The term Affirmative Action first introduced by President Kennedy in 1961 as a part of his executive order (10925).
Precedent for Affirmative Action began in 1865
•At the end of the Civil War the government was able to provide some protections for freed slaves
•JimCrow laws ended this
•13th amendment abolished slavery
•14th amendment guaranteed equal protection under the law, did not protect Blacks from acts of private discrimination
•Separate Car Act of 1890
•Separate accommodations for Blacks on railroad cars
•Homer Plessy was enlisted to take part in civil disobedience to challenge this
•Would lead to Plessy v. Ferguson decision (separate but equal)
•The Plessy decision would stand for almost 60 years until the Brown v. Board Decision on 1956
•Famous incident where Alabama Governor George Wallace blocked the door to Black students entering the University of Alabama; National Guard was
called
•Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the concept Of Affirmative Action to the public in a speech he gave at Howard University as president where he used the term, urging contractors to take “affirmative action” toward prospective minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment.
•Affirmative Action was adopted as a federal mandate for companies with federal contracts and for labor unions whose workers were engaged in those projects
•Affirmative Action would gain in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s on college campuses during the civil rights movement
•Popularity would soon wane and become controversial
Precedent for Affirmative Action began in 1865
•At the end of the Civil War the government was able to provide some protections for freed slaves
•JimCrow laws ended this
•13th amendment abolished slavery
•14th amendment guaranteed equal protection under the law, did not protect Blacks from acts of private discrimination
•Separate Car Act of 1890
•Separate accommodations for Blacks on railroad cars
•Homer Plessy was enlisted to take part in civil disobedience to challenge this
•Would lead to Plessy v. Ferguson decision (separate but equal)
•The Plessy decision would stand for almost 60 years until the Brown v. Board Decision on 1956
•Famous incident where Alabama Governor George Wallace blocked the door to Black students entering the University of Alabama; National Guard was
called
•Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the concept Of Affirmative Action to the public in a speech he gave at Howard University as president where he used the term, urging contractors to take “affirmative action” toward prospective minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment.
•Affirmative Action was adopted as a federal mandate for companies with federal contracts and for labor unions whose workers were engaged in those projects
•Affirmative Action would gain in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s on college campuses during the civil rights movement
•Popularity would soon wane and become controversial