All over the nations, there are different views, stances, opinions and even laws on affirmative action. In 1961, “affirmative action” was first said in an Executive Order signed by President John F. Kennedy. President Lyndon Johnson followed through with the advocacy for affirmative action by signing an Executive Order in 1965. That executive order required government contractors to use affirmative action policies in their hiring to increase the number of minority employees. Affirmative Action was not strictly used for employment, but also used in higher education opportunities. Today, many argue that affirmative action is simply reverse discrimination because minority groups are favored in institution acceptances, when in fact, affirmative
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As President Lyndon Johnson said in 1965, "You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and still just believe that you have been completely fair." African- Americans were once discriminated against and indirectly discriminated against today in several cases. Instead of building off of a system founded in slavery, racism and discrimination, affirmative action acts as a check to help restore all men to an equal state of opportunity. Therefore, to categorize affirmative action as discrimination is utterly absurd and disturbing because it was brought in place to help restore a racist country into one who treats all men as equals. We can not expect African-Americans to suddenly make up 25 percent of a prestigious institution, when for years and years they were restricted and forbidden in high class places. Therefore, affirmative action does not give minorities an upper-hand, but rather, a offer at a better life when there was not one …show more content…
She has been admitted into Cornell University, which is an Ivy League school and also majority white. In an interview with Ebun, she shared her standardized test scores, overall High School GPA, extracurricular activities, and other application requirements. Her application components reach the average requirements for Cornell University except for her SAT score. She meets the standards to being admitted into the University, but her race may have given her an edge despite her lower SAT score. There is a famous quote that says “Rome wasn’t built in day.” Affirmative action is a process, therefore it may not work overnight. The 1998 book, The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions, by Derek Bok and William Bowen, former presidents of Harvard and Princeton universities, shows that even in prestigious institutions, minorities tend to score lower than white counterparts. African-Americans score lower, it is not because they are incapable or have less innate intellectual abilities, but it all ties back into the system that was built against them. Generally, the way one grows up, determines a variety of intellectual strengths and
As President Lyndon Johnson said in 1965, "You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and still just believe that you have been completely fair." African- Americans were once discriminated against and indirectly discriminated against today in several cases. Instead of building off of a system founded in slavery, racism and discrimination, affirmative action acts as a check to help restore all men to an equal state of opportunity. Therefore, to categorize affirmative action as discrimination is utterly absurd and disturbing because it was brought in place to help restore a racist country into one who treats all men as equals. We can not expect African-Americans to suddenly make up 25 percent of a prestigious institution, when for years and years they were restricted and forbidden in high class places. Therefore, affirmative action does not give minorities an upper-hand, but rather, a offer at a better life when there was not one …show more content…
She has been admitted into Cornell University, which is an Ivy League school and also majority white. In an interview with Ebun, she shared her standardized test scores, overall High School GPA, extracurricular activities, and other application requirements. Her application components reach the average requirements for Cornell University except for her SAT score. She meets the standards to being admitted into the University, but her race may have given her an edge despite her lower SAT score. There is a famous quote that says “Rome wasn’t built in day.” Affirmative action is a process, therefore it may not work overnight. The 1998 book, The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions, by Derek Bok and William Bowen, former presidents of Harvard and Princeton universities, shows that even in prestigious institutions, minorities tend to score lower than white counterparts. African-Americans score lower, it is not because they are incapable or have less innate intellectual abilities, but it all ties back into the system that was built against them. Generally, the way one grows up, determines a variety of intellectual strengths and