Is affirmative action racist?

[TxHoops]

The part of this process that people miss is the diversity goal. In my opinion, and experience, diversity benefits us all. It destroys harmful stereotypes that have long existed and shows members of all races that our brothers and sisters of other races and backgrounds are pretty much just like us. They have similar hopes and dreams. They are vested in our children's futures. Segregation in most forms fosters ignorance and animosity among people who shouldn't have any.

[stevenash]

At what point do you draw the line? If you have three applicants with virtually identical credentials and one of them is black and the other two are white, I understand, for the sake of diversity, that it is a good idea to hire the black. On the other hand, if the two other applicants have superior credentials, punishing them because their only fault is the wrong skin color is not helping society but rather hindering it. It is suggesting that hard work and dedication are less likely to help you improve your life. If those three applicants had the same opportunity to get an education and did so, the evaluation, going forward, by society, ought not to involve skin color.

[TxHoops]

I might agree with you given everything is equal. But let's use a university setting as an example. You have a black kid who is the same class ranking and gpa as a white kid. Black kid graduated from an inner city school with historically poor academics. White kid graduated from Monsignor Kelly. White kid has higher SATs. Both are bright but the white kid obviously had the fortune of being born into a family with the finances to ensure he had a top education. Black kid has done as well as he could with the hand he was dealt. Do you have a problem with the admissions picking African American student over the white student?

[TROJANSWIN]

I might agree with you given everything is equal. But let's use a university setting as an example. You have a black kid who is the same class ranking and gpa as a white kid. Black kid graduated from an inner city school with historically poor academics. White kid graduated from Monsignor Kelly. White kid has higher SATs. Both are bright but the white kid obviously had the fortune of being born into a family with the finances to ensure he had a top education. Black kid has done as well as he could with the hand he was dealt. Do you have a problem with the admissions picking African American student over the white student?

Most college admissions offices take other things into account besides just grades and test scores. You have to meet certain standards, but after that they look at things like community service, how active the student was in activities, the dedication and habits of the kid, so if the black kid had to work harder for the same things, hopefully it will show up in this part of the admissions process.
Same senario, but what if the two students were reversed with a rich black kid and poor white kid?
What if both kids are black? Or, both kids are white?
Should the school pass over a good hard working black kid to let in a inner city black kid because he came from a worse school?

[PN-G bamatex]

I might agree with you given everything is equal. But let's use a university setting as an example. You have a black kid who is the same class ranking and gpa as a white kid. Black kid graduated from an inner city school with historically poor academics. White kid graduated from Monsignor Kelly. White kid has higher SATs. Both are bright but the white kid obviously had the fortune of being born into a family with the finances to ensure he had a top education. Black kid has done as well as he could with the hand he was dealt. Do you have a problem with the admissions picking African American student over the white student?

 

I agree with affirmative action in university admissions for that exact reason. There's nothing the black student could have done to truly compete with the white student in that scenario, which is unfortunately a pretty common one.

 

But what about in the workforce? If we use the colleges and universities as an engine to compensate for the disparity in qualifications of high school graduates from different backgrounds, shouldn't they, in theory, be at least comparable candidates for employment after graduation from college? And, in theory, wouldn't it be inherently unfair to hand the advantage to the black student after that since he, for all intents and purposes, has pretty much caught up? I realize that's a pretty abstract argument that may not apply so neatly in the real world, but I think it deserves some thought.

[TxHoops]

Trojans - I agree with your reverse situation switching the races in the example given. In many instances, socioeconomic considerations are very relevant, regardless of race.

Bamakid - assuming the job is one requiring a degree, and assuming the exact facts you state, I wouldn't quibble with your argument. However, I think diversity even in the workforce is important and is certainly a worthy consideration in tiebreaking situations.

And many of you are too quick to dismiss biggirl's arguments IMO. If you don't believe there is still a significant portion of the population, especially below the Mason-Dixon Line, that wouldn't hire a person of color vs a white person unless forced - well, you are either naive or dishonest. With each generation, I believe we are coming closer to eradicating racism. But it still is very much alive. I see it weekly, often in business dealings with people who own or hold high positions in the corporate world. It is a comment here, or an action there...it does still exist. I think we all hope there will come a day when race won't matter in these discussions. But sadly, I doubt it will be in my lifetime.

However, I do take solace in the significant progress made from my parent's generation to mine. And I firmly believe affirmative action and similar programs played a huge part in the progress we've made.

[TxHoops]

Oh, one more thing that shouldn't be overlooked - the diversity theory works both ways. In my mind, it is just as important for the minority group. They too might have preconceptions of the majority group which can be debunked through the relationships fostered. Harmony works both ways. And whether in the university setting or the workforce, education goes a long way to ending the ignorance with which one was raised, regardless of what color they may be.

[smitty]

Your comments show why affirmative action is needed.

So, BigGirl, you are for discrimination as long as it's not you being discriminated against?  Were you for it before you were against it or vice versa? 

[EnlightenedChosenOne]

The people who really get the shaft in university admissions are the poor white kids.

Rich kids and all the resources and a stable family to support them through it all.

Black kids usually don't have the same opportunity set but have the advantage of being black (advantage for admissions)

Poor white kids don't have either