ipl-logo

Summary Of When Affirmative Action Was White

1289 Words6 Pages

Ira Katznelson is the author of When Affirmative Action Was White, a historical analysis of the history of affirmative action and racial inequality in the United States of America. Katznelson takes a definitive approach to the history of legislation and inequalities and prepares the reader initially with his title. Katznelson’s argumentative position and approach to the title of his book makes the reader question about affirmative action for white Americans, but in reality what Katznelson means by his title, When Affirmative Action Was White, is more based on the social programs and federal grant opportunities that were created and provided to Americans during the Roosevelt and Truman administration. Katznelson argument encompasses historical …show more content…

The social geography of the country altered dramatically. The encouragement given to homeownership helped spawn the suburban sprawl that would characterize postwar growth. As Michael Bennett, author of the main history of the GI Bill noted: “The GI Bill changed where and how Americans lived. Suburbs sprang up like mushrooms around every sizable city....As surely as the Homestead Act of 1862 filled the prairies of the Far West, the GI Bill created and filled the suburbs.” (Katznelson, pg. …show more content…

The benefits of Affirmative Action are meant to level the opportunities for African Americans in all aspects of American life. After Kennedy’s implementation, President Johnson and his administration extended Affirmative Action benefits to more groups of people in the promotion of social equality throughout the United States. With Affirmative Action still in effect today, the United States of America more than remedied the initial loopholes of federal benefits with the first drafts. To continue to further extend federal benefits for Affirmative Action today could completely reverse the original scenario in time and create even more inequalities within the American political system. Affirmative Action helped the remedy the disadvantage African Americans faced and create equal opportunities for more social groups. If Affirmative Action stays in effect, nothing further should be done by the United States government, African Americans have all the civil rights that white Americans have and if they face discrimination as a result of their race, they have opportunities to remedy the

Show More
Related
411 Words | 2 Pages

Erica Beckman Duran English 1A 28 October 2015 Affirmative Action In Chapter Seven of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? , Beverly Tatum discusses affirmative action, an action that guarantees equal opportunity to all individuals, regardless of any circumstances (117). Tatum remarks on the history of affirmative action, in which it was introduced to language and our legal system by executive order 11246 by President Lyndon B. Johnson (1965), and obligated federal contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, religion, sex, or national origin” (116-117).

Read More
110 Words | 1 Pages

“A series of legislative initiatives and decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States defined the possibilities of affirmative action policy” (Finkelman, 2004). Affirmative action is such a controversial topic which has been brought up in many Supreme Court cases. In Griggs v. Duke Power case in 1971, the court argued “Title VII” bans “not only overt discrimination but also practices which are fair in form but discriminatory in operation.” (Finkelman, 2004). To eliminate discrimination processes under Title VII, all employers began to hire and recruit more minorities.

Read More
985 Words | 4 Pages

The New Deal, World War II, and post-World War II marked significant periods in American history as the federal government created various programs to relieve the nation from the Great Depression and spur economic growth. However, as Ira Katznelson points out in his book, “When Affirmative Action Was White,” these programs held disparities that disproportionately benefited white Americans. This essay will examine how New Deal, World War II, and post-World War II programs represented affirmative action for white Americans. In “When Affirmative Action Was White,” Katznelson explores how New Deal programs represented affirmative action for white Americans.

Read More
788 Words | 4 Pages

By the integration of maps we are able to see and understand what developmental changes were to come. In 1925, when the Santa Fe railroad tracks were laid, oil, real estate and land began to skyrocket. When the economy took a turn for the worse many people had lost their faith. To fight their lose in faith business leaders placed ads into newspapers to try to inspire and encourage people to keep moving forward. Banks in Oklahoma failed, one after another.

Read More
322 Words | 2 Pages

The main purpose of Affirmative Action is to put an end to discrimination towards the minorities. Although black citizens were put towards a disadvantage in society with the assistance of Affirmative Action was reversed back towards white citizens. When racials practice that have historically have placed blacks at a disadvantage are removed that is when whites believe that preferential treatment is given back to the blacks. Hill also argues that there needs to be some changes in the labor

Read More
576 Words | 3 Pages

The continuing population flow from cities to suburbs, and the internal migration from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt have had significant social and political effects on American life. Additionally, the advances in science following World War II have had a profound impact on American society. In this answer, we will examine these three phenomena and their effects. The post-World War II era saw a significant shift in population from cities to suburbs. This migration was driven by several factors, including the availability of cheap land, increased mobility due to the automobile, and a desire for a more suburban lifestyle.

