use of race-based preferences as a means of