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Affirmative Action

The focus of this paper is on the history of affirmative action and its relevance to our society. Affirmative action focuses on the importance of equality and equal opportunity among all people in terms of education and employment. In coordination with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunities Act of 1972, the affirmative action policy was submitted by federal agencies. Is it not true that ethnic minorities do not have the same opportunities in life as whites, and that women should be entitled to the same opportunities as men? This act is only a means to help the less advantaged members of our society. In this case the less advantage would be those of color and women (www.infoplease.com).
The words "affirmative action" were first pronounced by President Lyndon Johnson' Executive Order 11246 of 1965 which requires 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"(The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). In 1967, Johnson expanded the Executive Order to include affirmative action requirements to benefit women and in 1972 affirmative action was implemented for college admission. So originally "affirmative action" was a policy supposed to ensure equal opportunities for every citizen in the fields of employment and education. Initially "affirmative action" was synonymous with color-blindness.
The need for affirmative action was a concept noticed in 1865 during the passages of the Civil War amendments. During those years our country was still practicing in slavery and wrongful treatment of the black race. While blacks were being forced to comply to the rules of slavery, many individuals were denied their rights to food, clothing, shelter, employment, education and many other wants and/or needs. Similar acts such as these over time lead the law of affirmative action. Over the years,...