Quote:
Originally posted by serenity_24:
Hello Advocate,
My question is, however:
If affirmative action was created to ensure that minorities who met basic requirements received spots in programs, why are there programs that lower the requirements for minorities and give affirmative action as the reason.
Can anyone help me on this.
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serenity_24,
I am by no means a legal or AA expert, but here is my understanding. AA programs are mandated by the federal gov't for certain entities (Contrary to popular belief, the fed gov't is not going to make any business have an AA plan unless that business is making $$ off fed contracts. Don't wanna do an AA plan? Don't bid on fed contracts! End of Story!!). AA plans are designed to promote equity in hiring of
qualified applicants. When companies, colleges etc. are developing an AA plan, they should look at the demographics of their market to set the goals (not quotas). For instance, if 10% of the engineers in a city are African American, then a firm could set a hiring goal of 6% of their engineers be Black. The problems come in when folks don't want to do the work to make sure they are recruiting qualified applicants. They wait for Malik Jackson with an engineering degree from Howard to walk in off the street and apply for a job. But you see Malik heard from his frat brothers that company never hires Black folks, plus, when he was doing his rounds of interviewing they never came to Howard. So folks sit around and wonder "Why are we not getting qualifed Black applicants? There must not be any! Since the receptionists' baby daddy went to GA Tech on a football scholarship for 2 years and majored in engineering, lets give him the job so that we can say we hired one this year." Now, they've just lowered their standards, all under the guise of AA. Then when baby daddy can't perform, they either carry him (and his white co-workers begin to say you can't fire someone in a protected class) or they fire him and everyone says "See! Told you Affirmative Action did not work!!"
That's a very simplistic view, but it happens more than you think. Even the companies and colleges that are doing a lot to attract qualified applicants, are not doing a lot to retain them.
Another senario that might happen, especially in college admissions, is that folks will take into consideration things like culturally biased tests (like the SAT--the validity of that is a whole 'nother story though!), inferior inner city schools, etc. and make allowances to level the playing field.
Sorry for the book!! I hope it all makes sense!
[This message has been edited by Eclipse (edited December 07, 2000).]