Affirmative action has a long history in the United States, beginning with the labor movement in the 1930s. But over time, the country and the courts developed a far more narrow definition with respect to the college and university admissions process. Today, the vestiges of affirmative action are once again under attack and likely to fall apart completely under the conservative Trump court. In this episode, we review the history of affirmative action, how it came to be settled law and why it’s likely to be stripped away. 

Chapters

Intro: 00:01:15

Chapter One: Affirmative action has always been hanging by a thread. 00:03:04

Chapter Two: Everyone’s a winner, everyone’s a loser. 00:09:05

Chapter Three: As usual, there’s a villain behind all this. 00:17:16

Chapter Four: The unlevel playing field. 00:23:41

Chapter Five: Bring it home, Max. 00:29:12

Post Show Musings: 00:47:13

Outro: 00:49:10

Resources

Smithsonian Magazine: The Origins of the Term ‘Affirmative Action’

National Archives: Executive Order 11478 - Equal employment opportunity in the Federal Government

National Archives: Executive Order 8802 - Prohibition of Discrimination in the Defense Industry (1941)

The New York Times Magazine: Why Is Affirmative Action in Peril? One Man’s Decision.

ACLU: What You Need to Know about Affirmative Action at the Supreme Court

ACLU: Meet Edward Blum, the Man Who Wants to Kill Affirmative Action in Higher Education

The New York Times: He Took On the Voting Rights Act and Won. Now He’s Taking On Harvard

Mother Jones: Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement

The Federal Reserve: Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap

Economic Policy Institute: Understanding black-white disparities in labor market outcomes requires models that account for persistent discrimination and unequal bargaining power

Brookings: Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education

The Atlantic: Justice Jackson’s Crucial Argument About Affirmative Action

UNFTR Resources

Episode: America, Inc.

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