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Affirmative
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Affirmative action, the term generally used for programs that seek to redress discrimination by granting members of minority groups (as well as women) preferential treatment in education, employment, and business, continues to provoke controversy more than a quarter century after it began in the late 1960s. As a result of these programs, many individuals have gained access to opportunities previously denied them. Some opponents, however, claim that affirmative action is "reverse discrimination"-that it deprives equally qualified whites (some of whom are poor and deserving) of the opportunities it gives to members of minority groups. Others--including some members of minority groups--say that affirmative action inevitably creates the impression, both among whites and in the beneficiaries' own minds, that they cannot qualify for good jobs and education on their own merits. In the long run, the critics say, affirmative action does as much harm as the original injustices that made this policy necessary. Recently, the courts have sent a mixed message concerning preferential treatment of minorities, upholding some specific affirmative action laws and ruling against others. These rulings virtually guarantee that affirmative action policies, such as the use of race as a factor in college admissions and the establishment of requiring banks to lend money to minority borrowers, will continue to be the cause of heated disputes and continuing litigation.
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Read the essays "How the Pot Got to Call the Kettle Black" by Stanley Fish and "A Negative Vote on Affirmative Action" by Shelby Steele.
The Affirmative Action and Diversity Project: A Web Page for Research
A nonpartisan academic resource page administered by the Department of English at the University of California at Santa Barbara that provides links to articles, Web sites, and other resources on both sides of the affirmative action debate.
An Affirmative Action Manual
A thorough guide to affirmative action written in response to California's Proposition 209, passed in 1996, which bans affirmative action in the state.
The Future of Affirmative Action: Reclaiming the Innovative Ideal
An article from the California Law Review arguing for a system of job selection and admission to academic institution that is fairer to disadvantaged people of all races and both genders than the current laws allow.
Affirmative Action Information Center
A site run by the Feminist Majority Foundation with fact sheets and other resources on affirmative action as it relates to women's issues.
Harding v. Gray
An account of a 1993 court case in which an employee sued his employer, claiming he had been a victim of reverse discrimination.
Naked Racial Preference: The Case against Affirmative Action
A selection from Carl Cohen's 1995 book, which argues strongly against affirmative action.
Americans United for Affirmative Action
The homepage of an organization devoted to fighting for affirmative action. Includes extensive historical background as well as links to current topics of debate.
Affirmative Action
A page of links to various articles and Web sites on the topic of affirmative action.
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