The Philadelphia Plan was the brain-child of Richard Nixon, created in 1969. This plan required construction trade unions to establish "goals and timetables" for the hiring of black apprentices. Soon, however, the Philadelphia plan would infect all federal contracts, forcing thousands of employers to meet quotas. In the past, under President Lyndon Johnson, affirmative action had meant action to protect individuals against discrimination. But, due to the Nixon's Philadelphia Plan, affirmative action changed into a program that conferred privileges on certain groups. While this decision may have had some benefits, such as increasing the black employment rates, and opening employment and education opportunities for minority woman, it would also
