FREE ESSAY ON AFFRIMATIVE ACTION WORKS

AFFRIMATIVE ACTION WORKS

Affirmative Action Works
Affirmative Action is the name given to programs that try to correct past and ongoing
discriminations against women, racial minorities, and others in the work force and in
education. The principal goal of Affirmative Action is to create more diversity and equal
opportunities in jobs or schools that used to be all or mostly male, white, or both.
Affirmative Action programs have been in place only a little over thirty years.
Affirmative action works. There are thousands of examples of situations where people of
color, and white women who were previously excluded from jobs or educational
opportunities, or were denied opportunities once admitted, have gained access through
affirmative action. When these policies received executive branch and judicial support,
vast numbers of people of color, and white women gained access they would not otherwise
have had. These gains have led to very real changes. Affirmative action has definitely
helped women and minorities in their careers. White women now hold 40 percent of all
corporate middle-management jobs, and the number of women-owned businesses has grown by
57 percent since 1982" (Dundul, p.64).
Affirmative action programs have not eliminated racism, nor have they always been
implemented without problems. The implementation of affirmative action was America's
first honest attempt at solving a problem it chose to ignore. Comparable imbalances exist
for other racial and ethnic minorities as well as for women. Yet, to truly understand the
importance of affirmative action, one must look at America's past discrimination.
Affirmative action is needed to level the playing field of the work force in America. 
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Affirmative action has had its greatest amount of success in city, state, and government
jobs. Since the 1960s the area of law enforcement witnessed the greatest increase in
minority applicants, and in jobs offered to minorities. This should be viewed as
extremely positive, because prior to affirmative action these jobs were almost completely
closed off to minorities and woman. Affirmative action has experienced considerably less
success in integration in big business. This is do to the fact big business has been more
resistant to affirmative action and harder to regulate. 
Affirmative action is also needed to help black women to compete in today's corporate
world. Black women in corporate America are still scarce. The Bureau of Labor Statistic's
report for 1984, finds that executive, administrative, managerial, and professional,
specialty, there were only 1,474,000 black women 5.9% of the total, as opposed to
22,250,000 white women, 91% of the total number of working women in this category (Cyrus
122).
Another growing concern is white male candidates are being discriminated against, or
losing out because of affirmative action programs. If we were to look at the breakdown of
various white collar professions or if we look at the overall average income levels of
white men we should immediately notice that people of color are still significantly under
represented and underpaid in every category. People of color don't make up the
proportions of these jobs even remotely equal to their percentage of the population. They
don't earn wages comparable to white men. White men are tremendously over represented in
almost any category of work that is highly rewarded except for professional athletics.
According to a 1995 government report, white males make up only 29 percent of the
workforce, but hold 95 percent of senior management positions (Sklar 115). Until there is
both equal opportunity and fair distribution of education, training and advancement to
all Americans, affirmative action for people of color is necessary to counter the
hundreds of years of affirmative action that have been directed at white males. 
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Affirmative action is not a cure all. It will not eliminate racial discrimination, nor
will it eliminate competition for scarce resources. Affirmative action programs can only
ensure that everyone has a fair chance at what is available. Expanding opportunity for
people of color means expanding not only their access to existing jobs, education and
housing, but also removing the obstacles that cause them from obtaining their goals.
"Affirmative action was designed to give qualified minorities a chance to compete on
equal footing with Whites" (Chappell 26).
Equal opportunity is the ultimate goal of affirmative action and that is exactly what it
has provided. Without affirmative action doors would be closed to minorities. Before
affirmative action was created, minorities were given low skill jobs and never given a
chance to further their education beyond high school. Yes, affirmative action just fills
quotas but without quotas an active of minorities would not be represented in the work
place. Women were given rights just like men. Without affirmative action women would be
still stuck at home doing nothing because of sexist men who do not think they can do the
same job as men can. Through affirmative action they had high jobs where they were
guaranteed the same high wages and benefits as male co-workers. 
More important, affirmative action raises the economy. More opportunities for minorities
and women in jobs and school would equal less poverty. Affirmative action brings
educational opportunities leading to job advancement and more productivity in industry.
As President Bill Clinton said, " When affirmative action is done right it is flexible,
it is fair, and it works." In support of affirmative action President Clinton also said,
"Affirmative action has produced a 
whole generation of professionals in fields that used to be exclusive clubs including
more Black, Hispanic, and Asian American lawyers, judges, scientists, engineers, and
accountants." Without affirmative action some jobs and education would not be open to
minorities and women which 
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could result in poverty and discrimination. Affirmative action is our only hope not only
in for equality in jobs and education but life itself. 
In conclusion, Affirmative Action is one of the most important and controversial social
issues of our time, and will continue to be questionable as long as it is part of our
legal system. Legal decisions regarding Affirmative Action are thrusting it towards
extinction, but its supporters will fight fiercely to reverse the trend, and it will be
interesting to observe the direction taken by the courts in the next few years.
Regardless of the outcome, Affirmative Action has revolutionized the way the population
views race, whether part of the majority or the minority.
Works Cited
Dundul,Tom. "Affirmative Action". Working Women Oct. 1995: 63-66.
Cyrus, Virgina. Experiencing Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. Second
Edition. 
Mayfield: Publishing Co. 1996.
Skylar, Holly. Chaos or Community? Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for bad Economics
Boston: South End Press. 1995.
Chappell, Kevin. "What they Don't Tell you about Affirmative Action" Ebony Aug. 1995: 
24-26. 
Bibliography
Works Cited
Dundul,Tom. "Affirmative Action". Working Women Oct. 1995: 63-66.
Cyrus, Virgina. Experiencing Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. Second
Edition. 
Mayfield: Publishing Co. 1996.
Skylar, Holly. Chaos or Community? Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for bad Economics
Boston: South End Press. 1995.
Chappell, Kevin. "What they Don't Tell you about Affirmative Action" Ebony Aug. 1995: 
24-26.