Roger Wilkins

Myth 1: The only way to create a colorblind society is to adopt policies colorblind.

Although this assertion seems intuitively plausible, the reality is that color-blind policies often put racial minorities at a disadvantage. For example, other things being equal, the color-blind seniority systems tend to protect white workers against dismissals of employment, because senior employees are usually white due to historical discrimination. Similarly, college admissions colorblind for white students because of their earlier educational advantages. Unless preexisting inequities are corrected or not taken into account, color-blind policies do not correct racial injustice - they reinforce it.

Myth 2: Affirmative action has failed to increase women and minority representation.

Several studies have documented important gains in racial and gender equality as a direct result of affirmative action. For example, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor, affirmative action has helped 5 million people belonging to minorities and 6 million whites and minority women move up in the labor market. Similarly, a study sponsored by the Federal Contract Compliance Programs showed that federal contractors (who were required to adopt affirmative action goals) added Black and White women officials and managers at two times the rate of non-entrepreneurs. There were also a number of high profile cases where large companies (for example, AT & T, IBM, Sears Roebuck) increased employment of minorities following the adoption of affirmative action policies.

Myth 3: Affirmative action may have been necessary 30 years ago, but the playing field is fairly level today.

Despite the progress that has been made, the playing field is far from level. Women still earn 76 cents for every dollar men. Blacks continue to have twice the unemployment rate of whites, largely due to discrimination, according to data collected by the EEOC.


Myth 4: The public does not support affirmative action more.

Opinion polls indicate that most Americans support affirmative action, especially when the polls avoid an all-or choice between no-affirmative action, as it currently exists and no affirmative action whatsoever . For example, a survey by Time / CNN found that 80% of the population felt "affirmative action programs for minorities and white women should be continued at a certain level." What the public opposes quotas, fallow, and "reverse discrimination". For example, when the same poll asked people whether they favored programs "requiring businesses to hire a certain number or quota of minorities and women, 63 % cons such a plan. As these results indicate, most members of the public opposition to racial preferences violate notions of procedural justice - they are not opposed to affirmative action.

Myth 5: A large percentage of white workers will lose if affirmative action continues.

Government statistics does not support this myth. The U.S. Department of Commerce, there are 1.3 million unemployed black civilians and civilian workers 112 000 000 White (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000). Thus, even if every unemployed Black United States were to move a white worker, only 1% of whites would be affected. In addition, concerns that affirmative action for qualified job seekers, so that the actual percentage of affected Whites would be a fraction of 1%. The main sources of job loss among White workers have to do with the relocation of businesses and labor market outside the United States, computerization and automation, and downsizing of the company. Two are all white people qualified for their jobs? " No.

Myth 6: If the Jews and Asian Americans can rapidly advance economically, African-Americans should be able to make Sat