Imagine looking at the education and economic systems in America in the same way that one would view an Olympic running event. In such an event, all of the athletes would have been training most of their lives for this race. They would have had coaches, top of the line gear, and support from their families and their countries. They would have devoted their lives to competing in this race.

Now, imagine someone who was untrained for a running race being asked to compete in the event against athletes who have had years of training and preparation. Is that fair? Can we expect those untrained athletes to be successful, or even competitive, without the same level of intense preparation as the other athlete? Can we expect the untrained people to just “get the hang of it” if they run the race enough times? The answer to these questions is simply “no”. The odds of the untrained winning or doing well just are not in their favor.

So, how can we expect the minority groups in America, those who have come from a life of repression and poverty to compete against those who have enjoyed so many advantages during their upbringing? Affirmative Action helps to provide an equal playing field, raising those who have been stuck in a disadvantaged cycle of life to a level where they have a chance to succeed. It helps to level and ensure that there are equal opportunities for all, no matter what socio-economic situation one has been born into. Affirmative Action provides the “training” that is needed to make the education and economic system a “fair race” for all.

In 1959, 96 years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the black poverty rate was at 60%. The white poverty rate was at less than 20%. A generation later, in 1990, the African American high school graduation rate was at a little more that 65%, while the graduation rate for white Americans was 81%,13% difference. Finally, in 2012, the African American graduation rate was 69% and the white graduation rate was 85%. Still a 16% gap. The black poverty rate was 27.4%, the white 13%. This was 147 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and 46 years after segregation in schools was ruled illegal.

Some believe that time is what will solve the gap between white and black poverty and education lines. But recent history is telling us that waiting for rates to equal out is not the solution. To achieve equality, we must do more than just treating everyone equally. Fair competition is not just letting the person who is fortunate enough to be able to prepare properly for a longer time to win every time. True equality will be realized when everyone starts out at a level playing field.

Affirmative Action is the long overdue opportunity to give all American citizens, no matter the circumstances into which they were born to enjoy the equality they were promised in the 14th and 15th amendments. Positive discrimination CAN balance out the negative discrimination.
Some may argue that Affirmative Action is unfair and will take jobs or opportunities away from the majority races, but a 14.4% poverty line gap between white and black Americans is also unfair. It takes a nation to look at the bigger picture in America, if our country wants to make the necessary changes to truly make our system fair then some understanding is needed to see that certain racial balances must be put in place to even out the poverty and education rates between the minority and majority races.

Fixing the poverty gap between races is not an easy thing to do. However, if fixed, our nation will have greater strength and equality. If all Americans feel they are being treated equitably there will be less strife between the races. Affirmative action is the stepping stone America needs to fix the ongoing problem of imbalance between minority and majority races. If democracy and equality for all citizens, is what our nations system bases itself upon, the Affirmative Action is long overdue.