The historic Plessy vs. Ferguson decision is reviewed along with the 14th Amendment on which the decision was based. The Brown case is discussed. The issues and implications in the Bakke case are also elucidated. (Author/AM)

Several court cases concerning affirmative action programs both in education and in employment are reviewed in light of Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act. Implications of past court decisions are discussed, as are possible future decisions. (MC)

Today, the United States stands at a critical crossroad with regard to civil rights; the choice is between an officially colorblind society and a government-supported, race-conscious one. The purpose of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments was to end a discriminatory system and to erect in its place a regime of race neutrality. In 1896, the…

Data collected by the Louis Harris polling organization in 1978 concerning Black attitudes toward affirmative action programs were analyzed. It was found that Blacks who are optimistic and do not feel powerless generally support these programs. Whites who were also polled felt ambivalent toward them. (CJM)

This article cites statistics and documentation from a book entitled "The Case for Affirmative Action for Blacks in Higher Education," to illustrate the argument that affirmative action is not only legal, but absolutely essential. (Author/EB)

The historical background of federal preferential treatment to particular groups, such as the case of the current affirmative action programs, is reviewed. Some of the arguments against affirmative action are criticized and the necessity for such programs is stressed. (MC)

Focuses upon (1) the largely negative implications of the Bakke decision with respect to educational and professional opportunities for Blacks, and (2) the continuing need for affirmative action in higher education, especially graduate and professional programs. The Bakke case and issues involved in selective admissions policies are briefly…

Affirmative action in hiring black and Hispanic college faculty is still controversial and has still not achieved its objectives. Even some middle-class black professors who have benefited from the policy oppose it. Misconceptions about the function of affirmative action persists; to some, it connotes preferential treatment and racial quotas. (MSE)

In a test of affirmative-action policies, a white teacher, Sharon Taxman, filed reverse discrimination charges when her downsizing district terminated her and kept a black teacher of nearly identical qualifications. The case was settled out of court. If the U.S. Supreme Court had heard the case under either the Equal Protection or Title VII…

In politics, economics, education, and religion, Blacks still largely depend upon White institutions. White resistance to affirmative action means that the subordinate position of Blacks in American society is likely to continue. The only feasible alternative is Black mobilization and organization on a scale parallel to that of the 1960s.…

This paper provides an analysis by three black leaders of how the law, the nation, and the church agencies have responded to liberation issues in recent years. Victor M. Goode analyzes the role and status of blacks under the law from the Scott v. Sandford decision in 1857 through the dismantling of the formal structures of slavery and the modern…

Suggests that the notion of "reverse discrimination" is a cultural belief representing a racial ideological process. Describes how the notion (1) emerged from past racial belief patterns; (2) differentially influences policy on the allocation of privileged economic roles among social groups; and (3) reintegrates cultural beliefs into…

Because of the legacy of unequal treatment of Blacks in America, the institutions of this society must be permitted to give consideration to race in making decisions about who will hold positions of influence, affluence, and prestige. (Author/MC)

The opinions of the nine Justices who participated in the Bakke decision are examined. (MC)

Discusses reasons for the repeal of government-mandated racial quotas and why this is gaining support from the American people. The author highlights the reason affirmative action is important and why it does not lend itself to bureaucratic oversight in the form of quotas, goals, or timetables. (GR)