Promise Of Equality In America example essay topic

Affirmative Action, Why It Should Continue To Prevail The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides all persons regardless of race or gender are entitled to equality under the law. Throughout our history as a great Nation there has been one repeating inequality which pervades our history. This inequality can be defined as an inability to judge a person based on their merit rather than the color of their skin. What makes America unique is the promise that every dream can be achieved. Hard work and determination, not race, gender, religion or socio-economic status determines how far a person can rise. The promise of equality in America was just that, only a promise.

In order to assure minorities' were given access to the same opportunities to achieve the American dream, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made discrimination illegal and established equal employment opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, gender or religion. Following the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Johnson issued Executive Order 11246. Executive Order 11246 mandated affirmative action goals for all federally funded programs and moved monitoring and enforcement of affirmative action programs out of the White House and into the Labor Department. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Orders and other important Supreme Court Decisions have not stopped racism. Overt racism is alive and well in all areas of U.S. society.

For example, in 1991 Diane Sawyer with ABC- TV filmed two men, one African American and one white, who were matched for age, appearance, education, and other qualities. They were followed for a day by a camera crew. The white man received service in stores while the African American was ignored. In other instances, the African American man was monitored very closely while shopping at a department store. The department store employees watched the African American man as if they expected him to steal an item from the store. The white man was offered a lower price and better financing at a car dealership.

There were jobs where the African American was turned down, and apartments for rent after the African American man was told they were no longer available. The Dian Sawyer story on racism in America, makes a very strong argument, racism is alive and well in modern America. Because minorities are treated differently than white persons, affirmative action programs are not only important, they are essential to ensuring all persons are treated equally regardless of skin color, gender or religion. In the wake of 9-11 and the tragedy which befell America, many Muslim Americans have recently experienced racism. The New York Times reported hundreds of examples where Arab Americans were unfairly treated. Many Arab Americans lost their jobs, others were beaten or refused employment.

If America is to live up to its promise that every American should be treated equal, Affirmative action programs must not only survive, they must be part of the American dream.