Affirmative action was created on March 6, 1961 by president John F. Kennedy and has since expanded into a heated debate. Affirmative action was first established as a result of the Civil Rights Movement to grant equal opportunities for minority groups in the United States. Affirmative action can be seen as a compensatory measure to a racially discriminated group in a cultures history. It is very easy for someone to become involved in a debate about affirmative action because we live in a society where racial discrimination is seen often. Racial injustice can be seen first hand or on television with programs such as the news that heavily publicize racial inequality events.
Affirmative action has both positive and negatives and great arguments
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Affirmative action is termed reverse discrimination by those who oppose the policy. “[Affirmative Action] causes a form of reverse discrimination by favoring one group over another, based on racial preference” (NCSSL.ORG) Reverse discrimination consists of members of a majority being discriminated in favor of historically disadvantaged group of people. Because affirmative action is seen as reversing discrimination it is seen as using or practicing the same discrimination that is it seeking to eliminate. A debate forum wrote that, “affirmative action keeps societies aware of the barriers that divide it and actually perpetuates alienation and resentment between ethnically diverse groups, thus increasing rather than reducing racial tension” Debate.org This argument supports the highly criticized aspect of discrimoination involved in affirmative action policies. Others also believe that those who benefit from affirmative action are given an unfair advantage over the rest. For example the journal “ Does Affirmative Action Work?” argues that “affirmative action policies have also been criticized for stoking resentment between groups that qualify for assistance and those that believe that minorities have been given an unfair leg up.” BROWN The discrimination aspect of affirmative action make the policy a negative one for many in the U.S. Mari Teigen suggests that, “affirmative action is a form of discrimination against those not benefiting from such procedures.”
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.
Throughout history, the affirmative action has been supporting women and minorities, which has has a reverse discrimination against white men. White men has mainly been seen throughout the years as the dominate individuals who has received a magnificent amount of assistance, respect, and much more compared to the "underdogs"! The "underdogs" (women and minority) has struggled during the last centuries with the right to vote, the right to fight, the right to equality, the right to be free, and the right to work.
Generations of families have suffered due unequal laws or prejudices set in place to prevent minorities from growing. Slavery, segregation, separate but equal laws, the trail of tears, failing ESOL classes, unequal pay and so much more effect today's youth and causing history to change slowly if at all. Affirmative action has good intentions and is very much needed in today's world however it sometimes fails doing what it was created to do.
Among the citizens of America affirmative action is a sensitive subject with some seeing it as a necessity to help those who have been repressed and others seeing it as reverse racism. Many Americans may also be conflicted about affirmative action, because it is such a complex issue. People fervently debate affirmative action, because it is a complex issue revolving around one’s own race, experiences, and desires.
Affirmative action was an outcome of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. In the past, affirmative action has been used to improve opportunities with education and employment for excluded minority groups in American society President Kennedy was the first to use this term “in an Executive order that directed government contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin” (Affirmative Action, 2014).
Affirmative Action began in 1965 when President Johnson signed the Executive Order 11246 in to law. The Executive Order prevents federal contractors from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The phrase “affirmative action” was first coined, when federal contractors were required to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants were not discriminated against in anyway. When affirmative action was created, it only included minorities. In 1967, Johnson decided to expand the program to include women because women were discriminated against much like minorities. In the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, affirmative action was a method used to stop
Affirmative action has been around for decades. Some believe it isn’t fair but others do. Those who believe and agree with affirmative action tend to say, “The principle of affirmative action is to promote societal equality through the preferential treatment of socioeconomically disadvantaged people” (Bidmead, Andrew pg 3). Others that disagree with it and find it unfair simply see it as another form of discrimination, giving one group extra advantages based upon nothing but their skin color (Cline, Austin pg 1). I believe that affirmative action is indeed fair because it gives minorities a better chance at having a successful career in their near future.
Affirmative Action is an employment legislation protection system that is intended to address the systemized discrimination faced by women and minorities. It achieves this by enforcing diversity through operational intrusions into recruitment, selection, and other personnel functions and practices in America. Originally, Affirmative Action arose because of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s desire to integrate society on educational, employment, and economic levels, yet it was John F. Kennedy who issued Executive Order 10925 to create the Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity, a commission that evolved into our modern Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The history of how Affirmative Action came to is very simple. President John Kennedy issued executive order 10925 in 1961. This created the Committee on Equal Employment and ordered that federally funded projects to take “affirmative action”. This is
Throughout America there are many different views on the effects of affirmative action. Many see it as a negative policy which gives an unnecessary advantage to minorities in America. In a 2009 Pew Poll, “58% of African Americans agree” and only “22% whites agree” that there should be “preferential treatment to improve the position of blacks and other minorities” ("Public Backs Affirmative Action”).
The words "affirmative action" were first recorded in law in the year 1961 under the presidency of John F. Kennedy. Congress passed Executive Order 10925 instructing federal contractors to take "affirmative action to ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color,
Affirmative Action was one of the major solution of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, intended to provide all equal situations and opportunities to the people of minorities groups in education and employment. According to President Kennedy, he decided to use the term "Affirmative Action" in an Executive Order that directed the government contractors to hire all kinds of people and make sure that employees are treated fairly during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin. It was created to help those races who have been historically suffering under segregation to get representation in society and to balance the income disparity. It has been the special tool box that the government uses to accelerate the progress
Affirmative action took place in March 1961, as J.F. Kennedy sign the order. Kennedy wanted to conclude his decision by saying, “We seek not just equality as a right and theory, but equality as a fact, and as a result.” As time went by, affirmative action started to make a change. For example,
fifty years later, the practice of affirmative action has been at the vanguard of intense
Affirmative Action was first enacted in the United States in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. It was intended to make hiring and university admittance practices fair, and it also required them to be made without regard to race, religion, and national origin. The law was intended for all groups to have an equal opportunity for employment and higher education, and it required that affirmative action be taken to ensure certain groups were employed or admitted. Gender was later added to the list of factors that could not be used to discriminate against a person. Affirmative Action was needed in America at the time because of the country’s history of discrimination against certain groups, particularly African Americans.