Is Affirmative Action Racist Essay - 1523 Words

Is Affirmative Action Racist? The revered civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, â€Å"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† In other words, don’t discriminate people because of their race. This should hold true in all aspects of life. Every American deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, which is why affirmative action is inherently racist. Affirmative action refers to various government policies that aim to increase the proportion of minorities and women in jobs and educational institutions historically dominated by white men. The policies usually require employers and institutions to set goals for hiring or admitting minorities. It is responsible for colleges discriminating against Eastern Asians and whites and for employers hiring workers based off of skin color rather than skills or experience. People can’t change their race (except for former president of the Spokane N.A.A.C.P. chapter, Rach el Dolezal, apparently), yet many colleges and employers favor certain races over others by using quotas, or a fixed number of people of each race. U.S. News ranks Harvard University as the number one college in the world. Harvard University is also a perfect example of discrimination based on race in that they are bound to a system of quotas. Before covering the racial disparities at Harvard, it must be noted that while the SAT is not a perfect evaluation of students’ abilities, it is stillShow MoreRelated Affirmative Action - We Should Not Forget Americas Racist Past1486 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative Action - We Should Not Forget Americas Racist Past Affirmative Action has become of the most controversial social policy issues to be discussed in recent years. It is controversial because it challenges fundamental American beliefs. As Seymour Martin Lipset put it: Affirmative Action policies have forced a sharp confrontation between two core American values: equality and individualism.(Dudley7) This values oriented approach, which pervades popular discussion and derives fromRead MoreAffirmative Action Should Not Be A Program1540 Words   |  7 Pagesmodern American government and yet is still very active today. Affirmative action is defined as â€Å"the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc† (Merriam-Webster). Affirmative action creates a blatantly unfair advantage in college and job applications to non-minority races and is ultimately a racist law. Affirmative action is most prominent in the College a dmission process, where itsRead MoreAffirmative Action During The Civil Rights Movement1237 Words   |  5 Pageshappened until the government implemented affirmative action. Affirmative action allowed minorities more opportunities into schools and allowed more opportunities for jobs. It also allowed society to become more diverse with ethnicities and cultures. Affirmative action diluted the racism in the country and eventually helped everyone work collaboratively. Now that affirmative action has done its job, I feel that it is no longer needed. Affirmative action was made to level the playing field betweenRead MoreDiscriminatory Practices And Natural Inequalities Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscriminatory practices bring many circumstances to all dimensions of society. Particularly due to racist discrimination, minorities are left to a disadvantage in higher education and career status. After years of progress toward an equal society, minorities are still being left behind. To attempt to break this trend, it was deemed necessary to try what is referred to as â€Å"Affirmative Action† The term â€Å"Affirmative Action† was first coined in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy in attempts to address the racialRead MoreThe Unethical Nature of Affirmative Action Essay1729 Words   |  7 Pagesfor the white. Yes, it does bring good results, but it is not ethical. Affirmative action in itself is racist. There are many reasons why affirmative action in favor of ethnic minorities is racist. First of all, it violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against the white. Equal opportunities denotes that no one is to receive special consideration based on ethnic background, but by affirmative action, people of color get a head start in the selection process. Second, racialRead MoreWhy Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesSitting Together in the Cafeteria?† provides an understanding of why race and racism continue to operate in our world. Tatum effectively answers the question she poses as the title of her book; moreover, I agree with her perception of Affirmative Action and the word racist, but I do not agree with the definition of racism in her book. I believe Tatum answers the question â€Å"Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?† not only through her description of William Cross’s Black racial identityRead MoreRacism And The Civil Rights Moment Era1076 Words   |  5 Pagesracism has a linguistic style which forms when dominate groups speak about subordinate groups without sounding racist. The author describes it as using â€Å"thread to join pieces of fabric into garments.† (Bonilla-Silva, Pg.53). â€Å"If the garment is being assembled in an open forum (with minorities present or in public venues), dominant actors will weave its fibers carefully (‘I am not a racist, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) and not too tight (I am not black, so I don’t know†). If, in contrast, the needlework is being done amongRead MoreAffirmative Action And Its Effects On College Demographics Essay1389 Words   |  6 Pagesto race is a positive liberal act, however affirmative action is evolving int o quite a social strain. Colleges that endorse affirmative action are alleviating racial pressures based on college demographics but creating repercussions that are impacting all races and ages. If we continue burying the issues with affirmative action, we will not only be lessening the meaning of education but creating isolation between cultures. The history of affirmative action began on March 6, 1961, when President JohnRead More Democracy Essay724 Words   |  3 Pagesessay â€Å"Judicial Review of Direct Democracy† that the framers of our constitution set up the republic to in effect protect us from ourselves, to protect us from this sort of majority rule.(Eule) I believe that this misrepresentation is responsible for racist legislation and legislators. A recent NAACP resolution stated The American people deserve political leaders who make clear, concise and well-reasoned decisions based on fact and clearly informed by all people involved, not leaders that perpetuateRead MoreAffirmative Action Is The Current Method For Combating Systematic Racism1602 Words   |  7 PagesAffirmative action is the current method for combatting the systematic racism and general bigotry that has long plagued American society. It is a source of much debate, both from the legal and moral perspectives. When it comes to higher education, it has been the subject of serval Supreme court decisions and many philosophical papers. Affirmative action’s stance makes a statement about how American society intends to handle its problems of bigotry; if it wants to ignore them, or if it wants to choose