Throughout my blog posts, I have focused on Affirmative Action as a policy. I examined Affirmative Action and how it relates to school and employment. I used specific cases that looked at Affirmative action policies to see if they were constitutional. One leading case I focused on was Harvard v. Students for Fair Admissions. This case did not go to the Supreme Court if the case did, many fear the effects it would have. Some argue that Affirmative Action will cease to exist. And the Trump administration plans to sue any university whose admission process is discriminatory against white people.
I knew about Affirmative Action, but I did not know how extensive the policy was. I did not realize how Affirmative Action covered employment; I only thought that Affirmative Action covered the education system. As I wrote my weekly posts, my view on Affirmative Action has changed. Upon further discussion with friends and family, I realized that Affirmative Action is needed. I also came to realize that Affirmative Action on paper is not a bad thing. I never thought that Affirmative Action was terrible, but I always knew it didn’t fulfill its purpose. Being a minority, and a part of a “disadvantaged” group of society, you are still subjected to discrimination and prejudice.
I learned this fact the hard way during my high school years. But policies like Affirmative Action are meant to help those who are victims of discrimination, by giving them a platform for educational and economic opportunities. When I did further research on the topic and saw how many people oppose Affirmative Action so much that they want to ban Affirmative Action policies, I was shocked. I was in one of those scenarios where you don’t know how good you have it until its gone. And if Affirmative Action is erased from history, I do believe it would be harder for people of color to be employed or get an education. Looking at the statistics from colleges and universities that banned Affirmative Action policies, it is clear what happens to minority enrollment compared to white enrollment. Using the data that I found and from additional readings, I found out that Affirmative Action needs to exist.
As I stated before, my feelings toward Affirmative Action policies have changed. Seeing what the current administration thinks about Affirmative Action and how they plan on reversing Obama’s initiatives on Affirmative Action makes me concern for the future. Before I wrote my blog posts or did research, I was a firm believer that Affirmative Action diminishes the effort and hard work of minorities. But looking closely at the policy, I came to realize that we need this and educating ourselves on our rights as minorities are fundamental. As I learned in class, it is essential to know what rights are. If we do not educate ourselves on what policies are in place to help us, we become vulnerable to abuses, and our rights are infringed on.
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