When Affirmative Action

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when affirmative action started

When Did Affirmative Action Start

Affirmative action is a policy that aims to increase opportunities for historically underrepresented groups in areas such as employment, education, and housing. It is often implemented by taking race, ethnicity, gender, or other factors into account when making decisions about who to hire, admit to school, or rent to.

The first affirmative action policies were implemented in the United States in the 1960s. These policies were designed to address the legacy of racial discrimination that had prevented African Americans and other minority groups from fully participating in society.

The most significant early affirmative action policy was Executive Order 11246, which was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. This order required federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that their workforces were representative of the population as a whole.

Affirmative action policies have been controversial since their inception. Some people argue that they are necessary to level the playing field for historically underrepresented groups. Others argue that they are unfair to white people and other majority groups.

The debate over affirmative action is likely to continue for many years to come. However, there is no doubt that it has played a significant role in increasing opportunities for minority groups in the United States.

Here are some of the key events in the history of affirmative action

* 1961 President John F. Kennedy signs Executive Order 10925, which requires federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.
* 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Executive Order 11246, which expands the scope of affirmative action to include all federal contractors and subcontractors.
* 1967 The Supreme Court rules in the case of *Griggs v. Duke Power Co.* that employers cannot use employment practices that have a discriminatory impact on minority groups, even if those practices are not intended to be discriminatory.
* 1978 The Supreme Court rules in the case of *Regents of the University of California v. Bakke* that race can be considered as one factor in admissions decisions, but that quotas are unconstitutional.
* 1996 California voters pass Proposition 209, which prohibits the state from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to individuals or groups on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting.
* 2003 The Supreme Court rules in the case of *Grutter v. Bollinger* that the University of Michigan Law School’s affirmative action admissions policy is constitutional.
* 2022 The Supreme Court hears arguments in the case of *Fisher v. University of Texas*, which challenges the University of Texas’ affirmative action admissions policy.