Affirmative Action

Although many efforts have been made to correct the societal wrongs created through the racist government policies of the past three centuries, cultural racism still pervades many functions of American society. Because opportunities for education and employment remain unequal for minority groups, the government must take progressive steps in order to level the playing field that has systematically advantaged white people over other races for centuries. One way of doing so would be to implement effective affirmative action programs to help eliminate the racism that both blatantly and covertly infiltrates the selective processes of institutions of higher education and employment.
It is no secret that the United States has a long history of systemic racial discrimination against minority groups, most significantly African Americans. From the nation’s foundation in slavery, to the Jim Crow era, to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, American politics have been inextricably tied to issues of racial injustice. Racist social values and government policies that repeatedly disregarded the needs of minority groups have disadvantaged millions of Americans, robbing them of the equal rights that were promised to them by law but never fulfilled in deed. Various studies have proven that covert or aversive racism still infiltrates the selective processes of institutions of employment and of higher education even when those in control of the selection do not see themselves as racist. Because racist ideology is so ingrained in our culture, many Americans have “internalized the espoused cultural values of fairness and justice for all at the same time that they have breathing the ‘smog’ of racial biases and stereotypes pervading popular culture” (Tatum 118). These deeply-rooted ideologies that are often unconsciously held are the target of affirmative action. The program is not intended to favor minorities over whites but to instead give them what the have been denied thus far: the structural “boost” needed to overcome the covert yet strong racial prejudices that inhibit their social progress.
Although many whites acknowledge the fact that racial and ethnic minorities are disadvantaged by the current system, many do not consider themselves to be a part of the advantaged group (even though this would be a logical deduction). This “white privilege” results in unearned benefits and freedoms for whites simply because they exist within a system that privileges whiteness (Wildman and Davis 96). Affirmative action looks to eliminate this white privilege that has disproportionately kept whites in positions of power. Even though already implemented affirmative action programs have shown an increase in the presence of African Americans and other minority groups on campuses and in work places, these groups remain underrepresented when considering their shares in the national population (Fischer and Massey). For this reason, more effective and inclusive affirmative action programs are needed. Without affirmative action ensuring that aversive racism does not affect the admissions or hiring process, white privilege is perpetuated and the racist social hierarchy remains intact. Effective affirmative action programs seek to challenge the “sense of entitlement that comes as a result of privileges given and received without notice” (Tatum 126). By racially diversifying institutions of higher education and employment, members of minority groups will finally obtain the opportunity to change the current racist social structure and eradicate the unearned advantages whites currently hold.
In order to understand the need for affirmative action programs, it is necessary to remember that minority groups have never had a truly equal opportunity to gain the resources whites have enjoyed throughout America’s history. When introducing affirmative action for the first time, Lyndon B. Johnson said, “Ability is not just a product of birth… [it] is stretched or stunted by the family that you live with, and the neighborhood you live in – by the school you go to and the poverty or richness of your surroundings.” Because racial prejudice limits the opportunities of minority groups throughout their lives, they are already at a disadvantage upon entering college and the job market. Affirmative action programs that have genuine intentions of diversifying the places in which we become responsible citizens can help reduce the effects of this limited opportunity and help achieve the racial equality the United States has always lacked.

Works Cited

Fischer, Mary J. and Douglas S. Massey. “The effects of affirmative action in higher education.” Social Science Research, June 2007.

Johnson, Lyndon B. Speech. Howard University. 4 Jan. 1965.

Tatum, Beverly. “White Identity and Affirmative Action.” “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” and Other Conversations About Race. Basic Books: 1997. pp. 114-128.

Wildman, Stephanie M. and Adrienne D. Davis. “Making Systems of Privilege Visible.” White Privilege by Paula S. Rothenberg. New York: Worth Publishers, 2005.