Why does Affirmative Action exist today?

Question

Does the program actually help people get in who are qualifieds or not? What will be the best route for Affirmative Action recipients?

Answer 1

Affirmative Action does not help people obtain positions they are not qualified for. Even as with the "legacy" treatment in schools- even if it was your father who got you in, you still need to do the work.

A few background things.

1. The term "affirmative action" was found in Lyndon B Johnson's executive order 11246 (see below) 1965

2. an example of the use of this was Griggs v. Duke Power 1971. Janitors were given an academic test. Blacks tended to do worse on these test than whites (because of their educational opportunities). However, the results of the test had NO CORRELATION to how good a janitor a person was. It was a discriminatory test, and unfair. This began to slew of affirmative action cases- as there were now laws in place against using this sort of discrimination

3. In this case, i still agree with affirmative action. I think we as a society need to review it again, to insure it stays true to the true meaning that we don't discriminate against one another, including so called "reverse racism", etc. It is good to have a diverse community, and we should all fight for it. However, diversity does not mean special privileges. We should not have racial quotas, etc. However, schools and other public intuitions should take every measure possible to insure they are not being discriminatory- even unintentionally.

Lyndon B Johnson 11246 "During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees as follows:

"(1) The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The contractor will take AFFIRMATIVE ACTION to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Such action shall include, but not be limited to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the contracting officer setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause."

Answer 2

Affirmative Action is used by government to try make right what is wrong.
Affirmative Action give previously disadvantage groups the opportunity to be able to get jobs at a higher level which previous not possible for them
Affirmative Action should be applied correctly otherwise you will end up with the wrong people in the wrong positions
If Affirmative Action is not applied correctly and people get appointed only because of the race and that person doesnt have the necessary knowledge is know to be called window dressing
Affirmative action not applied correctly can lead to corruption and fraud