Affirmative Action was a direct result of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, which created legal obligations based on numerical measures and was designed to increase the representation of minorities and women in areas of employment where they were previously underrepresented. The focus was and has been in increasing the representation of minorities and females in the workforce to reflect their availability in the labor market. The EEOC is responsible for identifying and eliminating discrimination in America's workplaces. The main objective of Diversity includes awareness, education, and positive recognition of the difference among people in the workforce. Diversity extends beyond affirmative action in that it is not solely based on changing the representation of various types of people in the workforce.
Diversity builds upon the critical foundation laid by workplace equity initiatives.
The focus of this intervention is on recognizing the uniqueness in everyone, valuing the contribution that each can make and creating an inclusive work environment where awareness of, and respect for, those of different cultures is promoted. It is the quality of the work experience, rather than simply the participation rate of minority employees or women at a particular employer, that is predominant. This is essential for good government, especially in Florida where we have one of the most diverse populations in the country. To that end, listed here are several resources that we have compiled. Given to State Personnel Officers on April 6, 2000.