Reverse Racism?

After writing a whole non-opinionated research paper on why affirmative action support rates have dropped, I feel the need to input my opinion on the topic. For those who do not know, affirmative action is the use of programs and quotas put in place in admissions and employment in an attempt to bridge the race gap: socially and economically. While many people feel affirmative action is important due to the fact minorities were treated so poorly in this country for so long, others feel that selection based on race is racist towards whites. As more and more cases appear before the Supreme Court regarding this controversial topic, people are choosing sides.

I believe that affirmative action is absolutely necessary in today's society. As a white, economically stable child, affirmative action does not help me at all, yet I am still able to look past my own gains, and see what is best for this country. There is a huge gap between the wealth of whites and minorities, and affirmative action is a way to attempt to change this. As of 2013, an average black household makes only 59% of the annual earning of an average white household. (Business Insider). This horrifying statistic can be bridged with he help of affirmative action programs. With minorities having the initial upper-hand in selection, more minorities will rise to the top of the economic totem pole, and therefore this gap will begin to close.

Not only are whites the ones being accepted to high-level college, they are the ones who excel in the work force. With 71% of college graduates being white, a whopping 96% of CEO's are white. (Civil Rights Education Fund) This is due to the fact that whites generally hire other white people, and therefore enter a revolving door complex: where the same high level jobs are being passed down to other whites. This leaves the upper-class work force with little to no diversity: a problem that affirmative action can help to change. Overall, I believe that affirmative action is crucial to input into our society, or America may regress into the racially segregated society we were 100 years ago.