One purpose of this article is to chronicle the progression of affirmative action. A second purpose is to show how affirmative action has benefited all of society and not just a select few. The authors of this article move from a critique of the history of affirmative action to an assessment of the current political climate. It is argued that a rollback of affirmative action practices will have long-term effects on the educational and job opportunities available to women and minorities, but more important, a rollback will seriously alter the playing field and call into question the notion that “all men are created equal.”
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