Aaniyah Moore
813
10/26/21
According to Statistics, Affirmative Action has been proved to show significant growth rates in the amount of POC (Black people, Hispanics, Asain Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, etc) that have been accepted into universities and colleges over the past 30 years. Affirmative action has been used to overcome racial discrimination when it comes down to college admissions. This information
shows us that the use of affirmative action is effective when it comes to increasing the representation of certain minorities all over the world and that it should continue to be used to promote diversity all over the world.
One reason why Affirmative action should be used during the college admissions process is because it gives people of color the opportunity to achieve the education they were never able to receive years and years ago. For instance, in Article 4 it states “Overall, affirmative action is a mechanism that has allowed historically excluded groups to attend college. Students of color have long faced systematic barriers in the American education system, including exclusion, segregation, underfunding, fewer resources, and lower familial wealth. Race-conscious admissions practices, Such as affirmative action, attempt to remedy these issues by encouraging colleges to take a closer look at some of the nontraditional factors that could make a student successful.” Another example is also from article 4 when it states “Affirmative action can help level the playing field by ensuring that all students - regardless of wealth, privilege or background have a chance to benefit from the advantages selective colleges provide. As a
result, low-income students and students of color increase their chance of emerging from poverty and stepping into the middle class. These two pieces of evidence show us that affirmative action not only has the ability to benefit all ethnic backgrounds but also just other college applicants in general, in ways other
than just education.
Another reason why Affirmative action should be used during colleges’ admissions process is because it provides diversity and better learning environments with unique people on college campuses. For instance, in Article 2 it states “Kristen Clarke is the president of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Her group of lawyers fights for freedom and equality for all people. "We condemn the
Department of Education's politically motivated attack on affirmative action and deliberate attempt to discourage colleges and universities from pursuing racial diversity," she said in a statement.” Another example is from Article 3 when it states “Race-conscious admissions will always penalize to some extent the groups that are not being advantaged by the process," Burroughs wrote, "but this is justified by the
compelling interest in diversity." Her ruling brings temporary relief to other universities that consider race as a way to ensure campus diversity. Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow welcomed the ruling. He said considering race and many other factors "helps us achieve our goal of creating a diverse student body that enriches the education of every student. "Today we reaffirm the importance of diversity — and everything it represents to the world," he said” These two pieces of evidence are relevant because it reveals the importance of diversity on college campuses and how people continue to use their motivation for justice
and racial equality, and continue to propel their ideas to fight for racial diversity because of how much it matters. The idea of finally achieving world peace corresponds with ending racial discrimination and racism. This begins with developing the education system’s student body while including diversity inside
of it, and this is why court rulings and supreme court decisions are so important because they bring awareness to the ongoing problem, lack of diversity.
One more reason why Affirmative action should be used during colleges’ admissions process is because it helps colleges and the educational system take steps toward greater equality in not only admissions but throughout the entire world. For instance in Article #2 is when it states “As the supreme court has recognized, diversity has benefits for all students, One Obama government document stated. Today's students must be prepared to succeed in a diverse society and an increasing global workforce” Another example is from Article 4 when it states “These benefits provided by Affirmative action may translate to better economic outcomes and, among other payoffs, Prepare students to work in a diverse global economy.” These two pieces of evidence show me that as Underrepresented ethnic groups start to rise, people will eventually start to see people with different skin tones as equal. This also connects to the real world today because in this present time whenever a POC is outside or just seen in general they will not be discriminated against, the same way they were hundreds of years ago because of promoted diversity. Their increasing representation also while using affirmative action and the education system has
brought by using affirmative action.
In conclusion, Affirmative action should remain relevant along with all of its retained aspects during colleges’ admissions processes. Despite my argument, you may still be able to argue that affirmative action lowers white individuals’ chances of getting into colleges and lowers the number of opportunities they have in economics and the real world even after they graduate but there is no evidence or data that shows that white applicants are at a disadvantage because of affirmative action. Colleges, elite schools, and universities have been ruled and run by white Americans for years. It’s only fair that now POC are given the educational opportunities that they were never able to have before and just like you can, Affirmative action is changing the world day by day and continues to bring racial equality to the historically discriminatory place we know as the USA.
Image Sources:
1)https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/04/24/more-hispanics-blacks-enrolling-in-college-but-lag-i
n-bachelors-degrees/
2)https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/improving-academic-access-achievement/povertyv-
educational-attainment/
3) https://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/news/bcnews/bcnews_200914.php
4)https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2018/11/29/have-you-taken-these-6-steps-to-create-a-more-diverse-workf
orce-2/
5)https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-06-12/editorial-of-course-race-matters-put-affirmative-acti
on-back-on-the-ballot
6)https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/sites/equality-diversity-inclusion/files/12_-_toolkit_-
_implement_belonging_interventions_teresa.pdf