These attacks have been fueled by misguided parties, historically ignorant individuals and unscrupulous concerns that stand to gain economically from the dismantling of affirmative action programs. Arguing that there is no longer any need for affirmative measures of redress or aggressive enforcement activity is ridiculous, to say the least. We must remember that affirmative action was established to address the continuing, real problems of discrimination. Minorities and women remain economically disadvantaged. The black unemployment rate remains more than twice the white unemployment rate, and 97 percent of senior managers in Fortune 1000 corporations are white males, for openers.
Blatant discrimination is a continuing problem in the labor market.
These studies often find that employers are less likely to interview or offer a job to minority applicants and to female applicants. In addition, unequal access to education plays an important role in creating and perpetuating these economic disparities. Even with educational qualifications, the economic status of minorities and women falls short. The average woman with a master's degree earns the same amount as the average man with an associate degree. Affirmative action has proved an effective strategy for eliminating discrimination and reducing racial disparity in hiring, contracting and admissions at institutions of higher learning.