I guess they just want to see how many more Barack's and Michelle's they can mass produce

Hate when they put "affirmative action policies" in the mix. Makes it sound as if these folks would not have gotten in on their own merit.

I really don't like this article as well for the very reason given by OneChele. It slights the merits of people like the Obamas and Sotomayor. Once they got into these elite schools, their performances were evaluated on the standards as everyone else. Sometimes I think Clarence Thomas is right, in that affirmative action makes whites think less of minorities. And there's no reason for it. I would rate the Obamas' intelligence against the Clintons any day, for instance.

There is nothing wrong with affirmative action, I used to work for the US Commission on Civil Rights and if you understand the real definition of it, it is action taken affirmatively to correct the ills created by past discrimnation. There is nothing about AA that would indicate that persons who benefit are unqualified, but was created to remedy the racism that would not have hired anyone even if they were qualified. The old AA system was hire my friends, my cousin, my brother, people like me and never anyone who is not like me. Or only admit certain people into a school. The old joke is AA in the old days was nepotism. But it still needs to exist because just like schools did not admit people of color for years, they need to admit them IMO for an equal number of years AND have people in places teaching, administrating, etc. What I worry about is, 30 yrs from now, will there be the same minorities to replace the current crop since AA is now out of favor and the meaning is lost even to Black people.

great commentary by Helen...Glad to see her article...I read her autobiography "house at sugar beach" and fell in love with her story...learned so much!

how do you truly implement "action taken affirmatively to correct the ills created by past discrimination?" do you set quote systems? do you give extra entrance points? what's the best way for it to happen?

How can someone who got help from affirmative action ever be considered to have archived their position due to meritocracy?

I think this article is more about people of color having to "navigate a second world" rather than affirmative action. However, I think it barely scratched the surface on this issue and wish that there was more contextualization for people like Barack, Sotomayor and many others in media AND even the 20ty/ 30ty something generation who handle juggling multiple worlds hence the reason why the blog Home of the Urban Chameleon was started.

http://homeoftheurbanchameleon.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-urban-chameleon-came-to-be.html

How can someone who got help from racism ever be considered to have achieved their position through meritocracy??

Retta:

Who are you suggesting got help racism?

@Scott, to answer your question the point of AA is to give people (women, minorities) who are QUALIFIED access to schools, scholarships and jobs that at one time were denied to them. White females have been the biggest beneficiaries of AA but no one seems to think they did not get their education or jobs without merit, at least not today, they faced that hurdle more in the past. Affirmative action is a foot in the door, nothing more. If you can't hack the school or the job you don't get to stick around. Unfortuantly most people don't know what affirmative action is, how it is used, and who benefits, or they don't care to know and attempt to use it as a straw man to undermine the accomplisments of minorities and females.

Racism is the same as cheating on a test, lying on a resume, or stealing!!! Do you think for one minute that Dan Quayle was qualified to do anything functional without racism?? (He couldn't even spell "potato""). Yet he benefitted from racism that excluded MUCH better qualified people of ALL colors.

You guys are wasting your breath. You're either for affirmative action or against it. Those who oppose it will never accept your rationale for supporting it. You can cite all the past injustice and racism you want, but it falls upon deaf ears. Some people will only see that they lost of a job or enrollment at a college to a minority. They don't care about what happened 50 years or what's going on now, for that matter. "Everything is even and fair now," they say. "Judge us by the same standards." Of course, we all know that it's hogwash.

so how do you implement "affirmative action?" and i wonder what the pass/fail rates for those who are accepted with AA as opposed to those who aren't.

there's an article stating that affirmative action actually can hurt minorities because it puts people who are not qualified into programs/professions where they're not capable of performing. i wonder what the pass rates on board exams (not standarized tests) are for those who were accepted because of AA and those who aren't/

dan quayle didn't become the youngest senator in US history or graduate from law school, or pass the bar because of racism. let's use our brains here.

so people who are for AA want to be judged by a different standard than everyone else (i.e. white and asians?) is that standard higher or lower?

whoops, that should say white men. since white women benefit from AA as well.

During slavery, blacks could not vote.

During slavery blacks could not own property.

Neither could white women.

Women were the FIRST to be enslaved by white men and have achieved what "freedom" they have by following in the steps of oppressed black people.

This seriously upsets the white male status quo.

^^^^^ does any of this answer my question?

Yes, swiv. It answers your question unless you are blind, deaf, dumb, or just plain stupid!!!

geez, sensitive aren't you. here's my question:

so how do you implement "affirmative action?"

none of what you posted answers the question and uses emotion to dodge at answering it. leave the personal insults at home or for those who aren't able to engage in mentally stimulating conversation.

Your question was "Who are you suggesting got help racism". I just answered your question with an example.

THE "sensitivity" you feel I have is called "empathy". Without empathy you are considered, in this society to be a "sociopath".

Please try to become human -- if you can!!

uhhhh, no. that's scott. i'm not scott. reading is fundamental.

i have empathy to a degree. but not so much empathy where it clouds my better judgement. being too sensitive leads to inefficiency and poor production. spend too much time trying to cater to everyone's needs, you'll never get anywhere. just the facts of life.

Is that your attitude toward sex, too??

"Ineffiiency and poor production"??
"Too much time catering to everyone's needs"??

Have fun!!! My sympathies to your female of choice.

LMAO!

ooooo. personal attacks. that sure gives credibility to your "argument."

click on the red x. you're not equipped to engage in these kind of discussions.

LMAO!