Affirmative Action

Melanie Atkins
PHIL 030
Affirmative Action paper
May 6, 2003

In the year 2003, it is morally permissible for UNC to take race into account as one of many criteria on which undergraduate admissions decisions will be based. Not only should affirmative action programs be morally permissible, but also morally imperative. I will argue that such programs are morally permissible because we are morally obligated to treat all people equally.

All humans are granted a right to life. We must also assume that all humans have an equal right to life and its consequences and rewards. Regardless of skin color or sex, all persons have an equal right to life. To say that an Asian American is less deserving of an education than a white American would be the equivalent of saying that a person with a good tan is less deserving of an education than a person of pale skin color. One could also say that basing equality on skin color is similar to basing equality of one’s family name. Children of the Thomas family are no more deserving of a good education than the children of the Smith family.

Though this is true, racism is still present in today’s society and in our schools and universities. Otherwise there would be no need to discuss any sort of affirmative action program’s existence. If no one was racist, then all races would be equally present in the university and other institutions. The term racist may be too strong; instead, one might say there is a tendency to reward a white person over an African American. Some may find this difficult to admit, but universities with no affirmative action program have a much lower number of minorities enrolled. According to a New York Times report, the number of blacks admitted to the University of California at Berkeley decreased 57 percent after Proposition 209 banned its affirmative action program in 1996 (White 417).

Racism leads to prejudice and unequal respect and treatment of minorities. Prejudice, as defined by Louis P. Pojman, “is a discrimination based on irrelevant grounds” (421). A racist person may tend to discriminate against a minority person solely because of his/her skin color. If two applicants for a job are equally qualified, the white candidate would have a better chance of getting the position, in part because of racism. Such racism and prejudice exists because some believe false ideas about a minority as a whole. This can be seen easily in today’s society. One stereotype of African Americans is that they are lazy. This image dates back to slavery and reconstruction, and is perpetuated by society and the mass media. It is unfair to generalize a whole group of people by one characteristic. Because of such images, some are prejudiced against blacks as a whole. Employers who believe such stereotypes to be true are unwilling to hire a lazy worker. The same would apply to the university which would also be hesitant to accept a lazy student.

By acting in ways that promote feelings of respect among racial groups, a feeling of equality can be produced. Equality may be a widely accepted belief, but if not practiced, then it is not a belief at all. We must see justice around us to know we are living in a just world (Thomas 448). For those who lay claim to the idea of equality, there must truly be a feeling of respect for other races. One can talk about how much he likes African Americans, but he will not really be “color-blind” unless he respects African Americans. Respect cannot be formed unless one acts to gain the respect. Since we cannot change past actions, we must seek to change the environment that breeds racism. Inaction to do so ignores an opportunity to form a trusting and respectful relationship with minorities. As Thomas Hill states, “what is called for is not merely repayment of tangible debts incurred by past injuries, but also a message to counter the deep insult inherent in racism…” (459). One must physically change the environment, the diversity of the student body, in order to take action towards promoting equality.

A constant presence of all racial groups in society’s institutions can increase feelings of respect and can relieve tensions between these groups. Laurence Thomas, a black professor at the University of Syracuse, describes how the diversity within the university gives minority students and faculty hope that intellectual affirmation is possible (448). Co-existence with other races provides the chance to form relationships with those other races. After forming a relationship with a person of a different race, one is enabled to see past skin color and past negative stereotypes. By doing so, mutual respect can be formed and the tension of the color-line can be weakened. One can return to the example of the lazy African American to strengthen this argument. Prior to knowing any African Americans personally, Student A (a white student) thought African Americans were lazy. After completing a group project with Student B (an African American), Student A realized how hard Student B worked. Student A found it necessary to change his previous view of blacks. Even though relationships may not be guaranteed to have such good results, it is better to experience such a relationship than not to, risking no gain of knowledge at all of other races. After all, a change in the current mindset of racist individuals is what will improve equality.

Since affirmative action programs guarantee a constant presence of all racial groups in society’s institutions, it is morally permissible to implement affirmative action programs with the intent to promote equality among all human beings. The current mood of the nation is one that accepts the continuance of affirmative action programs. There are also those that oppose affirmative action for many reasons.

Pojman presents the argument that an institution with diversity is of less value than an institution with highly qualified workers (431). He explains that if he were to undergo surgery, the race/sex of his surgeons would be irrelevant, while the qualifications of the surgeons would be of utmost importance. One might argue that his opinion can be reflected at the university level too. A highly qualified student may be more able to learn and eventually be successful in his/her career. But, a study by the New York Times shows that of the doctors trained at the University of California at Davis over a twenty-year period, the ones admitted based to some extent on race graduated at the same high rate and were similarly as successful as those whose admittance was based solely on merit (417). Furthermore, affirmative action programs usually use race as a special consideration and tie-breaker only after comparing two equally qualified applicants.

Others may argue that if minorities are fighting for equality, then how is giving them extra considerations really acting fairly or equally. What has been forgotten is that minorities do not currently feel equal because of the under-representation that exists in the university. By creating a more balanced and equally representative student body, equality can be embraced. If a university chooses not to implement affirmative action programs, they are not promoting equality then either. The university has a choice between allowing inequality to continue by not using affirmative action programs or by aiming to increase equality with the more diversified student body that would result from affirmative action programs.

Affirmative action may not necessarily guarantee an end to racism, but it guarantees an environment in which all minorities are present, and interactions with minorities will enable a better understanding of individuals, demolishing a false understanding of a minority group as a whole.

I believe that at this time it is also morally imperative to have a race-conscious undergraduate admissions policy. I do not conclude that it should always remain so, but for the 2003-2004 academic year at UNC it is reasonable to say that a race-conscious undergraduate admissions policy is necessary. The goal of affirmative action is to give precedence to qualified, underrepresented minority groups in an attempt to establish the equality that was stated long ago. The diversity of the nation’s people needs to be present and apparent in our institutions also. Since such diversity can be guaranteed in the university by way of affirmative action programs, it is morally imperative to do so. Some argue that we depend too much on our schools for social factors to be taught. Some say that there are alternatives to affirmative action programs in the schools, but they do not explain what these alternatives would be. We have already proven that we cannot depend solely on society or the constitution to make racism disappear. Institutions such as the workplace, schools, church, etc. are much more progressive candidates which we can depend on to create interactions between people.