Affirmative Action

  • Executive Order 10925 issued by John F. Kennedy

    Executive Order 10925 issued by John F. Kennedy
    President John F Kennedy issues Executive Order 10925, which creates a Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity and mandates federal funds to " take affirmative action" to ensure hiring practices are free of racial bias.
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    Affirmative Action

  • Civil Rights Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson

    Civil Rights Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson
    Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimation of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin.
  • Executive Order 11246 enforces affirmative action

    Executive Order 11246 enforces affirmative action
    President Johnson gives exective order that requires government contractors to "take affirmative action" toward prospective minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment. Contractors must have specific measures to ensure equality in hiring and document these efforts.
  • Regents of the University of Califorina v. Bakke

    Regents of the University of Califorina v. Bakke
    Supreme Court case imposed limitations on affirmative action to ensure that providing greater opportunies for minorities did not come at the expense of the rights of the majority-affirmative action was unfair if it led to reverse discrimation. Involved Univ. of Califorina, Davis Medical school, which had two different admission pools, one for standard applicants and one for minority applications. It reserved spots for the later group, even if they were less qualified students.
  • City of Richmond v. Croson

    City of Richmond v. Croson
    The Supreme Court applies "strict-scrutiny test" to invalidate a local government's minority contracting set-aside program,which set aside 30% of city construction funds for black-owned firms. The court declared that the set-aside unrelated to any proven harm to minorities.
  • Adarand Constructors, Inc V. Pena

    Adarand Constructors, Inc V. Pena
    This was similiar to Richmond V. Croson but for federal programs. The court called for "Strict scrutiny" in determining whether discrimination existed before implementing a federal affirmtive action program.
  • Proposition 209 enacted in Califorina

    Proposition 209 enacted in Califorina
    A state ban on all forms of affirmative action was passed in Califorina: "The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
  • Florida bans race as a factor in college admissions

    Florida bans race as a factor in college admissions
    Florida legislature approves education component of Gov. Jeb Bush's "One Florida" initiative, aimed at ending affirmative action in the state.
  • University of Michigan's undergrad affirmtive action policy

    University of Michigan's undergrad affirmtive action policy
    In Gratz V. Bollinger, a federal judge ruled that the use of race as a factor in admissions at the University of Michigan was constitutional. Said it allowed for benefits derived from a diverse student body.
  • Supreme Court Rules against Considering Race to Integrate Schools

    Supreme Court Rules against Considering Race to Integrate Schools
    In Parents V. Seattle and Meredith V. Jefferson, affirmative action suffers a setback when a bitterly divided court rules, 5 to 4 that programs in Seattle and Louisville, Ky, which tried to maintain diversity in schools by considering race when assigning students to schools, was unconstitutional.