Affirmative+Action

Affirmative action was designed to provide women and majorities with jobs or Oppurtunities that had been denied to them in the past years. The various programs involved giving the members of some groups over others. Some of the groups that qualified for affirmative action, included women, racial and ethnic groups, as well as those who were physically, mentally, or emotionally disabled. Those who are at a disadvantage due to affirmative action are the white males.

Granting a preference on the basis of group identity rather than the actual merit of the individual goes against the traditional American ideal, but the use of affirmative action was used to make up for the past of the discrimination. In trying to issue affirmative action it also opens up a new form of discrimination called reverse discrimination. The many people who defend affirmative action recognize this problem but they insist that the only way to redress this unfair advantage that the majorities had over the minorities is to give those minorities the advantage in years to come. There are many arguments on how in the present day the white males may be at a disadvantage but the affirmative action supporters would argue the unfairness of how in the past the white male had the advantage.

After the act was passed, Johnson issued the Executive Order 11246, which required federal contractors to take “affirmative action” to make sure that the employment and treatment was fair among the minorities. The all-white and all-male schools all over the country under this act were required start accepting African Americans and women into their schools. One of the most basic forms is outreach which included programs that ere intended to introduce women and the minorities that were previously out of their reach.[|1][|2][|3]