Affirmative Action v. Reverse Discrimination :: essays research papers fc

Affirmative action in the U.S. started to come rough in the early nineteen sixties. It was enacted along with many other anti-segregation laws, as part of the "Civil Rights act of 1964 and an executive order in 1965 (Affirmative, cyclopedia Britannica par. 2)." Today affirmative action is still going strong. It has many appointed aspects, only it also has several negative affects, one of which is "reverse discrimination. Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines affirmative action as "an active endeavour to improve the employment or education opportunities of members of minority groups and women." Some of the other areas of emphasis are age, religion, and ethnic origin. I feel the same as the authors of the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, when they said these laws were brought about because, In the judgment of a good many Americans, equality qua equality, level off when conscientiously enforced with an even hand, would neither suffice to enable thos e previously deprived on racial grounds to realize the promises of equality of opportunity, nor would it atone, and provide redress, for the ravages wrought by twain centuries of past discrimination. Consequently programs were established to go well beyond " perfect" equality of opportunity and provide not only remedial but preferential compensatory action, especially in the worlds of EDUCATION and employment (Affirmative, Encyclopedia American 34). However, even as early as 1978 the Supreme Court has do it a point to not support laws that provide for "reverse discrimination," which Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines as "discrimination against whites or males as in employment or education." The Supreme Court stated that this isnt acceptable when it decided "reverse discrimination" is not acceptable legally or constitutionally (Affirmative, Encyclopedia American 35). I think what they mean by this is that, even though affirmative action is neces sary, it should not be so harsh as to make it so the "majority" is then discriminated against in return, because then it is just reversing the discrimination, hence the term "reverse discrimination." There pass been many court cases that support each side of this issue.There were most major Supreme Court cases that led up to affirmative action. whizz of which was Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 in which it was deemed that the constitution meant politically equal not socially equal, which was held up until Brown v. Board of Education Topeka Kansas 1954. Brown v. The Board was a huge stepping stone towards affirmative action, because it started the processes of desegregation.