Abstract
Programs to stimulate growth of minority-owned businesses have existed in the United States since the late 1960s. President Johnson’s vision of creating a “Great Society” led to a host of endeavors that sought to change the political, social and economic landscape of the U.S. In his 1965 commencement address to graduates of Howard University, LBJ gave voice to his vision, declaring, “We seek not just freedom but opportunity. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result.” There has been Executive Orders issued by the President of the United States throughout history to carry out and to promote minority-owned businesses:
Keywords:
…show more content…
For the first time, EO 11246 charged the Secretary of Labor, a Cabinet–level official with strong enforcement authority, with the responsibility of ensuring equal opportunity for minorities in federal contractors’ recruitment, hiring, training and other employment practices. Until that time, such efforts had been in the hands of various Presidential committees. EO 11246 continued and reinforced the requirement that federal contractors not discriminate in employment and take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity based on race, color, religion, and national origin.
Signed by President Johnson that early autumn Friday 50 years ago, EO 11246 became a key landmark in a series of federal actions aimed at ending racial, religious and ethnic discrimination, an effort that dated back to the anxious days before the U.S. was thrust into World War II.
Today, Executive Order 11246, as amended and further strengthened over the years, remains a major safeguard, protecting the rights of workers employed by federal contractors—approximately one–fifth of the entire U.S. labor force—to remain free from discrimination on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin…and opening the doors of opportunity through its
During the last part of this century, businesses and organizations have heavily relied on affirmative actions laws to ensure equal employment opportunities. The failure of this dependence upon legislation is that is doesn't address the full spectrum of diversity in the workplace (6). Affirmative actions laws have limitations, discriminating against people holding protected-class status such as women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans,
Former president of the United States, Obama, approved an executive mandate banning the discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity of federal employees from the governments' contractors. Additionally, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, declared, safeguarding employees on the bases of sex, must also involve the comprehension of the embodiment for the protection of transgender people. However, the association, not recognized by the Court of the United States, have not granted their declared protections in a consistent manner across the nation, producing in an absence of the given freedoms for the working LGBTQ community (Beyond Marriage Equality: A Blueprint for Federal Non-Discrimination Protections,
In 1964, Lyndon Johnson set out to enact the “Great Society” program in order to expand upon and complete Roosevelt’s New Deal. This was a liberal program set up to ensure that the government staked more claim in aiding the citizens of the United States. This program touched on issues such as civil rights, education, and health care which were prevalent issues at the time, and that still have a major impact on society today. John Andrew lays out in detail in the book Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society these issues, as well as others. He gives each major topic a chapter, and goes into great detail of how he feels Johnson set out to change the American political and social structure.
Discrimination against race, gender, religion, or other social characteristics is occurring in all parts of the United States almost every day. Unfortunately, the U.S. has a history of extreme case of discrimination, which has evoked controversy and in worse cases, violence. To discourage any more of adverse discernment towards certain individuals, the Federal government has imposed legislation called affirmative action. According to At Issue: Affirmative Action, “Affirmative action is designed to promote access to opportunities in education, employment, housing, and government contracts among certain designated groups, such as women and minorities“ (At Issue). This law is necessary in today’s society in order to maintain equality and
July 6, 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs The Civil Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination and mentions the use of “affirmative action to overcome the effects of prior discrimination.”
These individuals protested the Supreme Court’s rulings in favor of minorities, henceforth taking away the value of meritocratic principles (Doc G). Providing equal footing for minorities was seen as detrimental to society, as those who paid taxes on time and had steady employment felt as if their hard work wasn’t worth it. Despite this, President Johnson initiated Executive Order 11246, which established a basis for affirmative action, effectively protecting minorities and ensuring non-discrimination practices in the government. During an interview, he combated the complaints from society, explaining how he “tried to make it possible for every child of every color to grow up in a nice house, to eat a solid breakfast, to attend a decent school, and to get a good and lasting job” (Doc F). He wanted every child, regardless of who they were, to have a basic level of living quality, which was also ensured under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He had effectively implemented programs that helped minority groups gain equal footing in society and have a better quality of
On a beautiful day in 1965, June 4th, President Lyndon B Johnson spoke at the commencement at the prestigious Howard University commencement. He can be quoted saying “ You do not take a man who for years has been hobbled by chains, liberate him, bring him to the starting line of a race saying ‘ you are free to compete with all the others,’ and still justly believe you have been completely fair.”(ECS1) Shortly after giving this address President Johnson, “Put his money where his mouth was” and signed executive orders mandating that all government contractors take “affirmative action” to hire minority groups (Brunner 2002). In responses to this many professional schools, colleges and university’s followed the governments
Upon Kennedy’s assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson took over the white house and was faced with many problems and conflicts throughout his presidency. While the citizens of the United States tried to recover from the loss of Kennedy, Johnson found it advantageous, experiencing varying levels of success and efficacy with his responses between the 1960s and 70s. Johnson influenced America by reporting that Kennedy would have wanted the Great Society, in order to persuade people towards supporting his project. This led them to believe him and therefore support the developing movement. The Great Society was Johnson’s primary method of fixing problems in the United States, including the political, emotional as well as the social problems. Johnson unfortunately entered his presidency facing difficulties such as the Vietnam War, which would later damage his reputation.
