Affirmative Action
The United States has come a long way since the Slave Trade and the abolition of slavery. The country as a whole has changed greatly and will continue to change and evolve everyday. But, it was not long ago that colleges and universities, or even high schools allowed African American men and women or any race other than white into their schools. That is why a term known as affirmative action has gotten the negative attention by many people who claim it is unconstitutional.
Affirmative action is the policy of favoring members of a disadvantaged group who are perceived to suffer from discrimination within a culture. According to The National Conference of State Legislatures, “Affirmative action is an outcome of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, intended to provide equal opportunities for members of minority groups and women in education and employment. In 1961, President Kennedy was the first to use the term "affirmative action" in an Executive Order that directed government contractors to take "affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during …show more content…
But for how long are we as a country going to allow for this reverse discrimination to take place. After all, is this not what we are trying to get away from? Are we not trying to eventually become a country that is free of racial discrimination? Anyway, it is unconstitutional, but affirmative action was necessary at one point. As time goes on it only make it harder to justify its existence. “Affirmative action may be unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution…the programs may be illegal under title VI of the Civil Rights act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance” (National Conference of State Legislatures Para.
The United States has come a long way since the Slave Trade and the abolition of slavery. The country as a whole has changed greatly and will continue to change and evolve everyday. But, it was not long ago that colleges and universities, or even high schools allowed African American men and women or any race other than white into their schools. That is why a term known as affirmative action has gotten the negative attention by many people who claim it is unconstitutional.
Affirmative action is the policy of favoring members of a disadvantaged group who are perceived to suffer from discrimination within a culture. According to The National Conference of State Legislatures, “Affirmative action is an outcome of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, intended to provide equal opportunities for members of minority groups and women in education and employment. In 1961, President Kennedy was the first to use the term "affirmative action" in an Executive Order that directed government contractors to take "affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during …show more content…
But for how long are we as a country going to allow for this reverse discrimination to take place. After all, is this not what we are trying to get away from? Are we not trying to eventually become a country that is free of racial discrimination? Anyway, it is unconstitutional, but affirmative action was necessary at one point. As time goes on it only make it harder to justify its existence. “Affirmative action may be unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution…the programs may be illegal under title VI of the Civil Rights act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance” (National Conference of State Legislatures Para.