Affirmative Action At The United States - 1634 Words

â€Å"No, it’s not me, it’s you†¦ What’s wrong with you? Why, nothing. You have everything we are looking for, it’s just†¦you’re black†¦Ã¢â‚¬  First established in 1961, Affirmative action (in the United States) was/is a practice in which the purpose is to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women (Merriam Webster). Fast forward to today’s society and what is affirmative action now? Considering the prevalence of diversity in the workplace and in educational facilities, it should be of utmost importance that all people, regardless of race, are given the equal opportunity in the admissions and job application process; affirmative action would enforce that importance. However, many job applicants go to an†¦show more content†¦If affirmative action were to take place, people would have an equal opportunity to get hired for a job. As stated earlier, many people today get t urned down from jobs because of their race. No one should be disqualified from a job because of the pigment of their skin. Affirmative action was designed to give qualified minorities (African Americans and women) a chance to compete on equal ground with the upper class (Caucasians). However, affirmative action seems to be a distant memory rather than a current action. A University of Chicago graduate applying for a business money management position in Dallas told the Times of how one hiring manager became excited while talking to him over the phone about how lucky the company was to hear from someone with a top business school education. But once the company representatives met him and saw that he was African American, â€Å"Their eyes kind of hit the ceiling a bit. It was kind of quiet for 45 seconds.† The company’s interest in him quickly cooled (Miah). The law prohibits racial discrimination yet when the African American graduate presented himself before the compa ny that was â€Å"lucky to hear from someone with a top business school education† they quickly dismissed him. Why? Is it because he was an African American or did he â€Å"not meet company standards†. Minority workers have an unemployment rate twice that of Caucasians and hold dead end, low paying labor jobs. The reason most minorities cannot