Affirmative Action
William Aguilera
MGT 434
September 16, 2014
Thomas Hartnett

Civil rights in America were non-existent for non-white persons or females before the Civil War in 1865. Slavery in America affected African Americans for 246 years and thereafter, prejudice oppressed African American. Woman were also affected gravely by the absence of Civil Rights (Bennet-Alexander & Hartman, 2012).The Civil Rights Act of 1964 aimed at remedying the unjust actions to minorities and protected classes. In an effort to enforce the Civil Rights Act, the federal government required some employer to take a direct approach to allowing equality in the workforce to the protected classes. Affirmative action is a a measure taken by the United States Government to redact the effects of past discrimination to minorities in the workplace. Affirmative Action is aimed at offering equal employment opportunities to groups that were otherwise discriminated in the past. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age.” Affirmative action was the measure to ensure those classes were treated equally and given opportunities for hiring, promotions, training and mentoring (Bennet-Alexander & Hartman, 2012). Affirmative action was originated as an idea to require employees to actively engage in the effort at leveling the playing field for minorities. Affirmative action was first mentioned in March of 1961 when President John F. Kennedy presented an executive order that required federal contractors “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” (National Archives, 2014). As in the case the case of the 1961 Executive Order, Affirmative Action is does not apply to all