Affirmative Affirmative ActionAction

Beth GottmanBeth Gottman

Kelly LynchKelly Lynch

Jill MalieJill Malie

IntroductionIntroduction What is Affirmative What is Affirmative

Action?Action?

Definition: A set of Definition: A set of policies that seeks to policies that seeks to

correct past correct past discrimination discrimination

through measures to through measures to ensure equal ensure equal

opportunity for opportunity for everyone.everyone.

What is affirmative action’s What is affirmative action’s intended purpose?intended purpose?

It helps to eliminate It helps to eliminate discrimination against:discrimination against:

WomenWomen MinoritiesMinorities

Aged personsAged persons Gays & LesbiansGays & Lesbians

DisabledDisabled Low-IncomeLow-Income

Religious DifferencesReligious Differences

How does this pertain to How does this pertain to education?education?

It helps mostly with higher education It helps mostly with higher education (university admissions) opportunities (university admissions) opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable that would otherwise be unavailable to the unfortunate and the to the unfortunate and the oppressed. oppressed.

History of Affirmative History of Affirmative ActionAction Where did it all Where did it all

start?start? 1954: Brown v. 1954: Brown v. Board of Education Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas of Topeka, Kansas

called for called for mandatory mandatory

desegregation of desegregation of public schools in public schools in the United Statesthe United States

History ContinuedHistory Continued

Brown prompted the equal Brown prompted the equal opportunity ideals that would later opportunity ideals that would later materialize into affirmative action.materialize into affirmative action.

Brown prompted the Civil Rights Brown prompted the Civil Rights protests during the latter 1950s and protests during the latter 1950s and through the 1960s.through the 1960s.

Timeline of the Timeline of the Development of Affirmative Development of Affirmative

ActionAction March 1961- President March 1961- President John F. Kennedy issues John F. Kennedy issues Executive Order 10925, Executive Order 10925, which states that hiring which states that hiring practices should not practices should not include racial bias.include racial bias.

1964- Civil Rights Act is 1964- Civil Rights Act is passed that disallows passed that disallows discrimination in voting, discrimination in voting, education, employment, education, employment, and public facilities.and public facilities.

Timeline ContinuedTimeline Continued July 1964- President July 1964- President

Lyndon Johnson issues Lyndon Johnson issues Executive Order Executive Order 11246, which involves 11246, which involves employers taking employers taking “affirmative action” “affirmative action” when hiring minorities.when hiring minorities.

1967- The above order 1967- The above order is amended to include is amended to include women.women.

Timeline ContinuedTimeline Continued June 1978- University June 1978- University

of California v. Bakke of California v. Bakke arises as one of the arises as one of the first “reverse first “reverse discrimination” cases.discrimination” cases.

The Supreme upheld The Supreme upheld the affirmative action the affirmative action intentions, but ruled intentions, but ruled quotas at the quotas at the university university unconstitutional.unconstitutional.

Timeline ContinuedTimeline Continued February 1987- United February 1987- United

States v. Paradise which States v. Paradise which overturns the ban on overturns the ban on quotas first determined quotas first determined in the Bakke case.in the Bakke case.

July 1995- President Bill July 1995- President Bill Clinton issues new Clinton issues new guidelines for practices guidelines for practices of affirmative action.of affirmative action.

Timeline ContinuedTimeline Continued March 1996- Hopwood March 1996- Hopwood

v. University of Texas v. University of Texas Law School suspended Law School suspended the affirmative action the affirmative action program at the program at the university. This university. This established that established that “educational diversity is “educational diversity is not recognized as a not recognized as a compelling state compelling state interest in Texas.”interest in Texas.”

Timeline ContinuedTimeline Continued November 1997- Proposition 209 is November 1997- Proposition 209 is

created in California that bans all forms created in California that bans all forms of affirmative action practices.of affirmative action practices.

December 1998- Initiative 200 is enacted December 1998- Initiative 200 is enacted in Washington DC, which also bans in Washington DC, which also bans affirmative action practices.affirmative action practices.

December 2000- Supreme Court decides December 2000- Supreme Court decides that race can be used in admission that race can be used in admission standards for universities.standards for universities.

As It Stands TodayAs It Stands Today

In June of 2003 the Supreme Court In June of 2003 the Supreme Court has ruled that race and ethnicity can has ruled that race and ethnicity can be a be a contributingcontributing factor to university factor to university admissions, but it cannot be the admissions, but it cannot be the deciding deciding factor.factor.

Pros of Pros of Affirmative Affirmative

ActionAction Diversity in schools is highly valued as a quality learning Diversity in schools is highly valued as a quality learning

environmentenvironment Students at a disadvantage will have little trouble with entering Students at a disadvantage will have little trouble with entering

universitiesuniversities It helps draw people into areas of study they might never It helps draw people into areas of study they might never

considerconsider Stereotypes will be broken downStereotypes will be broken down It helps compensate minorities for centuries of mistreatment It helps compensate minorities for centuries of mistreatment

Cons of Affirmative Cons of Affirmative ActionAction It leads to reverse discriminationIt leads to reverse discrimination

It lowers standards of accountability for It lowers standards of accountability for students and employees to perform betterstudents and employees to perform better

Students admitted on the basis of Students admitted on the basis of affirmative action are often ill-equipped to affirmative action are often ill-equipped to handle schoolhandle school

It is condescending to minorities to say they It is condescending to minorities to say they need helpneed help

It demeans the minority spirit of success It demeans the minority spirit of success being defined as hard work and ability vs. being defined as hard work and ability vs. that a person got to where they are in life that a person got to where they are in life because of affirmative actionbecause of affirmative action

Does affirmative action Does affirmative action really work?really work?

Black students admitted to UC-Berkeley WITH affirmative action (1997)

598

Black students admitted to UC-Berkeley WITHOUT affirmative action (1998)

255

Does affirmative action Does affirmative action really work?really work?

Hispanic students admitted to UC-Berkeley WITH affirmative action (1997)

1411

Hispanic students admitted to UC-Berkeley WITHOUT affirmative action (1998)

852

Wright State StatisticsWright State Statistics

According to head of the affirmative According to head of the affirmative action department: Juanita Wehrle-action department: Juanita Wehrle-Einhorn, Ph.D.Einhorn, Ph.D.

Students of color has increased from Students of color has increased from 8% in 1984 to 13% in 20048% in 1984 to 13% in 2004

Faculty members of color has Faculty members of color has increased from 9% in 1984 to 16% in increased from 9% in 1984 to 16% in

2004 2004

Ongoing DebateOngoing Debate Affirmative has always been a hotbed of Affirmative has always been a hotbed of

debate and will likely continue to be.debate and will likely continue to be. ““Blacks have a 375 year history on this Blacks have a 375 year history on this

continent: 245 involving slavery, 100 continent: 245 involving slavery, 100 involving legalized discrimination, and only involving legalized discrimination, and only

30 involving anything else.”- historian 30 involving anything else.”- historian Roger Wilkins (1994)Roger Wilkins (1994)

““As equality increases, so does the As equality increases, so does the number of people struggling for number of people struggling for

predominance.”- Mason Cooley (1988)predominance.”- Mason Cooley (1988)

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