Al Sharpton, probably the most established contemporary civil rights activist, once said, “How do we make things fair?” This enquiry is important today because things really aren’t fair. Although America has progressed very far when it comes to racism and discrimination, it still has a long way to go. Affirmative action policies are essentially used to combat long term racial failures and promote equality. These policies are aimed to increase the proportion of minorities and women in jobs and educational institutions historically dominated by white men. The term "affirmative action" was first introduced by President Kennedy in 1961 as a method of redressing discrimination that had persisted in spite of civil rights laws and constitutional guarantees.
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This requires that there be a clear disparity in the chance that individuals of certain races have of succeeding. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the unemployment rates among individuals of the four most represented races demonstrate a significant discrepancy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded: white unemployment was 4.1%; black was 8.8%; Asian was 3.8%; Hispanic was 6.2%. Ideally, the unemployment rates for every race would be zero. Since this cannot be the case, there must be measures taken to bring all races closer to the average of 4.8% unemployment. Additionally, a Forbes survey discovered that 85% of employers believe diversity is crucial for their businesses in that it allows them to gain the perspectives and ideas that foster innovation (Talent Management). This especially applies to companies that have a wide target audience and need employees who offer many different viewpoints on how to improve or expand the product. Every race should have the same opportunities in the workforce and the government needs to ensure that this holds …show more content…
According to the Census Bureau, the median incomes by race in 2012 are as follows: Asians made $68,636; whites made $57,009; Hispanics made $39,005; blacks made $33,321 (Perlberg). The same order has existed since 1967 (as far back as the Census Bureau recorded) and can be seen in Figure 1 (Perlberg). Income inequality causes problems in many aspects of life, including academics. Only about five percent of the four-year regionally accredited colleges in the U.S. News Best Colleges universe say they don 't use the SAT or ACT in admissions (Morse). Therefore, SAT is particularly important in determining a child’s college and consequently, future. According to a study done by the College Board on all of the students who took the SAT in 2014, parental income has a strong correlation between SAT score (Fig. 2) (Zumbrun).
(Fig.
This requires that there be a clear disparity in the chance that individuals of certain races have of succeeding. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the unemployment rates among individuals of the four most represented races demonstrate a significant discrepancy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded: white unemployment was 4.1%; black was 8.8%; Asian was 3.8%; Hispanic was 6.2%. Ideally, the unemployment rates for every race would be zero. Since this cannot be the case, there must be measures taken to bring all races closer to the average of 4.8% unemployment. Additionally, a Forbes survey discovered that 85% of employers believe diversity is crucial for their businesses in that it allows them to gain the perspectives and ideas that foster innovation (Talent Management). This especially applies to companies that have a wide target audience and need employees who offer many different viewpoints on how to improve or expand the product. Every race should have the same opportunities in the workforce and the government needs to ensure that this holds …show more content…
According to the Census Bureau, the median incomes by race in 2012 are as follows: Asians made $68,636; whites made $57,009; Hispanics made $39,005; blacks made $33,321 (Perlberg). The same order has existed since 1967 (as far back as the Census Bureau recorded) and can be seen in Figure 1 (Perlberg). Income inequality causes problems in many aspects of life, including academics. Only about five percent of the four-year regionally accredited colleges in the U.S. News Best Colleges universe say they don 't use the SAT or ACT in admissions (Morse). Therefore, SAT is particularly important in determining a child’s college and consequently, future. According to a study done by the College Board on all of the students who took the SAT in 2014, parental income has a strong correlation between SAT score (Fig. 2) (Zumbrun).
(Fig.