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What is Affirmative Action
this law, affirmative action has been a heated debate.
The intent of affirmative action programs was to level the playing field for minorities and eliminate discrimination in employment practices. However the opposition believes that affirmative action programs are not carrying out there purpose. The assumption of the opposition is that there is no need for affirmative action programs because the wrongdoings that have happened in the past no longer impact the lives of minorities in the present, discrimination and prejudice has long been extinct in America, and that affirmative action causes tension between different groups of people. Despite the critics I believe affirmative action programs have been, and still are necessary in today’s society making sure minorities have access to equal opportunities available in business. Affirmative action has the potential to shape the face of corporations throughout America. Also, affirmative action programs have proven that they are efficient instruments for correcting the injustices that have happened in the pass and are still effecting the lives of minorities today, constantly working on the endless task of eliminating the bias that has permeated business, and providing multiple benefits for the corporate working environment.
Affirmative action corrects the injustices that have occurred in the past, which are still affecting minorities today. The opposition, on the other hand, believes that there is no need for affirmative action programs today because the injustices that happened to minorities in the past no longer have an impact on the lives of minorities in the present and there is nothing to correct. Proponents of affirmative action argue that the past discrimination of minorities that went on for so many years in America has still held down the present generation of past-oppressed generations of minorities in so many parts of American society. It would be impossible for such long standing discrimination to cease carrying out its objective, which was unrelenting affliction on minorities, because humans are very impressionable and take what they are taught very seriously whether it be religious teachings or discriminatory teachings. Paul L. Watchel says “It is important to be clear that confronting the surplus resistance that such a rationale evokes is unnecessary, and unnecessary precisely because the impact of the past injustices is a pervasively evident in the present” (252). Over the years, the evils of the past have loomed a dark cloud over the relationship between minorities and business. Affirmative action is the answer for neutralizing the negative discrimination that as held back minorities in various aspects of society, including business. By leveling the playing field, affirmative action will eventually open up more opportunities, which in turn will expose minorities to knowledge of business they had no experiences with previously. Fate J. Crossly and Susan D. Clayton quote “ Affirmative action can be defined as attempts [next page]