Essay on Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action: A Strategy for Equal Opportunities

Affirmative action was a strategy designed to guarantee that everyone would receive an equal chance at success in life. It is a policy that got its start largely as a result of African Americans’ civil rights struggles in the 1960s (Dobbin, 2011). It is true that there have been difficulties in putting the policy into practice, and racism still exists. But it was the first sincere effort to address discriminatory issues as well as other fundamental challenges in American culture. This policy has been effective as can be evidenced by the numerous examples of thousands of women, people of color, and other minorities who had previously been excluded from opportunities for an education or jobs but can now gain access. Access to such opportunities and other gains have led to very real changes in the lives of such groups of people. Despite these apparent gains, the debate whether it is necessary rages on.

Criticisms of Affirmative Action

Critics of affirmative action contend that it actually promotes reverse discrimination rather than fight the vice. The US constitution states that all people are equal, but the policy justifies discrimination of non-minorities based on past discrimination of minority groups (Katznelson, 2006). Another claim is that it promotes stereotypes and racism because of the notion that certain groups cannot perform at the same level without preferential treatment. Minority leaders also argue that the policy turns people into victims. Some people who expect special treatment tend to behave like it is their right and this hinders progress as it alienates minorities from the rest of the society.

Arguments in Support of Affirmative Action

The most prevalent argument in support of affirmative action is that minorities are disadvantaged because most opportunities are closed to whites. Supporters of the policy cite the fact that minorities are still underrepresented in the white collar jobs and institutions of higher learning as proof of this. A further argument is that laws passed as a result of the civil right movements did not address important issues of inequality but only hid them (Kellough, 2008). Pro-affirmative action crusaders also argue that diversity has many benefits for society as a whole. It is my opinion that the policy should continue until there is equal representation in all spheres of the society for only then, would the scars of past historical injustices and inequality have been dealt with.

References

Dobbin, F. (2011). Inventing equal opportunity (1st ed.). Princeton: Princeton Univ Press.

Katznelson, I. (2006). When affirmative action was white (1st ed.). New York: W.W. Norton.

Kellough, J. (2008). Understanding affirmative action (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.