Expert: John Fuller - 2/1/2008

Question
Do you think aff. action causes racial hatred in previously unracist individuals?..also do you think it's a good idea for a job, like a fireman, to use aff. action?..as in there could be 5 "white" guys at the top of the graduating class but, the fire department needs 2 more indians and 1 more black guy before they hire any more whites..as a citizen I would be VERY concerned..this is a job that peoples lives depend on..whether it be peoples homes on fire or coworkers..the BEST "man" for the job SHOULD be hired, no matter what..no matter who cries about it..

Answer
Hi Stephen,

You ask a very relevant question.  In my profession working with Affirmative Action, I know that there are many misperceptions as to what affirmative action is and what it is not.  As a white male doing this business now for over 20 years, I can tell you that yes there is resistance to actions that are taken with AA plans that do cause hostility and resentment when they are applied unfairly.  I take every effort to ensure that this does not occur because you are absolutely right in that every business, including the one I work with at Johns Hopkins Hospital desires to have the best qualified employee regardless of their background.

President Kennedy started the affirmative action movement by stating merely that we as a country should take "affirmative actions" to make sure everyone had the equal opportunity to apply for a position with the optimum word being apply.  No one should be given a position based upon the color of their skin over another.  Affirmative Action Plans do have what are called "goals" where if an industry is recruiting and hiring at levels far below what is available in their recruiting area, then quite possibly that industry is not taking affirmative actions to ensure people either know about positions or are advertising only internally.  One has to be sure that goals are based upon the percentage of fully qualified individuals for that job that are in your recruiting area.  

It is not just the percentage of race only or men/women but if these people are fully qualified for the position.  This information is provided by the Department of Labor and Census statistics which are then used by businesses to develop affirmative action plans. AA is never a quota with the only exception that if a business or industry has been found by a court to have willfully discriminated against protected classes, then they are mandated to hire court ordered percentage of people from protected classes.  However, these cases are now extremely rare.  Other federal and state contractors however, have went well beyond the AA directives and instituted their own "quotas" even though by doing so are in affect discriminating against others equally or more qualified.

All affirmative action requires is that hiring officials make what is called "good faith efforts" to ensure everyone is given the equal opportunity to apply and be considered for a job.  It should be a goal to have the very best qualified people employed.  Thank you for your question and if you have others, please let me know.  

John