FREE ESSAY ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Affirmative Action
Affirmative action has been the subject of increasing debate and tension in American
society. Affirmative action is the nation's most ambitious attempt to redress the issues
of racial and sexual discrimination. According to the University of Rhode Island,
Affirmative action is defined as, the specific actions in recruitment, hiring, upgrading
and other areas designed and taken for the purpose of eliminating the present effects of
past discrimination, or present discrimination (www.riuniversity.edu , 8). This allows
minorities and women to be given special consideration in education and many other areas.
The need for affirmative action is essential to college admissions credentials.
Institutions with affirmative action policies generally set goals for increased diversity
and equal opportunity among minority students.
Our society is not one of equality, but affirmative action provides a way that problems
with inequality can be address to the public. Minorities such as African-Americans,
Asians, and Hispanics live mostly in urban areas that have large populations. Therefore,
many minorities normally attend lower quality schools. Colleges usually do not take into
account that students come from different backgrounds and different quality schools. The
students that have better intermediate and secondary schools have an advantage in college
admissions, which exclude many minorities. Affirmative action helps students who come
from a lower quality secondary school to have a chance to prove themselves in accredited
college. 
Another advantage of affirmative action is that it provides an environment of diversity.
Diversity is essential to colleges and students. As part of higher education, students
learn from face-to-face interaction with faculty member and other students to work
productively inside and outside the classroom. Racial diversity can enhance college 
atmosphere by improving communications. It can also develop understanding among
individuals of different races. Affirmative action can help students overcome prejudices
when students discover just how much they have in common with their peers from other
races. The educational benefit of affirmative action is that majority of the students who
has previously lack significant direct exposure to minorities, frequently have the most
to gain from interaction with individuals. Diversity on college and university campuses
may be something that helps people expand their mind, or be open to new opportunities. In
the article "Needed" documentation of how affirmative action benefits all students, it
discusses how it is essential t colleges and students to have minorities on the campuses
(6). In the section, The Evidence for Diversity: Then and Now, it states:
In Justice Powell's opinion, Baake relied heavily on the Harvard Plan. The admissions
policy of Harvard College include justification for considering race as one of many
factors used in deciding whom to admit. The plan stated that "of Harvard College is to
continue to offer first rate education to its students, minority representation in the
undergraduate body would be ignored (2).
Justice Powell went on to support diversity plan, which was in 1978. I the seventies, the
same things were happening as it is today. People were fighting to have their race or
someone else's as a factor in college admissions. Although this happened at Harvard in
1978, it continues today all over the United States. The article goes on to state that
twenty years later much has changed, yet we still rely on anecdotal evidence to support
the claim that a racially diverse student body is essential to quality education (2).
Affirmative action dealing with college is still trying to make campuses a more diverse
place with a racially diverse student body. Admitting someone into college or a 
university because they are smart, not only gives them a chance to be someone, but it
also allows that campus to be diversified.
In the article, "Diversity Fades on Campus," it says "schools routinely make 
exceptions for jocks, the children of big donors and alumni, and friends of power
brokers. 
So why shouldn't these same schools be allowed to make exceptions for minority 
students." Minority students need the same advantages as jocks or students of big 
donors to have an equal opportunity in school. Affirmative action gives the same 
exceptions that some students who aren't minorities receive t get into college.
According to Jackie Snow in the article " The Positive Aspects of Affirmative Action" the
author states that minority and women remain economically disadvantage. Also it points
out that the average women with a master degree earns the same amount of as the average
men with an associates degree (42).
When you hear about things like this, it makes minority feel like equality is something
we will never reach. This maybe why in the past twenty-five years, the rate of students
entering college dropped by 25% less than that of whites, and for Hispanics 49%.
There are many people who don't see affirmative action as a positive thing and would like
to see it eliminated. People need to realize that thirty years of affirmative action is
not enough time solve all of history's problem. Affirmative action has progressed
significantly in helping the problem of racial inequality in America. Affirmative action
is something society needs to support, until better and more effective plans are
proposed.
People who are against affirmative action, have their opinion for not wanting it. The
argument of being for and being against affirmative action is going to keep growing
larger and larger until the battle to keep it will never end. There two good sides to
this controversy. Being for it holds so many positive points for society and making
better. Minorities can have a better chance of getting into a top college and
universities. The side of being against affirmative action has some useful opinions
because some people feel that society doesn't need to be changed. Also they feel that
affirmative action will injure white men and violate their rights and feel that
nondiscrimination will achieve our social goals and that stronger affirmative action is
unnecessary. Everyone deserves a chance to do something and be someone. Getting admitted
into college maybe the step that minorities need to feel that we can reach equality. The
minority race has always been looked down upon and though this won't solve the problem,
it will help reach that goal.
As a minority in today's society, I am for affirmative action and at the same time
against it. I support the idea that affirmative action will benefit a college community
by making it more diverse. If you look at the statistics and attitudes of people, this
provides a powerful evidence of intractable discrimination against women and minorities.
I don't feel that affirmative action can be used to solve the problem from the past. I
feel that affirmative action is a positive aim but should not be used to justify
equality. Until the day 100% of minorities can say they aren't being discriminated
against, affirmative action should continue.
