Affirmative Action: A Controversial Matter In Education

There are many supporters and opponents of Affirmative Action. The focus of Affirmative action is meant to be an attempt at equality throughout society. Every sector in America would be equal and unprejudiced. On the other hand, adopting affirmative action would force many employers to replace hard-working employees with those possibly less qualified simply due to their gender or ethnicity. Throughout history, people have been categorized into different groups. These groupings were based on certain characteristics people shared, whether it was their ethnicity, race, gender, or religion. Society is notorious for distinguishing among different groups and favoring one or two of them. Undoubtedly, this separation of peoples, led to increased tension between various groups. As time progressed, the conflicts intensified, and it became apparent that a change was necessary. So I intend to educate the reader on the origin of Affirmative Action; how it impacted the American society; is it still needed in today’s environment; what are some of the drawbacks or issues that came from implementing Affirmative Action, and finally what is the most beneficial aspect from Affirmative Action. One of the most famous quotes about Affirmative Action comes from President Lyndon Johnson who explained the rationale behind the use of affirmative action to achieve equal opportunity in a 1965 speech: “You do not take a person, who for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring

Proponents of affirmative action believe that it is a necessary step toward racial equality. Opponents argue on the basis of “reverse racism,” which claims that affirmative action keeps certain members of the majority ethnic group out of jobs or other positions that they deserve solely because of quotas that must be filled. The positive effects of affirmative action are the basis behind the arguments of those who support considering ethnicity and race as a part of admissions.

In the controversial realms of affirmative action, the largest issue staunchly fought over is whether minorities should be given preferential treatment in the workplace and in the schools. One side declares that those in the minority group need and deserve governmental aid so that they will be on equal footing with the majority group. Opponents of affirmative action point out that setting apart groups based on their race or ethnicity is purely racism and can lead to reverse discrimination. I am against affirmative action for the aforementioned reasons, and would not consider such racism as necessary for creating a healthy society, as proponents would insist. It is my belief that affirmative action today is out of date and is

Affirmative Action is one of the many social issues facing America today. Affirmative action was signed into place in 1961 by President Kennedy and allows minority groups or people who face discrimination to become employed or get an education that is equal to that of a white male. Groups that Affirmative Action aims to help are women, blacks, Latinos, and people with disabilities. While these policies were signed to slowly rid the workforce and schools from discrimination, it hurts people who do not face discrimination, specifically whites. Many white men and women lose special opportunities to work or go to college because of certain standards that the Affirmative Action laws require. Universities and the military require a certain number of minorities in order to meet the standards and have a more diverse atmosphere. An example of this is the California V. Bakke supreme court case of 1978.

California's 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 education. The half-dozen states that are actually thinking about abandoning race-sensitive

In the 1960s when minorities and whites were equal according to the constitution but unequal in reality, a program was needed to level the playing field. Thus the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was created and prohibited discrimination. It marked the beginning of a debate that has been going on for nearly a half of a century. Affirmative action needs to be reevaluated in educational settings in light of current needs.

Affirmative action was put in place to give minority groups like African Americans, Latinos, and women, who were historically discriminated against in the past, special access to jobs and education. And I can understand the purpose of this several years ago; there were very little to no opportunities for these groups. Affirmative action provided programs to these groups that weren’t available otherwise. But in the 21st century, things are very different. Although racism is still an issue in our country, it’s nothing like it used to be. And there are far more opportunities

“No, it’s not me, it’s you… What’s wrong with you? Why, nothing. You have everything we are looking for, it’s just…you’re black…” First established in 1961, Affirmative action (in the United States) was/is a practice in which the purpose is to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women (Merriam Webster). Fast forward to today’s society and what is affirmative action now? Considering the prevalence of diversity in the workplace and in educational facilities, it should be of utmost importance that all people, regardless of race, are given the equal opportunity in the admissions and job application process; affirmative action would enforce that importance. However, many job applicants go to an

America is known as the land of opportunity, where one could achieve anything they put their mind to, no matter who they are. Thousands of people from all over, migrate to the United States every year so that they can have access to opportunities they never had before. This is well known as, "the American dream”. Affirmative action has helped minorities to try and reach their American dream. Despite the fact that minorities and women have made a lot of headway in equality over the past decades, affirmative action should still be in place in the work place and education due to the hardship of minorities and women in the fight for equality. Minorities and as well as women has been oppressed for years while white men were moving forward and gaining more power in the country.

