Corning, a small town in upstate New York, used to be about as multicultural as an episode of "I Love Lucy." In the past decade, however, it has made enormous efforts to immerse itself in the melting pot, getting hooked up to a black-oriented cable channel, bringing in a black hairdressing business (which has recently decamped) and instituting a "diversity awareness" program in … [Read more...] about Affirmative Action: Why Bosses Like It
“Reaffirm the Affirmative” by Max Frankel (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
By Max Frankel (Click here to view the entire P&R issue) ... To reward people for something beyond merit is as American as apple pie. Universities routinely bend a bit to admit the children of alumni, acknowledging with a wink that this fosters loyalty and annual contributions. Few objected when "diversity" in a Northern college meant saving a few places for Southern or … [Read more...] about “Reaffirm the Affirmative” by Max Frankel (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
“Affirmative Action, by Another Name” by Steven A. Holmes (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
By Steven A. Holmes (Click here to view the entire P&R issue) "Simply telling a defendant to go forth and sin no more does little or nothing to address the unfair advantage it has already gained," Judge Sporkin said recently, in declaring that the settlement did little to help Microsoft's competitors catch up. They had been the victims of what the Justice Department said … [Read more...] about “Affirmative Action, by Another Name” by Steven A. Holmes (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
“The Presumption of Stupidity: Affirmative Action, Occupational Apartheid” by Brent Staples (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
By Brent Staples (Click here to view the entire P&R issue) .... It is absurd to argue, as many critics do, that affirmative action has placed African-Americans under suspicion of incompetence, by propelling them into positions they do not rightly deserve. Bred into this country's bones, the presumption that blacks are inherently less "qualified" would be a driving force … [Read more...] about “The Presumption of Stupidity: Affirmative Action, Occupational Apartheid” by Brent Staples (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
“Scapegoating” by Maxine Waters (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)
By Maxine Waters (Click here to view the entire P&R issue) ...This [California anti-affirmative action] initiative is a product of a climate that has nothing to do with affirmative action per se. Unemployment is still high in California. Many manufacturing jobs have fled to Third World countries in search of cheap labor. We've been buffeted by fires and floods and … [Read more...] about “Scapegoating” by Maxine Waters (May-June 1995 P&R Issue)