Affirmative Action
What exactly is affirmative action? The United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Immediately it became apparent that many business practices such as aptitude testing, or seniority status prevented equality in the work place. On September 24, 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson issued an executive order at Howard University that required federal contractors to ensure that applicants are employed without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin. Johnson then signed that order and enacted one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in the twentieth century.
Affirmative Action was created in an effort to help minorities overcome boundaries that were very present in this country when it was enacted. In 1965 the United States was in the wake of nation wide civil rights demonstrations and racial tension was at its peak. At this time white males that controlled all the hiring and firing held most executive, corporate,......
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