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action has been the subject of increasing debate and tension in American
society. Affirmative action is the nation's most ambitious attempt to redress the issues
of racial and sexual discrimination. According to the University of Rhode Island,
Affirmative action is defined as, the specific actions in recruitment, hiring, upgrading
and other areas designed and taken for the purpose of eliminating the present effects of
past discrimination, or present discrimination (www.riuniversity.edu , 8). This allows
minorities and women to be given special consideration in education and many other areas.
The need for affirmative action is essential to college admissions credentials.
Institutions with affirmative action policies generally set goals for increased diversity
and equal opportunity among minority students.
Our society is not one of equality, but affirmative action provides a way that problems
with inequality can be address to the public. Minorities such as African-Americans,
Asians, and Hispanics live mostly in urban areas that have large populations. Therefore,
many minorities normally attend lower quality schools. Colleges usually do not take into
account that students come from different backgrounds and different quality schools. The
students that have better intermediate and secondary schools have an advantage in college
admissions, which exclude many minorities. Affirmative action helps students who come
from a lower quality secondary school to have a chance to prove themselves in accredited
college. 
Another advantage of affirmative action is that it provides an environment of diversity.
Diversity is essential to colleges and students. As part of higher education, students
learn from face-to-face interaction with faculty member and other students to work
productively inside and outside the classroom. Racial diversity can enhance college 
atmosphere by improving communications. It can also develop understanding among
individuals of different races. Affirmative action can help students overcome prejudices
when students discover just how much they have in common with their peers from other
races. The educational benefit of affirmative action is that majority of the students who
has previously lack significant direct exposure to minorities, frequently have the most
to gain from interaction with individuals. Diversity on college and university campuses
may be something that helps people expand their mind, or be open to new opportunities. In
the article "Needed" documentation of how affirmative action benefits all students, it
discusses how it is essential t colleges and students to have minorities on the campuses
(6). In the section, The Evidence for Diversity: Then and Now, it states:
In Justice Powell's opinion, Baake relied heavily on the Harvard Plan. The admissions
policy of Harvard College include justification for considering race as one of many
factors used in deciding whom to admit. The plan stated that "of Harvard College is to
continue to offer first rate education to its students, minority representation in the
undergraduate body would be ignored (2).
Justice Powell went on to support diversity plan, which was in 1978. I the seventies, the
same things were happening as it is today. People were fighting to have their race or
someone else's as a factor in college admissions. Although this happened at Harvard in
1978, it continues today all over the United States. The article goes on to state that
twenty years later much has changed, yet we still rely on anecdotal evidence to support
the claim that a racially diverse student body is essential to quality education (2).
Affirmative action dealing with college is still trying to make campuses a more diverse
place with a racially diverse student body. Admitting someone into college or a 
university because they are smart, not only gives them a chance to be someone, but it
also allows that campus to be diversified.
In the article, "Diversity Fades on Campus," it says "schools routinely make 
exceptions for jocks, the children of big donors and alumni, and friends of power
brokers. 
So why shouldn't these same schools be allowed to make exceptions for minority 
students." Minority students need the same advantages as jocks or students of big 
donors to have an equal opportunity in school. Affirmative action gives the same 
exceptions that some students who aren't minorities receive t get into college.
According to Jackie Snow in the article " The Positive Aspects of Affirmative Action" the
author states that minority and women remain economically disadvantage. Also it points
out that the average women with a master degree earns the same amount of as the average
men with an associates degree (42).
When you hear about things like this, it makes minority feel like equality is something
we will never reach. This maybe why in the past twenty-five years, the rate of students
entering college dropped by 25% less than that of whites, and for Hispanics 49%.
There are many people who don't see affirmative action as a positive thing and would like
to see it eliminated. People need to realize that thirty years of affirmative action is
not enough time solve all of history's problem. Affirmative action has progressed
significantly in helping the problem of racial inequality in America. Affirmative action
is something society needs to support, until better and more effective plans are
proposed.
People who are against affirmative action, have their opinion for not wanting it. The
argument of being for and being against affirmative action is going to keep growing
larger and larger until the battle to keep it will never end. There two good sides to
this controversy. Being for it holds so many positive points for society and making
better. Minorities can have a better chance of getting into a top college and
universities. The side of being against affirmative action has some useful opinions
because some people feel that society doesn't need to be changed. Also they feel that
affirmative action will injure white men and violate their rights and feel that
nondiscrimination will achieve our social goals and that stronger affirmative action is
unnecessary. Everyone deserves a chance to do something and be someone. Getting admitted
into college maybe the step that minorities need to feel that we can reach equality. The
minority race has always been looked down upon and though this won't solve the problem,
it will help reach that goal.
As a minority in today's society, I am for affirmative action and at the same time
against it. I support the idea that affirmative action will benefit a college community
by making it more diverse. If you look at the statistics and attitudes of people, this
provides a powerful evidence of intractable discrimination against women and minorities.
I don't feel that affirmative action can be used to solve the problem from the past. I
feel that affirmative action is a positive aim but should not be used to justify
equality. Until the day 100% of minorities can say they aren't being discriminated
against, affirmative action should continue.