Affirmative action is a set of federal policies originally instituted to try and ensure that every person in the U.S. regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, or any disabilities have the same educational and professional opportunities. 

In the late ‘60’s and ‘70’s when affirmative action was first put into place, it was seen as a way to open doors to those groups who had been purposely excluded from certain areas of life for so many years. It was meant to encourage diversity and further the process of erasing prejudice. 

There are many different regulations and programs to help aid affirmative action.  Some involve programs aimed at recruiting minorities, women and people with disabilities for higher education or professional opportunities. Other times, schools and employers will choose qualified applicants based on making their campus or workplace more diverse. 

Most would agree that nobody should be excluded from an opportunity based on their skin color or gender, but it’s when institutions start to give obvious preference to the groups included under affirmative action that people start to get mad. For instance, the most recent argument about affirmative action, which you may have heard about on the news involving the University of Michigan, blew up because admissions was done on a points system and applicants got “bonus points” if they were a minority. 

The debate about affirmative action is one which will probably go on for a long time. It’s important to fully understand what a debate is about before you choose a side. Have you ever thought about affirmative action? Do you know if you will be affected by the policies? Maybe it’s time to find out.