"That teacher was selected for affirmative action reasons." That is how I first heard the term used -- implying a lack of ability on the part of a teacher at my high school. The phrase "affirmative action" was first used in a racial discrimination context in Executive Order No. 10,925 issued by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. This executive order indicated that federal contractors should take affirmative action to ensure that job applicants and employees are …showed first 75 words of 1590 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1590 total…jobs. Current university "affirmative action" policies incorrectly make race a proxy for victimization and disadvantage, just as some police departments make race a proxy for probable criminality. Both are wrong. We cannot get beyond race as a country by continuing to base our policies on it. We cannot end discrimination by continuing to practice it. Most importantly, we cannot achieve a colorblind 21st century unless we eliminate racial profiling in every part of our society