An Analysis of Affirmative Action and Its Effects on Society

It has been said that the differences within humanity is what makes it great. That people are unique and not seemingly clones of one another gives a variety and splendor to a multiracial culture. Unfortunately, this diversity has led to hate and violence. Man tends to be afraid of that which he does not know, and he fears those that he does not understand. Because of this racism, minorities have not been as privileged as those who have the majority of support. Different legislation has come into existence during the last few decades in order to balance this problem. One such solution is affirmative action. Affirmative action is the practice of setting quotas and limitations on companies regarding the ethnicity of their employees so that there is a perceived fairness for all people groups. It has been said to result in both “opportunity” and “frustration” (Monroe, 1991). Affirmative action has had varying effects over its history, and the lessons learned from its successes and failures can be applied to the current society and culture in order to work towards a more peaceful world.

Affirmative action was the child of Executive Order 10925. It declared that “WHEREAS discrimination because of race, creed, color, or national origin is contrary to the Constitutional principles and policies of the United States,” (Executive Order 10925, 1961). Those people being affected by these new laws believed in a “fair share of the crumbs from a shrinking economic pie, blacks should concentrate their energy on making the pie big enough to guarantee a slice for everyone (Monroe, 1991). This practice was met with opposition from many sides, especially in the American South, where racism was still a part of everyday life. A conflict escalated to th...

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