The Supreme Court continues to hear cases regarding Affirmative Action and reverse racism. They, the Supreme Court, have asked the question, should Affirmative Action be modified from its current state of implementation or should it be done away with all together?

Bert’s Response

Affirmative Action was implemented to create a level playing field in America that slavery and Jim Crow had for so long dominated.  Slavery and Jim Crow together have stymied numerous generations of economic and educational growth in the black community.  Some modern day civil rights activists like Rev. Al Sharpton have stated that Jim Crow might be dead, but his son James Crow, Esq. is still alive and well.  As I thought about how to answer this question I wondered what the following individuals would have thought about it:

• John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me, published in 1961 he was a white male from Mansfield, TX who wanted to truly understand the black experience so much that he underwent medical treatment to temporarily change the color of his skin to become a black man.  He was so affected by racism and civil rights abuses that even while knowing that his situation was only temporary, noticed a look of defeat and hopelessness on his own face only after a few weeks as a black man.  It became so bad that he would stop the treatments that turned his skin black so he could go back to being white for periods of time. (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/blacklikeme/)

• The 14 blacks, who in December of 2012, reached a settlement with a South Dallas, TX Mill company for exposing them to violent, racist graffiti and racial slurs by co-workers.  The mill agreed to pay them $500,000. (reference)

• The 51 black applicants who, in November of 2012, were denied employment on the loading docks by Caldwell Freight Line, a now defunct company, even though they had prior experience.  Caldwell Freight Lines was ordered to pay the applicants $120,000 for their refusal to hire them. (reference)

• President Barak Obama, who since he became President of the United States has seen the number of anti-government groups grow more than 800%.  (reference  as heard from the Joe Madison Radio Show)

 Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Sonya Sotomayor both believe in widening the net so that Affirmative Action includes all disadvantaged groups regardless of race.  Clarence Thomas, however, believes that we should remove the race factor all together; whereas Sonya Sotomayor believes that race is still very important to consider.  Both have benefitted from affirmative action.  Clarence Thomas, for his own benefit, wants to close the door behind him; while Sonya Sotomayor wants the door to remain open so that others can have access to opportunities that otherwise would be denied to them because of their skin color. Affirmative action was never meant to place someone in a position they are not qualified handle, but rather to give those that are qualified a fair chance to be considered.  Until you have walked in the shoes of a person of color, you can never know why we feel affirmative action, based on race, is still needed.  Reverse racism in my opinion would be to go back to the days of old, where the good ole boys club trumps righteousness.

So to answer the question asked, I would say the day that we as people of color no longer have to teach our children that they have to be two or three times better than their white counterparts just to be considered equal is the day that we no longer need affirmative action as it currently exists.  Today is not that day.

Anthony’s Response 

Affirmative Action should never be done away with at all. In today’s society, we are still not playing on an equal playing field. We as black men, women, gays and overweight individuals are still fighting for our fair shake in corporate America. Powers that control the job markets are continually finding new ways to discriminate against, not only perspective employees, but also existing employees; Smokers, overweight individuals and those who become ill while employed are a few that fall into this group of new age discrimination.  If affirmative action is modified, it needs to make sure that those who fall into this new age group of discrimination are protected.  These people need to feel confident that they have a fair chance at finding stable, long-term good paying jobs.  Affirmative action is still needed to even out the playing field, but it should be modified for today’s time.

Rhonda’s Response 

“Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action their fruit behind it.” 
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Ralph Waldo Emerson always has a way with words that provoke thought and change. Although, the Supreme Court continues to hear cases regarding Affirmative Action and reverse racism, they should modify Affirmative Action to fit the demands of the people today. Although the definition of Affirmative Action has changed over the years, it sets a foundation of fair rules and regulations, creates a foundation for all classes to interact, and fosters healthy competition.

Affirmative Action has been around for many years but the way we know Affirmative Action today is not how it originally began. Although Affirmative Action today has a negative connotation as being an exclusive opportunity for minorities, its original inception was to set a foundation of fair rules and regulations between employees and employers. Affirmative Action was first introduced in the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (approved July 5, 1935). It was enacted by National Labor Relations Board to serve as a way to give unions protection against management.  National Labor Relations Board vs. National Casket Company was one of the first cases to address “Affirmative Action”. This case set the precedent that companies could not discharge employees due to their participation in unions. During these times, unions were created to represent workers in all industries. The first union was created in the mid 19^th century. 

However, today, due to many definition changes to Affirmative Action, we know it to be the recommendation made by President John F. Kennedy in his Executive Order 10925 in 1961. That Executive Order was to “ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” This Executive Order created a new definition of Affirmative Action that would become the pillar of new policies, committees, and laws that would range from labor equality to education equality. This definition helped to add a layer to Affirmative Action that would create a foundation for all classes to interact within the workforce. 

When there is a foundation for all classes to interact within the workforce, this also fosters healthy competition within the workforce. It creates an equal playing field for all men and women in various industries who have similar skill sets and education. No more will skilled workers with equal education and skill sets be denied an opportunity to apply for jobs that in the past they would not have the chance. No more will a woman be denied an opportunity for a promotion due to the “good old boy” system of companies without violating equal right rules and regulations. No longer will minorities be denied employment and/or promotions due to racial discrimination without those industries violating civil liberties and rights of those individuals. Affirmative Action modification in 1961 was made to create equal opportunities for all races, religions, and sexes within the workforce. Although, there is still more work to be done when it comes to equal opportunity of pay for women, society has come a long ways from where we were in 1935; due to the definition modifications made by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. 

History always teaches us ways to persevere in the future without repeating past mistakes. Although history is our teacher, the lessons learned from our past are the true testaments for us to forge ahead   and do our best to better ourselves and not repeat historical results. In order for us to change the connotation of Affirmative Action today, we must modify the definition to meet the needs of today’s society. Modifying the definition will ensure that the purpose of Affirmative Action stays relevant and fresh to set a foundation of fair rules and regulations, creates a foundation for all classes to interact, and fosters healthy competition for societies today.