Affirmative action caught in tale of the two cities of Boston, Massachusetts and Denver, Colorado. Since the late 1980s, race and sex-based contracting preference programs in the U.S. cities have faced significant challenges in the courts (Rubin). On February 7th, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced his plan to eliminate a 15 year old program that required bidders on city construction contracts to subcontract 15% of work to minority-owned business enterprises and 5% to women-owned firms (Rubin). That program is being replaced by one that requires bidders to award 20% of subcontracts to local businesses and 20 % to firms with less than 20 employees both categories being race and gender neutral (Robin). While this Mayor announced his new plan, 3 days later on February 10th, the United States court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit went the other direction by overturning a lower court and upholding Denver’s constructions M/WBE program in a decade-long legal challenge by locally based Concrete Works of Colorado Inc. This program initially earmarked 16% of city construction contracts to MBE’s and 12% to WBEs (Robin). In this essay I will tell you my views on the two cities and their programs. Is minority set aside programs morally acceptable, is one of the questions I will be also answering in this essay and will set out the utilitarian and deontological considerations.
One of the most heated areas of affirmative actions is with jobs. I think that Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston, new plan shows that Affirmative action works (Robin). I think that was a really good decision to equal out the subcontracts for local businesses and firms with less than 20 employees and the categories being race and gender neutral.
This plan really lets you know that the program before was discriminating in a lot of ways against minorities and women. After reading this case study I never knew that programs like this even existed. I always thought it was equally distributed across the board. Programs that have been able to give only 5 % of there subcontracts to women owned business is wrong in every kind of way. The changing of the program by the Boston Mayor, will give a lot of minority and female business owners hope for the future. Are minority set aside programs morally acceptable?
Affirmative Action has been an issue of contention since its inception during the Civil Rights struggles of mid 20th century America. Discrimination could no longer be tolerated and the Unites States government had an obligation to encourage equality at all levels of the social infrastructure. The main type of discrimination being addressed by Affirmative Action programs was racial discrimination. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines racism as: ‘a belief that race is the primary determinant of
Affirmative Action Affirmative action is necessary when a qualified student loses their deserved place at a university because they are black. When a woman more qualified than a man is denied a job because of her gender, affirmative action is necessary. Affirmative action is necessary to run a stable society. Affirmative action is defined in the dictionary as a policy or program for correcting the effects of discrimination in the employment or education of members of certain groups such as women
Despite there is a widespread support for affirmative action in education, the paper argues that affirmative action is merely a means of reverse discrimination against white and Asian students alike, creates a mismatch in colleges, and restricts students from reaching their potentials. In order to help the readers to thoroughly understand the issue, the paper first gives a brief history about affirmative action while defines the term itself and reverse discrimination. Using statistics, the argument
Affirmative Action Affirmative action can be defined as action taken to compensate for past unfairness in the education of minorities. The current system of affirmative action allows universities to admit applicants from certain ethnic and minority
Affirmative Action Affirmative Action, policies used in the United States to increase opportunities for minorities by favoring them in hiring and promotion, college admissions, and the awarding of government contracts. Depending upon the situation, “minorities” might include any underrepresented group, especially one defined by race, ethnicity, or gender. Generally, affirmative action has been undertaken by governments, businesses, or educational institutions to remedy the effects of past discrimination
in his famous “I have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C. in 1963. Is affirmative action still needed in America? Affirmative action is still needed because America does not have enough equality and diversity. Almost all of our American history dealt with inequality between the white men and the black men. As time went on, nothing has changed and is still seen in today’s society. There are two definitions of affirmative action: 1) race-neutral, gender-neutral assurance against actual discrimination
civil rights of minority groups. From this concern, a program called affirmative action evolved. Like other civil right movements, the affirmative action movement was implemented to promote equality. Like some Americans, I am strangely confused when anyone talks about affirmative action. The reason that I have such confusion is the way people word the term affirmative action. If you ask one person who is in favor of affirmative action, his or her response is going to be different from someone who is
Affirmative action is an attempt by the United States to amend a long history of racial discrimination and injustice. Our school textbook defines affirmative action as “a program established that attempts to improve the chances of minority applicants for educational or employment purposes, although they may have the same qualifications, by giving them leverage so that they can attain a level that is equal to caucasian applicants” (Berman 522). There are people that support and oppose this issue.
Though Affirmative Action is a current controversial issue, it is far from new; its decree has been long in the making. Perhaps it originates from amendments 13-15, the series of amendments that outlawed slavery, guaranteed equal protection under the law, and forbid racial discrimination when voting, respectively (Sykes 1). The Supreme Court’s decision in 1896, in the case of Plessy V. Ferguson, mandated separate but equal treatment for African Americans (Sykes 1). However, in 1954, the Supreme
Affirmative Action Blacks and other minority groups have been wrongfully persecuted and punished and have suffered the indignities of discrimination. As Martin Luther King stated so eloquently in his "I Have a Dream" speech, blacks should be judged "…not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Our American culture with its political, legal, and social considerations, is struggling with the idea of white redemption while offering minorities a more fair and proportionate
Affirmative Action is a policy in the United States of America. It is in use to help minorities get equal treatment in admissions policies for big businesses and higher educational programs. In one way or another, this policy affects almost every person in America. It affects people directly, and most commonly, indirectly. When this policy affects people, it usually affects them in a negative way. When Affirmative Action first started, it was a descent policy, but with changes in society, it
Affirmative Action If one is to discuss and problem solve an issue, he or she must first know what the issue is truly about. Affirmative action is defined as the equal opportunities given to women, minorities, and small groups so they will have the same tools, education, and allotment to achieve their goals in life. Since affirmative action came about, debate arises daily about if it is truly equal and fair. Was it a word made as a cushion to the people so they will feel equal? Another interpretation
Affirmative action is not something new. ; Breaking breaking down the barriers that prevented individuals from having equal opportunities was and still remains the purpose of affirmative action. The programs were designed to open up opportunities in education and employment – to balance the playing field. President Lyndon Johnson expressed his beliefs in 1965, "You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him [or her], bring him [or her] up to the starting line
Affirmative Action Is the Wrong Action The United States of America has long been a country divided by race. Hate has pervaded her existence since her conception, and now today’s society is forced to deal with those issues. Minorities have suffered at the hands of the white male majority for centuries as the social activities of the old war were brought to the new colonies, only to ferment and continue to affect the lives of all who lived within her borders. There is no doubting that this continued
Affirmative Action in the United State Affirmative Action is not basically a single thing, but it is a combination of many things and it has different meanings according to the person who uses it and also it depends on the case that it used for. Usually when Affirmative Action used in daily speech, it has no specific meaning. It is summing up the case against minorities such as black people and sometimes women for taking jobs. In real life we can’t determine the meaning of Affirmative Action, but