The subject of affirmative action has proven to be highly controversial, because a strong case can be made to justify or contend with this procedure. I believe that it is not only a necessary tool, but also one that has proven effective. Although it can be argued not much can be done to help the poor, this project has opened doors for individuals that otherwise would have been possibly overlooked.
Today one is able to see woman minorities in positions that were previously dominated by Caucasian males. Many other positions have also been replenished by women and minorities, such as professional sports coaches, presidents of universities and corporate executives. Although one can say that these leaders have the knowledge and merit for their jobs, the individuals that paved the way for Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and Tony Dungy needed affirmative action to be able to demonstrate that people of color and women can excel in America. Without affirmative action many individuals would not have been denied the platform to display their talents.
Affirmative action is not exempt from having negative effects, and at times undermines the efforts of minorities who obtain executive positions. Recently, in order to down play Justice Sonya Sotomayor’s credentials, conservatives in the government and media made implications that her appointment to the Supreme Court was from affirmative action. Situations like these, when outstanding intellect is not adequately given respect, give testament to various negative aspects of affirmative action on minorities.
The Hispanic community continues to grow in America at rapid rates, and it is expected by 2042, they will become the majority population in this country. This statistic has become alarming for many white males who ask if affirmative action policies would apply to them. The notion that Anglo-Saxon males would require such policies is absurd because it focuses on population size, and ignores the factors of wealth and power. Europeans, who had established colonies in Africa and the Caribbean, controlled most of the wealth and government, while being the minority. This proves that majority in numbers does not always constitute an advantage.
The problem of black poverty, wealth, and power will prove problematic to resolve. Affirmative action cannot completely solve the problems of black America, but it has helped people of color advance, and acquire economic stability. Dr. Cornel West sums it up best when he wrote, “if affirmative action disappeared from America, people of color would still succeed, but the message to the country would be lethal. It would suggest that the white majority has one less constraint, and black people have one more reason to lose trust in the promise of American democracy".
