Once upon a time, there were two people who went to an
interview for only one job position at the same company. The first
person attended a prestigious and highly academic university, had
years of work experience in the field and, in the mind of the
employer, had the potential to make a positive impact on the company's
performance. The second person was just starting out in the field and
seemed to lack the ambition that was visible in his opponent. "Who was
chosen for the job?" you ask. Well, if the story took place before
1964, the answer would be obvious. However, with the somewhat recent
adoption of the social policy known as affirmative action, the answer
becomes unclear. After the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act
in 1964, it became apparent that certain business traditions, such as
seniority status and aptitude tests, prevented total equality in
An African-American child at a segregated drinking...
Pie chart of religions of African Americans
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil R...employment. Then President, Lyndon B. Johnson, decided something
needed to be done to remedy these flaws. On September 24, 1965, he
issued Executive Order #11246 at Howard University that required
federal contractors "to take affirmative action to ensure that
applicants are employed . . . without regard to their race, creed,
color, or national origin (Civil Rights)." When Lyndon Banes Johnson
signed that order, he enacted one of the most discriminating pieces of
legislature since the Jim Crow Laws were passed. Affirmative action was created in an effort to help minorities leap the discriminative barriers that were ever so present when the
bill was first enacted, in 1965. At this time, the country was in the
wake of nationwide civil-rights demonstrations, and racial tension was
at its peak. Most of the corporate executive and managerial positions
were occupied by white males, who controlled the hiring and firing of
employees. The...