AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Affirmative action is a government policy that allows minorities to be given a privilege over other races in terms of schooling and jobs. Since separate but equal schools were not the solution, combined but equal privilege is the alternative. This idea derived from past racial tensions that made it hard for students of minorities/the underrepresented population to succeed.For example, if 2 students (1 of African descent and one of European descent) both apply to the same school with the same grades and qualifications, the student of African descent would get the spot in that school. This does not mean that there are quotas in the system regulating the amount of minorities in a certain environment. In fact quotas cause huge arguments and debates ("U.S. Supreme Court..."). See timeline for more details about cases such as Bakke vs. University of California at Davis and the argument which led up to affirmative action quota arguments ("Affirmative Action"). A public university has to uphold affirmative action in order to receive government funding. Affirmative Action should not specifically be used to protect minorities but to protect those who are in bad socio-economic status and need help. If Affirmative Action is helping a certain minority group to get a job - at the same time it might be pushing another group away. There is a gray area between giving equal opportunity rights.Just because someone is a different skin tone does not mean they should get privilege over another color. They should get help if they truly need it, based on their needs. Yes there is still racism today, but it occurs within different groups, not necessarily based on ancient history. If there is higher racial profiling among certain individuals/groups, those groups should get privileges too. Overall privileges should be given to those who need it based on socio-economic status, and if the majority of this group is a certain skin color, so be it, but it should not be based solely on the color of their skin.
Download the files below to listen to student interviews and their opinions on race & quotas
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Click here to be redirected to a page with another student interview
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To the right is a broader explanation of how Affirmative Action works overtime (starting from around mid 1950s).
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Image Citations:
Affirmative Action Ethnicity or Class. Wheel Debates: In Favor of Affirmative
Action. The Emory Wheel, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 27 May 2014.
<http://www.emorywheel.com/wheel-debates-in-favor-of-affirmative-action/>.
Video Citations:
Williamsburg, Colonial. Colonial Williamsburg's Nutshell History: Affirmatively
Action-Packe. YouTube. N.p., 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 May 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6E1RPtQLfA>.
Affirmative Action Ethnicity or Class. Wheel Debates: In Favor of Affirmative
Action. The Emory Wheel, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 27 May 2014.
<http://www.emorywheel.com/wheel-debates-in-favor-of-affirmative-action/>.
Video Citations:
Williamsburg, Colonial. Colonial Williamsburg's Nutshell History: Affirmatively
Action-Packe. YouTube. N.p., 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 May 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6E1RPtQLfA>.