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based on the current perception of Affirmative Action, one would assume that it means pick the qualified minority over the qualified non-minority. believe it or not, that's not what's up.

peep this:

"The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin," declared Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965. "The contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin. [A few years later a fifth category was added: sex.] Such action shall include, but not be limited to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the contracting officer setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause."

where does it say that Black employees get picked first? this is a common misperception that has been not only spread through propaganda, but perpetuated by many who just don't read or know the law. racial quotas didn't even exist until the early to mid 70's, and that was the basis for EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity). it's called, in some circles, 'preferential access', but who among us would prefer to be chosen (or left out) just because we have breasts, or kinky hair? the Supreme Court has already laid the groundwork for the continuation of AA, by stating that as long as the decisions aren't formulaic, it's a valid and constitutional policy. for example, a business can't just say, "We need more Latino employees, so let's hire Tania instead of Jim."

but again, based on the misconception, here's where I stand:
it's still a problem. people have found ways around it, and it's harder to prove now than it was before (like when certain things were all white or whatever), but that type of discrimination still exists, only now, it's not based on past wrongs, but present opinions and ideas.

i don't have a problem with affirmative action, as long as the decision making process is effective, and used properly (for example, within certain parameters, people of all races and types should have equal representation within an organization, but more often than not, that isn't the case). people shouldn't just say "I have to fill a quota, so Hakim gets the job instead of Bill," but by the same token, it's not fair at all to say that Bill would look better on the cover of the corporate portfolio, and believe me, sometimes it comes down to that, or to whether or not Nancy or Cherelle had a shorter skirt on during the interview, or whether Tanaysha or Melissa had braids or an updo at the last meeting. it really can be that serious and petty at the same time. affirmative action can sometimes mean the difference between Becky getting a job because her cousin works there, or Chantal getting a job because she's a damn good employee, and has had 8 years experience doing the same job. it matters, and it's that important.

as for colleges, any admissions officer would be remiss to admit a Black person on the merits of skin color alone. a lot of factors go into whether or not a person is even considered for admission, grades, extracurricular activities, overall academic improvement from one year to the next, etc. i'm relatively certain that a non-qualified person wouldn't make it just because s/he was Black. in this situation, affirmative action only applies in cases where it's down to the wire, so to speak. if anyone tells you different, it's probably because s/he wasn't the one admitted or 'chosen'. rolleyes

have i ever been selected for something because of my race? i don't believe so. i bust my a** to get what i need, and the things i have still don't add up to any external action at all, be it affirmative or otherwise. would i like to be selected on those grounds? i don't know. i have to believe that before a person looks at that, they're going to look at my qualifications first, and decide whether i'm an appropriate candidate. if i can't do my job, their company is going to fall, because i can't be the only person they've ever hired that sucks. why would i even want to work for a company like that? i'd prefer to work for the company that has 98% white employees and hires one Black candidate who is qualified based on merit first, then (maybe) the AA policy if there is more than one qualified applicant, than work for a company that's only crunching numbers, and has 40% Black employees, and hires me because they need one more, knowing that there were 5 White applicants who could do twice the work i could.

i guess that means that, affirmative action, when abused, is a foolish mistake, but when used to properly select candidates, can be a good and helpful thing.

and since it was asked, Affirmative Action is a federal mandate at this time, and enforced on the local, then state, then federal level.