Affirmative Action: A Necessary Step in Our Country's Attempt to Eradicate Racial Inequality

        Affirmative action will not abolish all of the racial inequalities in our country, yet it takes us one step closer towards achieving this goal. Affirmative action is a policy that seeks to redress past discrimination by ensuring equal opportunity for minorities in education or employment. In an ideal world, this action would be unnecessary - we would be able ignore race, as it determines absolutely nothing about an individual's intelligence or potential to succeed. However, because of our country's historical oppression of African-Americans and our institutionalized racism (which is unfortunately still present today), we must have a system that tries to minimalize the effects of our inherent societal inequalities.

         The challenge of every company and school in America is to select promising, capable people with a wide range of talents, experiences and backgrounds. Affirmative action aims to equalize opportunities and level the playing field for citizens of all races, and in so doing help institutions achieve these goals. In general, minorities come from more disadvantaged backgrounds - both economically and pedagogically. They may have the same natural intelligence or potential as someone with more advantages, yet they may not have had the same opportunities to realize their potential. Affirmative action allows institutions to consider a wide variety of factors in admission decisions, so they can attempt to give all candidates an equal chance (although the current system can by no means account for all of the inequalities that begin from birth and persist throughout the lifetime of many minority students in America). 

         There are already so many systems in our country that favor white citizens, whether actively or passively, so it is only fair to have one system that gives other citizens a shot. For example, legacy admissions, which is implemented in almost all of our country's higher institutions, indirectly favors the acceptance of white students. This system allows universities to look more favorably upon candidates whose parents attended the university. Most of these universities were "white-only" for a long period of time, so it is much less likely for African-American, Hispanic, or Asian parents, many of whom are immigrants, to have attended the university. This system perpetuates the "elite" culture of many selective institutions in the United States and leaves little room for racial or cultural diversity. If we are to continue with this practice, the very least we can do is continue with affirmative action as well, as the former is often said to have more say in admission decisions. 

       Some states have tried to eliminate affirmative action and have suffered from the repercussions of this decision. In 1996, in the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, the state of Michigan prohibited the use of gender and race based affirmative action by schools and government agencies. This legislation promised a completely colorblind approach. After this proposition was passed, Michigan became a much less diverse place - there were many less African-Americans at elite state universities and high-ranking jobs. This decline occurred not because there were no longer enough qualified African-Americans, but because they were not given as much of a chance to show their potential. California passed this same proposition, and again, the results were detrimental. After this proposition passed in California, black and Hispanic enrollment at California’s main elite schools sharply declined. 7.2 percent of the freshman class of Berkley, one of the most elite schools in California, was African-American or Hispanic before proposition 209 was passed. After it was passed, this percentage declined sharply to 3.2 percent. There were also declines in the number of minority and female staff on campuses and the amount of government contracts given to minority or female-owned businesses.
        

       Without affirmative action, true diversity may be unattainable. Many studies have shown that diversity in the workforce or in school leads to a richer and more beneficial learning experiences for people of all races. Our country can only make informed policies and decisions if all citizens are given a say. We must work to create socioeconomically, racially, and culturally diverse educational institutions and workplaces. Affirmative action is needed to build a bridge to a time in which its services will no longer be needed. In 2003, Sandra Day Connor wrote: “We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary.” Her estimate may be overly optimistic, as there are still many racial inequalities in our society that affirmative action cannot fully fix. According to the United States Census Bureau, minorities are twice as likely to born in poverty than are white citizens. They are are three times more likely to be convicted of drug violations. In my opinion, these blatant inequalities result from many of our nation's regressive laws and policies, or from the media's stereotypical representation of certain races. In order to create social justice, we must give everyone equal opportunities to achieve their goals. Affirmative action attempts to provide economic opportunities for qualified individuals who happen to belong to a race in the minority. 

         As Lyndon Johnson stated, "You do not take a person who has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him to the starting line and say you are free to compete with the others." Racial minorities are obviously as intellectually capable as racial majorities, yet years of inequality and racism have damaged their ability to compete fairly with other citizens. In addition, societal stereotypes and assumptions may have damaged their self-confidence or beliefs in their own potential. Affirmative action can show them and everyone else that skin color has no bearing whatsoever in regards to capability for success.