Affirmative Action

What is affirmative action? The dictionary defines it as "a policy or program that seeks to reduce past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment."

Affirmative action was directed years ago, starting with an executive order, released by President Johnson that required federal contractors to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." Later, President Johnson expanded the order to include affirmative action to help woman as well.

Affirmative action has been a topic of debate for many years now. Many people believe that affirmative action is discrimination in itself. Many people suggest that white men are now being discriminated against and that affirmative action has done its job and needs to be put to an end. This is untrue. White males and women have benefited more than minorities in hiring and admission to universities. White men have benefited at veterans as well as disabled and people over 40. White women have been the largest beneficiaries in both hiring and acceptance into universities than in the past.

Affirmative action endorses equal opportunity for all in competing for jobs, education and training. It has also helped to stop favoritism and nepotism in the workplace. Instead of the CEO of a company hiring someone they know, like their son or daughter, son-in-law, best friend and so on, they must hire someone who has the basic skills and training to perform the job. Federal law now requires opportunities for jobs, scholarships, training and advancement to be advertised. This prevents job opportunities from being only available through family and friends, keeping minorities clueless.

Before, many minorities were prohibited from hiring pools because they didn't have the proper qualifications that were needed for the job. Most of the qualifications that employers wanted were not even related to the job requirements. Affirmative action has now made it illegal to have these types of "qualifications" in order to get the job. It has also made it mandatory that in choosing who would be hired for the position should be a person of color when past discrimination has resulted in white people receiving special treatment.

Affirmative action does not prevent people who are better qualified to do a job from being hired. People are not always hired based on their qualifications in the first place. A male employer could hire a female, simply based on her looks and personality. Another employer could hire someone purely because they are family, or a close friend, not necessarily based on the fact that they are well qualified for that particular job. Affirmative action basically makes sure that qualified people are hired for positions they normally wouldn't be considered for because

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