Affirmative Action Then vs. Now - 4130 Words

Affirmative Action: Then vs. Now In the 1960s when minorities and whites were equal according to the constitution but unequal in reality, a program was needed to level the playing field. Thus the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was created and prohibited discrimination. It marked the beginning of a debate that has been going on for nearly a half of a century. Affirmative action needs to be reevaluated in educational settings in light of current needs. The words affirmative action were first recorded in law in the year 1961 under the presidency of John F. Kennedy. Congress passed Executive Order 10925 instructing federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color,†¦show more content†¦The two-track system was ruled illegal, so the University of Michigan adopted the point system, which was also rejected in 2003 when the Supreme Court ruled that unconstitutional as well. Ms. Gratz applied with a GPA of 3.8 and an ACT score in the 94th perc entile. Patrick Hamacher applied with a GPA of 3.0 and an ACT of 28. They were both turned down and went elsewhere to college. The two-track system is used on applications to decide where the emphasis is placed when considered for admissions. There are two boxes on in the application. If applicants check the first box, then the school will give most consideration to their GPAs and test scores. If they check the second box, the school will give more weight to the applicants experiences and accomplishments. The second box was designed to help blacks and Hispanics, but whites can choose it too. Rutgers came up with this system in order to try and maintain minority enrollment of one-third without engendering resentment of white applicants. The two-track system is used to deemphasize grades and test scores and favor other attributes. Instead of outright favoritism towards minorities, the application shows whether or not a student has overcome economic or cultural disadvantages, and the admissions office looks specifically for thoseShow MoreRelatedRacial Inequality And Affirmative Action900 Words   |  4 PagesCollege is a privilege that is now accessible to many people. It has not always been this way though. Lack of money, being deprived of representation, or racism hindered one’s chances in to getting into higher education, especially a minority’s chance. In order to raise against the barriers, President John F. Kennedy created the affirmative action program to provide equal opportunities for everyone, whether in education or in the workforce. Even if this was a program created in the 1960’s, problemsRead MoreAffirmative Action : The United States956 Words   |  4 PagesAffirmative Action Affirmative Action has been around for many decades from around the 1940s. 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Kennedy perhaps created one of the most heavily debated policies today, his Affirmative Action Policy. Affirmative action is defined as, â€Å"the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc.† (â€Å"Definition of AFFIRMATIVE† 1). The definition itself is vague and openRead MoreEssay on Affirmative Acti on855 Words   |  4 PagesAffirmative Action Is It Really A-Firm-Action? What is affirmative action? This has been a very interesting question throughout the past thirty years. Many people would like to answer it with simply the name given to programs that try to correct past and ongoing discriminations against women, racial minorities, and others in the work force and in education. Affirmative action was created out of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 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If you are amenity applying for a job and there are other people that are applying as well then you will be considered for the job over one of the other people, even if they have more experience. It is not only for jobs, it is also