Boys Roundup demonstrate, we are not there yet. Incredibly, there appear to be some who believe that discrimination is a thing of the past, and that the playing field is now level for women, for people of color, and for other victims of discrimination. The facts clearly belie this claim. The unemployment rate for African Americans is twice that of whites. The average income of a Latina woman with a college degree is far less than that of a white man with a high school degree.
Hate crimes continue to occur at alarming rates.
The scales of justice are supposed to be blind, but these figures demonstrate that race and gender discrimination are distorting the balance. Yet, there are those who want to eliminate all affirmative action programs, claiming that they have outlived their usefulness. It's time to dispel the barrage of misinformation about affirmative action. Affirmative action is not about promoting or hiring unqualified women and minorities, admitting unqualified students, or awarding contracts to unqualified businesses. Affirmative action has clearly worked in the armed forces.