Editor’s note: This is part two of a two-part article.
NORTH LITTLEROCK, ARK — In an effort to revamp the centuries of discrimination in education and employment that existed between Blacks and whites, affirmative action became a federal project. Arthur Fletcher, political activist and consultant, created the idea. In time, affirmative action was expected to “level the playing field” by helping minorities acquire positions that had traditionally excluded them. If a Black person or other minority applied for a position, and that person had the same qualifications as a white person applying for the same job, then the Back person or other minority would be given preference. This program produced a reasonable amount of success; however, it was never completely effective. Whatever diversity now exists can be contributed to the affirmative action legislation.
Support for affirmative action began to wane in the late 1970’s. Some called it reverse discrimination, but if one were to put reverse discrimination on one side of the scales of justice and put the realities of slavery and its aftermath on the other, the scale would overwhelmingly show the greater importance of affirmative action. It was the only plan to help America right the many ghastly wrongs that had kept a huge segment of the population as less than second-class citizens.
It has been said that if one does not remember the lessons of history, history will repeat itself. If so, this nation will begin to lose the gains it established with affirmative action. In June 2007, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, said that schools cannot assign students to schools based on the skin color of the students, but they were vague about assignment by race. They did not rule that race cannot ever be considered for school choice. This ambiguous ruling will be challenged, no doubt America’s epilogue for equal rights in the job market and in schools must continue to have positive results. Opponents of this historic moral commitment are constantly attacking. The American public must be vigilant to ensure equality so that this battle will not be fought every generation.