If all facts were considered, it would be clearer that affirmative action is about equal economic opportunity, not just for minorities, but for women as well. It is about providing a chance to compete and participate in the economy. Every American would benefit when each person has the chance to contribute to the maximum extent of his or her ability. Affirmative action opens doors and provides opportunities for many people.

Affirmative Action policies have shown effectiveness in increasing the number of minority applicants and graduates who benefitted from these programs receive better jobs, earn more money, and essentially live better lives because of the opportunities they received. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (2018), “statistics show that after California abolished its affirmative action programs in 1998, the minority student admissions at UC Berkeley fell 61 percent, and minority admissions at UCLA fell 36 percent”. The reality is not everybody is born into a high socioeconomic status family, and individuals with a higher socioeconomic status have more opportunities than those with low socioeconomic status. Affirmative action polices compensate for this social and economic oppression. I do believe that certain racial and ethnic groups are disadvantaged because they are frequently in lower income brackets consequently not exposed to the same resources than those in higher income brackets. The notion of competition between students based on merit is still supported, but affirmative Action does help compensate for economic

The competition in college admissions has increased as more emphasis is put on obtaining college college education as a way of succeeding. Although there has been a notable increase in college enrollment during the last few decades, there is a disparity in social and economical achievement between Whites and Asians, and African-Americans and Hispanics. In order to combat this gap, the Kennedy administration in 1961 instituted a policy called affirmative action aimed towards counteracting the racial and socioeconomic disadvantages that these minority groups have. Opponents of affirmative action argue that this violates the 14th Amendment, creates reverse discrimination and reinforces racial inequality. Meanwhile, the supporters of affirmative action claim that it is necessary to create equal opportunity for every person and as a way for addressing the discrimination that that has historically affected these people. While affirmative action may seem as a good solution for inequality, it should not be enforced as it only gives a false perception of equality as it creates inefficiencies in the workforce and reinforces ideas of weakness for minorities. Instead of affirmative action, solutions that would create a society where each citizen is given exactly the same rights and opportunities should be pursued.

Affirmative action is viewed today by the populace as a policy that allows for minority races to have preference in selection for jobs and admission to college. From a historical standpoint this was one of several actions by our government to undo past discretions against women and minorities. Affirmative action is viewed more as a policy than an actual law. However, with a recent Supreme Court decision in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, we can look at the legal consequences of how the policy is causing reverse discrimination and no longer needs to be used.

Affirmative Action in the words of Louis Fairykhan (humor) Affirmative Action is Necessary for Minorities to be Competitive in the Workplace The audience that I intend to attract are those that are minorities and agree with the idea of affirmative action. The persona that I chose is that of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of The Nation of Islam. I imagine that this is a speech to thousands of African-Americans that agree with Mr. Farrakhan. I appeal to tha emotions of my intended audience because I feel it is a strong tool in writing a good paper. I am notan authority on affirmative action but I feel that I know enough about it to present a good case on the subject. Good day my beautiful brothers and sisters. I'm sure you all know me by now

Affirmative action is actually dividing the country into two different racial categories: all minorities against the majority. This causes severe resentment towards those minorities who are less qualified yet are preferred because they feel sympathy or pity towards them. When trying to apply and qualify for scholarships an applicant will find that the majority of the scholarships are for minority or specific race only descendants. This disqualifies everyone who needs the scholarship, but was not born under a certain type of ancestry.