Affirmative Action In The United States: Evolution And Debate

The Civil War liberated African Americans from slavery, but did not give them genuine equality. Their continued struggle for fairness and equity led to Americans'awareness of the injustice of discrimination which was in conflict with the ideals embodied in the American dream. In the mid 1960s, the U.S. government started the affirmative action programs to compensate for past discrimination by giving some preferential treatment to minorities and women in the fields of employment, education and federal contracting. During the last four decades, various presidential administrations gave different definitions of affirmative action and its rationale. Accordingly, they established, expanded, and then diminished the policy. Federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, also changed affirmative action by their rulings.The preferential measures have had some effect in improving the social and economic status of minorities, women and other disadvantaged people. But during the past forty years, debates on affirmative action never stopped. People have been arguing about the legality, necessity and effectiveness of the policy. In recent years, the debates are intensifying and some states have even banned all or part of affirmative action programs. Alternatives to race- and gender-based affirmative action are sought. Some proposed class-based affirmative action. Americans think that it may avoid the sensitive issues of race and gender by giving preferences based on socioeconomic backgrounds. And in states where affirmative action programs are banned, percentage plans are being implemented in college admissions, intending to enhance opportunities for the underrepresented citizens. Both class-based affirmation action and percentage plans are consistent with race- and gender-based affirmative action in the ultimate goal of promoting equal opportunity by favoring people who are lagging behind and deserve additional help. But neither is proved as effective as, or more effective than, race- and gender-based affirmative action.As racial and gender discrimination still exists in the United States, racial and sexual disparity is still an unarguable fact there, it might not be reasonable to eliminate race- and gender-based affirmative action in a haste. In order to reach an ideal color- and gender-blind society, it might be better for Americans to retain race- and gender-conscious policies yet at the same time trying to"mend"them.