Professor Craig
WRIT 5/ Critical Essay 4 Draft 1
November 6th, 2015
A Case for Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Introduction
Affirmative action in the United States has been controversial since it was first introduced by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 through Executive Order 10925. The term “affirmative action” had become popular in the years leading up to Executive Order 10925. Used by those advocating for increased government action in promoting civil rights, “affirmative action” refered to the active process of offsetting discrimination in America (MacLaury). Executive Order 10925 would be the first of many attempts by the U.S. legislature to level the playing field for minorities wishing to advance in a society …show more content…
The consideration of race in higher education has resulted in many Supreme Court cases challenging policies on affirmative action. Despite these court battles, the consideration of race in college admissions remains a legal practice. More recently, the Supreme Court has defended the State of Michigan’s right to dictate its own affirmative action laws in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action. In this case, the verdict allowed for the state to keep its ban on affirmative action in public universities. Supporters of affirmative action worry that the precedent of the case will encourage other states to implement bans of their own. Affirmative action in college admissions remains a necessity. In order to promote diversity and allow historically marginalized groups the opportunity to close the socioeconomic gap between themselves and the historically privileged, affirmative action policies must be …show more content…
President John F. Kennedy to announce Executive Order 10925 in 1961. The order mandated that government contractors "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." The order also established the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. The primary objective of the committee would be to ensure that government contractors were compliant with anti-discrimination laws