When the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted employees felt sigh of relief because now it was unlawful for employers to discriminate against once race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. “Title VII provided the legal basis for all people to pursue the work of their choosing and to advance in their chosen occupations subject to the limitations of only their individual qualifications, talents, and energies” (McConnell, 2013, p. 46). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce the antidiscrimination requirements of Title VII. What employees didn’t know was that this was merely a law and laws are broken all the time, although there are severe consequences.
The wicked vice of racial discrimination towards African Americans has, over the course of almost six centuries, indelibly tainted social, economic and cultural relations between those of all racial profiles in the “Land of the Free”. Historically speaking, the African American experience is imbued in pain and suffering for centuries of malfeasance on the part of white American-dominated governments. Institutional racism combined with social and cultural discrimination towards African Americans has been tremendously destructive to the advancement and psychological morale of American blacks. The barbarism of slavery, racial segregation, culturally ingrained racism and violent lynchings have all at certain periods flourished in the modern day United States. The public pressure of the African American Civil Rights Movement of the mid 1960s culminated in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and brought about significant changes to American life, especially in the Southern states. The intended purpose of this Act was to once and for all provide all race groups with equal access to opportunities in employment and education. However President Lyndon B. Johnson would, at the start of his presidency upon the passing of the Act in 1965, build on the dream of African American rights crusaders such as Martin Luther King initiating the
The topic of minorities in the workforce and how the struggle to accomplish equal treatment in today’s workforce is nothing new to our society. For centuries we have been concerned that by bringing together our different backgrounds, skills, and experiences, as well as the many businesses of this great
“For federal contractors and subcontractors, affirmative action must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws have helped shape the workforce today and they have greatly contributed to the introduction of diversity in the working environment. No longer are people rejected of employment based on their race, gender, age, or disability. The labor force has increased from 62 million people in 1950 to over 159 million people in the labor force today (Toolsi). The passing of the EEO laws proved to be a great advancement in the diversity of the workforce and treatment of employees, but it was a tremendous battle to get where we are today. Before the passing of these laws, unequal treatment was normal and discrimination was common among the majority of employers. This made acquiring employment difficult and caused many people to be unemployed. Three Equal Employment Opportunity laws that helped diminish these discriminatory practices were Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. For each law, I will describe what it enforces and explain the actions that happened in society and the workplace that made these laws necessary. I will discuss important political figures that contributed to the passing of these laws. Lastly, I will examine how each law has improved human resources and has led to better management of employees overall.
America has the nickname of “The Melting Pot,” but melting implies no boundaries. In the U.S., many boundaries between different ethnicities, religions, and minorities still exist. The concept of affirmative action is to act as a blender, creating equality for all people. Affirmative action is encouraged in many different business sectors by the government. Some examples include the Department of Defense strives to award five percent of contracts to minority businesses and institutions, federal home loan banks work to preserve and expand minority-owned banks, the Department of State mandates at least ten percent of amount of funds be allocated to American minority contractors, NASA requires administrators to establish annual goal of at least eight percent of total value of prime contracts and subcontracts awarded to be made to small disadvantaged businesses and minority educational institutions, the FCC must ensure that minority- and women-owned businesses have opportunity to participate in providing spectrum-based services, the Department of Energy works to achieve five percent of total funds used to carry out national security programs be allocated to minority businesses and institutions, the Department of Transportation requires that not less than ten percent of funds appropriated under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 be expended on small and minority businesses, the Environmental Protection Agency must allocate no less than ten percent of
M. V. Lee Badgett mentions in his article “What Obama Should Do About Workplace Discrimination,” that this would make a great first step on what concerns banning workplace discrimination against homosexuals by federal contractors. If the government, the structural system of our country, is not only willing to accept all but pose as a model of approval towards all kinds of sexual orientations, then so should we, the people, who make part of the nation. Discrimination against this group of people is unfortunate, but extremely common nowadays; more and more individuals are being harassed, not compensated with adequate wages, and/or fired from their jobs because of the way they sexually identify themselves. This strikes a fear in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees who feel as though they must produce more than the average worker in order to not be affected or expelled from their jobs, often leading them to not take illness days off, vacations, and to perhaps be more productive than the majority of their colleagues. Badgett explains that by issuing an executive order against workplace discrimination, President Obama will be able to gradually bring back equality to the nation, providing parallel opportunities for all and reducing stress, fear, as well as death and unemployment rates in the gay community.