Affirmative Action

Our great country is seeded with a dark past. We like to believe that we are the greatest country in the world but the truth is we are still a developing nation. We seem to forget that the Civil War only ended a little more than one hundred years ago. We also seem to forget that some of our nation’s citizens didn’t share the same rights in this century that others still take for granted today. One thing that makes our nation great is our desire to make the necessary changes to overcome a dark past and have equality for all.

Affirmative Action was created in Executive Order 10925 and was signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. It was created to protect those who needed to be protected. Our country was still in a transition because of the Civil Rights movement and even though our Government acknowledged equal rights, businesses and private citizens still had their opinions. Equal opportunity for the black community and even women was still at one’s own discretion. Without Affirmative Action qualified people were excluded from being able to get the jobs that they deserved because of the color of their skin and their sex.

Affirmative Action is still a key to our nation’s success. It is important to have leaders from different backgrounds to promote thought. If we had all of the same people, white males, running all of our businesses, schools, and governments we would be no better than we were before the civil war. Promoting diversity, especially in the workforce, is key for success. Affirmative Action allows minorities to break the chains of bondage that our society has placed on them. Without Affirmative Action minorities cannot grow. It’s as simple as that. It’s a shame that we need a program like Affirmative Action to ensure the equality that is a human right.

What is important to remember is that not all employers and schools are racist. The people against Affirmative Action will most likely say those same words. The fact is our country stemmed from...