Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action
The definition of affirmative action is a set of public policies and initiatives designed to help eliminate discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Affirmative action was an issue in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson which upheld "separate, but equal" that was anything but equal. Affirmative action was first used in The 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. Executive Order 10925 by John F. Kennedy on March 6, 1961, which later leads to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Today there are many organizations working to keep affirmative action working for all of our society. The purpose of affirmative action is to improve the standard of living and quality of life for those people that are at a disadvantage.
The case of Plessy v. Ferguson upheld racial segregation even in public accommodations under "separate but equal". This thought process was anything but equal for African Americans. On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy boarded train owned by the East Louisiana Railroad that was designated for whites only. Although Plessy was actually of mixed races he was considered African American under Louisiana state law and was directed to leave the white car and move to the “colored” car. When Plessy refused to leave the white car and move to the colored car, he was arrested and jailed. “In his case Plessy argued that the East Louisiana Railroad had denied him his constitutional rights under the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States.” Southern governments provide less resources and faulty facilities to African Americans. In January 1896, Homer Plessy pled guilty to the violation and paid the fine. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned by the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, nearly 60 years after the final decision for Plessy.
Brown v. Board of Education declared that state laws that established separate public schools for black and white students denied black children equal educational opportunities. In Topeka a black third-grader named Linda Brown was forced to walk one mile elementary school though a white elementary school was a few blocks away from her house. Her father, Oliver, tried to enroll her in the closer school, but the principal refused. “Brown went to McKinley Burnett, the head of Topeka's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and asked for help. The NAACP was eager to assist the Browns, as it had long wanted to challenge segregation in public schools.” Along with another group of parents in 1951, Brown and the NAACP a suit was filed on the school systems segregation policies. On May 17, 1954, the Warren Court's unanimous decision that established separate educational facilities were unequal in their quality of education. A civil suit was filed against the Board of Education of the City of Topeka, Kansas, the plaintiffs were thirteen parents defending in total twenty children. The cause of the suit was arguing that the segregation of schools was unconstitutional.
Executive order 10925 required federal contractors to "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.” This order gave way to the Presidential Committee on Equal Employment Opportunities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment. Which also lead to the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) is a Federal agency charged with ending employment discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and also investigates allegations of retaliation. The EEOC is also tasked with filing suits on behalf of alleged victims of discrimination against employers.
Organizations today are more motivated than ever for affirmative action continuation. Organizations such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) are currently successful in a “time when civil rights are under heavy attack, (as) advocates for affirmative action”. In 2005, the American Civil Liberties Union designated a Michigan affirmative action and peace group as a terrorist organization. "This document confirms our fears that federal and state counterterrorism officers have turned their attention to groups and individuals engaged in peaceful protest activities." This group was labeled as a terrorist group by their extreme policies and techniques. As with any type of government action there are extremes and the Michigan peace group is an example of a negative extreme. An example of a positive extreme is the NOW organization. Organizations for affirmative action are becoming more influential especially in these hard economic times. Equality is still a major issue in our society, it probably always will be unless new ideas are brought about and passed.
As time goes on affirmative action will hopefully increase. The special treatment that individuals believe that they are entitled to is false. Our society wants everything the easy way, without working for it. Through hard work anyone can achieve what they aspire to. There are only limitations on any one person are only those that they bring upon themselves. Organizations, the government, law enforcement and just your neighbor have outreach programs for every walk of life. Affirmative action takes that outreach to the next level, a federal level. It works to bring justice and equality to everyone in our society willing to work towards success.