Affirmative action, as we have known it, is probably dead. Good riddance. For the past quarter of a century, many blacks have looked to affirmative action, despite its shortcomings, as a symbol of America's longdenied promise of racial equality. But its original purpose, as a means to help compensate African-Americans for slavery and its racist legacy, has long since been … [Read more...] about Affirmative Action, R.I.P.
Affirmative Action: Why Bosses Like It
Corning, a small town in upstate New York, used to be about as multicultural as an episode of "I Love Lucy." In the past decade, however, it has made enormous efforts to immerse itself in the melting pot, getting hooked up to a black-oriented cable channel, bringing in a black hairdressing business (which has recently decamped) and instituting a "diversity awareness" program in … [Read more...] about Affirmative Action: Why Bosses Like It
“Reaffirm the Affirmative” by Max Frankel (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
By Max Frankel (Click here to view the entire P&R issue) ... To reward people for something beyond merit is as American as apple pie. Universities routinely bend a bit to admit the children of alumni, acknowledging with a wink that this fosters loyalty and annual contributions. Few objected when "diversity" in a Northern college meant saving a few places for Southern or … [Read more...] about “Reaffirm the Affirmative” by Max Frankel (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
“Affirmative Action, by Another Name” by Steven A. Holmes (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
By Steven A. Holmes (Click here to view the entire P&R issue) "Simply telling a defendant to go forth and sin no more does little or nothing to address the unfair advantage it has already gained," Judge Sporkin said recently, in declaring that the settlement did little to help Microsoft's competitors catch up. They had been the victims of what the Justice Department said … [Read more...] about “Affirmative Action, by Another Name” by Steven A. Holmes (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
“The Presumption of Stupidity: Affirmative Action, Occupational Apartheid” by Brent Staples (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
By Brent Staples (Click here to view the entire P&R issue) .... It is absurd to argue, as many critics do, that affirmative action has placed African-Americans under suspicion of incompetence, by propelling them into positions they do not rightly deserve. Bred into this country's bones, the presumption that blacks are inherently less "qualified" would be a driving force … [Read more...] about “The Presumption of Stupidity: Affirmative Action, Occupational Apartheid” by Brent Staples (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
