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Steven O’Connor Mrs. Cogliano English 11H 9 April 2010 Reverse Discrimination Through Affirmative Action white Caucasian males have been adversely subjected to Reverse Discrimination as our society attempted to advance women and minorities. Reverse discrimination is Discrimination against a privileged group in order to correct previous discrimination against a disadvantaged group. The accusation of ‘reverse discrimination’ is often directed against those favoring equity programs or affirmative action programs. Online Dictionary) White males undergo Reverse Discrimination in schools, like in the Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke case, and in the workplace as seen in the case involving the promotion of firefighters. After the abolition of slavery the NAACP worked hard to promote specifically African Americans in schools. Schools then under went affirmative action programs to support minorities. “The words ‘affirmative action’ were first used (vaguely) in Executive Order 11246 issued in September 1965.
The directive required government contractors to take ‘affirmative action’ to promote hiring of blacks and other minorities” (Frederick 11-12). At the time this seemed fair in order to get minorities up to speed with the white community. Schools started looking specifically for minorities for there schools to make them look better. So although minorities were getting into schools and all was looking well for them people, like Mr. Bakke, were being denied entry even with higher scores than those of minorities.
Sixteen of one hundred entry positions had been set aside for minorities, nearly all blacks and Hispanics. Bakke applied twice to the U. C. Davis Medical School. On each occasion, his grades and test scores were much higher than those of minorities who were admitted. When he was refused a second time, he sued, claiming denial of the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. (Lynch 13) Clearly reverse discrimination is occurring in schools In the workplace companies used to avoid women and minorities for jobs.
Now due to affirmative action some companies are required to have a certain amount of minorities and women working for them. In some cases people are even hampered form a promotion due to affirmative action, such as in the case with the promotions of the firemen. “One Latino and no African American firefighters qualified for promotion based on the exam; the city subsequently decided not to certify the results and issue no promotions. A group of 20 mostly white firefighters sued, claiming reverse discrimination” (Mears).
Minorities have even taken the highest job available in the United States. President Barrack Obama is an African American male who is currently holding office as president. This is a major improvement for minorities and affirmative action has done its job. The Chicago Tribune reported that professional men have suffered the harshest while the nation is steeped in recession; the unemployment rate is at 10 percent for males and 7. 6 percent for females. Graduation rates also show a gender disparity, with 135 women earning college degrees for every 100??men. Solomon) Clearly groups such as women and minorities were at one time underprivileged, but now due to affirmative action they are at a state of equilibrium with white males. Affirmative action has done its job and should be put to rest. Works Cited Eisaguirre, Lynne. Affirmative Action: a Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 1999. Print. Lynch, Frederick R. Invisible Victims: White Males and the Crisis of Affirmative Action. New York: Greenwood, 1989. Print. Mears, Bill. High Court Backs Firefighters in Reverse Discrimination Suit – CNN. com. ” CNN. com – Breaking News, U. S. , World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Web. 08 Apr. 2010 . Mosley, Albert G. , and Nicholas Capaldi. Affirmative Action: Social Justice or Unfair Preference? Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996. Print. Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences. Web. 08 Apr. 2010. . Solomon, Rachel. “Campus Watch: Men in Power, Graduation Ban. ” The Daily of the University of Washington. Web. 06 Apr. 2010. .