Essay on Abolishing Affirmative Action - 1894 Words

Affirmative action is a policy or a program of giving certain preferences to certain (usually under-represented) groups. This typically focuses on education, employment, government contracts, health care, or social welfare. There is much debate concerning claims that it fails to achieve its desired goal, and that it has unintended and undesirable side-effects. There are also claims that the practice is itself racist or sexist Affirmative action began as a corrective measure for governmental and social injustices against demographic groups that have been subjected to prejudice. Such groups are characterized most commonly by race, gender, or ethnicity. Affirmative action seeks to increase the representation of these demographic groups in†¦show more content†¦The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to eliminate discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities in private hiring practices and labor union activities (Unknown). During that time discrimination among minorities and woman was extremely high and there were barriers. Minority beneficiaries of affirmative action hiring plans were sometimes stereotyped as inferior employees (Unknown). What the program did was that it required employers the hire any person regardless of their race. But now and days, affirmative action has changed. The program first started with President John Franklin Kennedy. But his motives werent what he intended in the 1960s. The programs soul purpose was to give minorities and woman a fair chance for employment and education. The first time the program was actually brought into affect was the dispute between whites and black in the college administrations. The amount of black in colleges was conflicting with the amount of whites enrolled. The second time affirmative action was brought into affect was to help minorities with insufficient financial funds, because many could not afford a better education and thus putting them in a disadvantage. Even thought it was a controversial issue, affirmative action was ousted in the 1996 ballot. The program was officially removed in November 5, 1996 by proposition 209. This proposition was lead byShow MoreRelatedAffermative Action1316 Words   |  6 PagesBy: Elissa Thomas E-mail: elissa@usais.net Affirmative Action Affirmative Action efforts were started in 1964 to end the long history of overlooking qualified people of color and women from higher education. Affirmative Action sets standards for a business or office of admissions, so that a white man does not have the upper-hand over an equally or greater educated minority. The initial way the government tried to justify Affirmative Action was to develop a human resource approach: first identifyingRead MoreAffirmative Action: Prejudice in the College Admissions Process941 Words   |  4 PagesSince then, affirmative action has become a big issue in the media; however, many people still do not even know what affirmative action is. Affirmative action is a policy to prevent discrimination on the basis of â€Å"color, religion, sex, or national origin.† Overall, it favors minorities that are often discriminated. It might sound like an excellent policy; however, the use of this policy in the college admissions process is p rejudice. In the college admissions process, affirmative action lowers theRead MoreImagine A Student Named Billy Is Applying For A Scholarship.1001 Words   |  5 Pagesdidn’t. The answer is affirmative action. Affirmative action is an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, and it is an outdated program that is creating unequal opportunities for non-diverse people. The history of affirmative action goes back farther than one might think. Affirmative action is not a new concept. It has been around since the 1961 when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order that told employers to take â€Å"affirmative action to ensure that applicantsRead MoreEssay about Affirmative Action is Not Reverse Discrimination1293 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative Action is Not Reverse Discrimination Affirmative Action is not meant to help blacks because of the color of their skin, but because they deserve compensation for past and continuing injustices. Opponents may criticize the wisdom of how this compensation is meted out, but they cannot question the principle of compensatory damages, which enjoys a long tradition in our society. To many opponents of affirmative action, a color-blind society should not discriminate at hiring timeRead MoreAffirmative Action And The Civil Rights Act973 Words   |  4 Pagesunfortunate minorities. Among these government actions are the 14th Amendment, Equal Pay Act, and the Civil Rights Acts. John F. Kennedy perhaps created one of the most heavily debated policies today, his Affirmative Action Policy. 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.† (â€Å"Definition of AFFIRMATIVE† 1). The definition itself is vague and openRead MoreAffirmative Action and Higher Education Admissions Essay1664 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Known as one of the biggest obstacles in higher education to date would arguably be the use of affirmative action within the higher education admission process for both private and public institutions (Kaplin Lee, 2014; Wang Shulruf, 2012). The focus of current research is an attempt to either justify or deny the use of affirmative action within current practices through various higher education institutions, and though any one person could potentially be swayed to side withRead MoreDiscriminatory Practices And Natural Inequalities Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesdisadvantage in higher education and career status. After years of progress toward an equal society, minorities are still being left behind. To attempt to break this trend, it was deemed necessary to try what is referred to as â€Å"Affirmative Action† The term â€Å"Affirmative Action† was first coined in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy in attempts to address the racial injustices persisting in society despite every man’s rights were â€Å"guaranteed† through the Constitution (Brunner and Rowen). A couple yearsRead MoreCollege Admissions Vs. Affirmative Action1536 Words   |  7 Pageshave protested the use of affirmative action in admissions decisions because they believe the policy gives an unfair and unearned advantage to minorities (Affirmative Action). Though concerns over the whimsical nature of college admissions may be valid, admissions officers should still consider race as a factor in their decisions because elimination of the affirmative action policy is not an effective way to make the admissions process less arbitrary. Affirmative action has been a topic of publicRead MoreAffirmative Action: The Discriminatory Effect Essay example2061 Words   |  9 PagesConsequently, governments around the globe began enacting a system of affirmative action, in other words, a system that would give minorities certain advantages in society in order to achieve level the playing field (Hanmer 7). Although affirmative action was established as a means to promote equality, it can prove to have adverse effects, such as discrimination against minorities and whites, and harming society. Affirmative action in the United States has a long and complicated history. At firstRead MoreAffirmative Action : A Right And A Theory2415 Words   |  10 PagesAffirmative action has faced much scrutiny in its 53 year history. There has been plenty of praise, and even disapproval from some for this term created by President John F. Kennedy when he enacted Executive Order 10925. He created it in order to address discrimination that had remained prevalent despite the recent civil rights movements, and the promises, made in the constitution. It was not fully in order until President Lyndon B. Johnson brought it into maturity by signing the Civil Rights Act