Tuesday, March 17, 2020

5 Key Events in Affirmative Action History

5 Key Events in Affirmative Action History Affirmative action, also know as equal opportunity, is a federal agenda designed to counteract historic discrimination faced by ethnic minorities, women and other underrepresented groups. To foster diversity and compensate for the ways such groups have historically been excluded, institutions with affirmative action programs prioritize the inclusion of minority groups in the employment, education and government sectors, among others. Although the policy  aims to right wrongs, it is among the most controversial issues of our time. But affirmative action is not new. Its origins date back to the 1860s, when initiatives to make workplaces, educational institutions and other arenas more inclusive to women, people of color and individuals with disabilities were set into motion.  Ã‚   1. The 14th Amendment Is Passed More so than any other amendment of its time, the 14th Amendment paved the way for affirmative action. Approved by Congress in 1866, the amendment forbade states from creating laws that infringed upon the rights of U.S. citizens or  denied citizens equal protection under the law. Following in the steps of the  13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery, the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause would prove key in shaping affirmative action policy. 2. Affirmative Action Suffers Major Setback in Supreme Court Sixty-five years before the term â€Å"affirmative action† would come into popular use, the  Supreme Court  made a ruling that could’ve prevented the practice from ever launching. In 1896, the high court decided in landmark case  Plessy v. Ferguson  that the 14th Amendment did not prohibit a separate but equal society. In other words, blacks could be segregated from whites as long as the services they received were equal to those of whites. The Plessy v. Ferguson case stemmed from an incident in 1892 when Louisiana authorities arrested Homer Plessy, who was one-eighth black, for refusing to leave a whites-only railcar. When the Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal accommodations didn’t violate the constitution, it paved the way for states to establish a series of segregationist policies. Decades later, affirmative action would seek to readdress these policies, also known as Jim Crow. 3. Roosevelt and Truman Fight Employment Discrimination For years, state-sanctioned discrimination would thrive in the United States. But two world wars marked the beginning of the end of such discrimination. In 1941- the year the Japanese attacked  Pearl Harbor-   President Franklin Roosevelt  signed Executive Order 8802. The order prohibited defense companies with federal contracts from using discriminatory practices in hiring and training. It marked the first time federal law promoted equal opportunity, thus paving the way for affirmative action. Two black leaders- A. Philip Randolph, a union activist, and Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist, played critical roles in influencing Roosevelt to sign the groundbreaking order.  President Harry Truman  would play a crucial role in strengthening the legislation  Roosevelt  enacted. In 1948, Truman signed Executive Order 9981. It prohibited the Armed Forces from using segregationist policies and mandated that the military provide equal opportunities and treatment to all without regard to race or similar factors. Five years later, Truman further strengthened Roosevelt’s efforts when his Committee on Government Contract Compliance directed the Bureau of Employment Security to act affirmatively to end discrimination. 4. Brown v. Board of Education Spells End of Jim Crow When the Supreme Court ruled in 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson that a separate but equal America was constitutional, it dealt a major blow to civil rights advocates. In 1954, such advocates had an entirely different experience when the high court overturned Plessy via  Brown v. Board of Education. In that decision, which involved a Kansas schoolgirl who sought entry into a white public school, the court ruled that discrimination is a key aspect of racial segregation, and  it therefore  violates the 14th Amendment. The decision marked the end of Jim Crow and the beginning of the country’s initiatives to promote diversity in schools, the  workplace  and other sectors. 5. The Term â€Å"Affirmative Action† Enters American Lexicon President John Kennedy  issued Executive Order 10925 in 1961. The order made the first reference to â€Å"affirmative action† and strove to end discrimination with the practice. Three years later the Civil Rights Act of 1964 came about. It functions to eliminate employment discrimination as well as discrimination in public accommodations. The following year,  President Lyndon Johnson  issued Executive Order 11246, which mandated that federal contractors practice affirmative action to develop diversity in the workplace and end race-based discrimination, among other sorts. The Future of Affirmative Action   Today, affirmative action is widely practiced. But as tremendous strides are made in civil rights, the need for affirmative action is constantly called into question. Some states have even banned the practice. What’s to  come of  the practice? Will affirmative action exist 25 years from now? Members of the Supreme Court have said they hope the need for affirmative action is unnecessary by then. The nation remains highly racially stratified, making it doubtful that the practice will no longer be relevant.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Cold War History Essay

Cold War History Essay Cold War History Essay Cold War History Essay If you've got the assignment to write an essay about historical events, Cold War for example, you are expected to write a research paper. Your first task is to go to the library and find necessary information for research essay. Find and analyze as many information as you can, Cold War history essay cannot be based on one article. While writing Cold War history essay, you need to discover, interpret, and revise numerous publications, both primary and secondary.   Cold War, as an essay topic, requires deep understanding of the historical period and relations between the United States and Soviet Union. Essay Writing Tips Once you have visited your local library, collected enough information, and arranged your ideas (created an outline), you are ready to start writing an essay.   English essay format has to consist of three components:   introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.   Introduction paragraph should contain general information on the period of Cold War, the causes of conflict, tension and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, their allies, and the overall political situation in the world in the period of 1940s-1990s.   Introduction should contain a thesis statement aimed at helping the reader to understand the Cold War history essay flow. Body paragraph should show your research work. Each paragraph should contain new idea and should start with new line.   English essay body paragraphs should be used to describe the reasons why Cold War tensions appeared and cover ideological differences between the US and the USSR. The US was a capitalist country at that time and the USSR was a communist country. Thus, you might mention that US was afraid of the spread of communism throughout the world. In addition, you should give other examples and support them with specific facts. Cold War history essay conclusion should summarize the main points of the whole essay.   Do not bring new information in the concluding section.   You may conclude with your own interpretation of the historical period and set the direction for further research.   For example, mention the Iron curtain speech, the development of the Atomic Bomb, etc.   Keep in mind that all sources you used or consulted for Cold War history essay writing have to be properly cited within the text as well as at the end of it. Bibliography list has to be formatted in accordance to the style requested by the tutor. Custom Essay Writing Help If you are not sure in your ability to write a good Cold War history essay, if you cannot decide on the overall direction, if you cannot find enough sources to support your ideas, you are welcome to ask writers for assistance!   In addition to final draft of your custom written paper, you get FREE plagiarism report and bibliography list.