Read More
797 Words | 4 Pages

This negativly it negativly affected the lower class and many business owners such as farmers. On top of this all, discrimination still continued to negatively affect African Americans. The United States government implemented policies that significantly affected the economy and the American people thoughout the

Read More
987 Words | 4 Pages

Thus, often without realizing it, the United States has practiced what, in effect, was white affirmative action on a highly generous and widespread basis, followed by a much more modest program of black affirmative action. By understanding this history, we can come to terms with the widening gap between blacks and whites noted by Lyndon Johnson and with the incapacity of many blacks to be able to make good this gap in the following four decades (Katznelson,

Read More
508 Words | 3 Pages

Affirmative action in the United States I believe that affirmative action negatively affects on both minorities and majorities. From a minority’s perspective, the idea that minorities can receive benefits from others due to their race, ethnicity, or gender can cause them to feel segregated against anyway. Since the term, ‘minority,’ no longer applies to every females or person of color today, female students or students of color with affluent backgrounds may feel segregated and devalued even when they did not get any special benefit from affirmative action policies. Majorities, in this case, male or white students, will also get discouraged because this can be regarded as a form of reverse discrimination, especially with racial affirmative action programs.

Read More
1480 Words | 6 Pages

Since the very group of words “affirmative action” is in total contradiction with the amendment fourteen which guarantees people equal protection under the law. But coming to affirmative action, we have to remark the sad history behind it, which is once again to disadvantage a group for another one. Therefore we can clearly say that affirmative action is not only illegal but it is also unconstitutional since it violates clearly the fourteenth amendment. Not only that, we need also to notice that affirmative action goes against this American ideal which is equal opportunity, the ability for someone to use whatever wealth and/or talent he/she has to reach his/her fullest potential. Due to affirmative action, we will notice down in the paper how affirmative action prevents people to use their fullest

Read More
850 Words | 4 Pages

Affirmative Action Affirmative Action is a policy or program intended to redress past discrimination and promote equal opportunities in education and employment. This is a highly controversial and well known topic, especially when considering it as part of college admissions. Many argue that colleges and universities should consider a student’s race and national origin when reviewing submitted applications. This is merely an attempt to create a more diverse student body, and assure that discrimination not occur. Although there is evidence to support that Affirmative Action is beneficial to the college and its student body, it should not exists in admissions because it limits the number of qualified non-minority students admitted.

Read More
1821 Words | 8 Pages

However, until today, African Americans still couldn’t get their real voting rights. This act doesn’t totally infer this situation, no matter how industrious blacks demand their completed fundamental rights. Except African American, within the United States, many minorities have struggled for their rights for many years. It is necessary for a government to protect all citizens’ rights, including the minorities. If the government couldn’t do that, as a citizen, we should speak out our perspectives by participating in the voting

Read More
580 Words | 3 Pages

To begin with, people whose family have a lower income and they may not be able to go to college, can use affirmative action to still be allowed to go to college and exploit their talents and still be able to live a standard good life. “Now more than ever, the continued use of affirmative action is needed to address existing discrimination, to break down barriers and to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their talents and abilities” (Affirmative Action, 1) In the quote, it explains how affirmative action helps more people be able to get allowed into schools that would otherwise not, and now have a chance to show their talents and abilities to the world. That although they came from a low income family or a one-parented family, they still have an equal chance to show how they can make a difference in the United States. “These children will grow up to be the adults who drive the

Read More
527 Words | 3 Pages

After the election of Barack Obama it was argued that America had become a “post-racial” nation. This was based upon the argument that the election of the first black president indicated that race no longer served as a limiting or differentiating factor in the United States. The problem with this argument is that it ignores the racial inequalities which are still clear in the country. One concept challenging this idea is the theory of color-blind racism. Color-blind racism is the concept that ignoring the historical institutional racism which created the inequalities of today is a distinctly racist way of viewing the world.

Read More
1734 Words | 7 Pages

This is the next and more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity––not legal equity but human ability––not just equality as a right and a theory, but equality as a fact and as a result” (Garrison-Wade & Lewis, 2003). That same year, President Johnson signed an executive order mandating government contractors “take affirmative action” in

Read More

More about Summary Of When Affirmative Action Was White

Related Topics

Open Document