Affirmative Action The Education System And Job Market

Growing up, most people were told to try their hardest to succeed in life and achieve the goals they set for themselves. Adults often told students to study often and work hard for high grades so they could later be admitted to the college of their choice. However, once the program affirmative action was instilled into universities around the nation, it set different qualifications for minority applicants and assigned points based off race. With these new criteria instigated, people saw the program as alluding to the notion that if you came from a particular race, the bar was no longer set at a high standard and therefore no need to work as hard as before. Others saw it as a great step forward to helping those who needed the extra assistance. Affirmative action began through President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Executive Order 11246, created with the hope of increasing diversity throughout the education system and job market. Since it first began it has sparked debate over whether it truly promotes equality and is as progressive as we would like to presume, or is just creating more problems. The program has created a firm divide between those who see it as unfair and those who believe it can still assist minorities. During a time where minorities were discriminated against, affirmative action may have been the best option to overcome racial barriers. However, the nation has made exceptional progress since Johnson’s time as president. Now the program rather brings more issues thanShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action Necessary or Unnecessary? Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesAffirmative Action was centered around 1961 because women and minorities were being discriminated against. By definition, affirmative action is â€Å"the encouragement of increased representation of women and minority-group members, especially in employment† (Dictionary.com). 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