History and Opinions on the Policy of Affirmative Action

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Racism is a problem that is older than the country we live in. Since the beginning of time racism, prejudice, and discrimination has existed. Through the years, society has come a long way in dealing with this everlasting problem; however, the problem still lives in today's world. It affects who we are and where we will go in our life. So if racism can so dramatically alter our life, one might question what can be done to cease this unfair practice? One solution, or rather method to equal out the past inequalities African American and other minorities, is Affirmative Action. The basic goal of these policies is to increase opportunities for minorities in the United States job market and educational system. Yet one might also question if these policies actually decrease discrimination or increase the inequality gap between the dominate white group and the minority African American group? What benefits do we really gain from Affirmative Action?

In order to answer these and other questions, we must first fully understand what Affirmative Action is and why it came about. Affirmative action, as stated in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is the active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of minority groups and women. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 10925 that, for the first time, instructed federal contractor to take "affirmative action to ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin." Three years later, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, creating the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This law is significant in several ways. First, it was the first real legislative ac...

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...o.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=669 >.

"Affirmative Action Timeline." Infoplease.com. February 21, 2005

< http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmativetimeline1.html >.

Kitano, Harry H.L. Race Relations. Prentice-Hall Inc,. Upper Saddle River:

1997.

Plous, S. "Ten Mythys About Affirmative Action." Journal of Social Issues

Vol 52 (2003): Pg 25-31. February 22, 2005

< http://www.understandingprejudice.org/readroom/articles/affirm.htm >.

Wilcher, Shirley J. "The History of Affirmative Action Policies." Motion

Magazine October 12, 2003. February 22, 2005

< http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/aahist.html >.

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