Affirmative Action has been used since 1961 to expand opportunity and promote equality.
2000 - current | 1990-1999 | 1980-1989 | 1970-1979 | 1960-1969 | Show All
1998 Negative Effects of Affirmative Action Ban
Ban on use of affirmative action in admissions at the University of California goes into effect. UC Berkeley had a 61% drop in admissions of African American, Latino/a and Native American students, and UCLA had a 36% decline.
1998 Initiative 200
Voters in Washington passed Initiative 200 banning affirmative action in higher education, public contracting, and hiring.
1998 House and Senate Uphold Specific Programs
Both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate have thwarted recent attempts to eliminate specific affirmative action programs. First both houses rejected amendments to abolish the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program funded through the Transportation Bill, and then the House rejected an attempt to eliminate use of affirmative action in admissions in higher education programs funded through the Higher Education Act.
1997 Texas Ten Percent Plan
In response to Hopwood, the Texas legislature passed the Texas Ten Percent Plan, which ensures that the top ten percent of students at all high schools in Texas have guaranteed admission to the University of Texas and Texas A&M system, including the two flagships, UT-Austin and A&M College Station.
1997 Supreme Court Refuses to Challenge Prop. 209
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to California's Prop. 209. By declining to review the case, the court did not decide the case on its merits but allowed Prop. 209 to go into effect.
1997 Support for Affirmative Action in Houston
Voters in Houston supported affirmative action programs in city contracting and hiring by rejecting an initiative that would banish such efforts. Houston proved that the wording on an initiative is a critical factor in influencing the voters' response. Instead of deceptively focusing attention on "preferential treatment, " voters were asked directly if they wanted to "end affirmative action programs. " They said no.
1997 House Judiciary Committee Upholds Affirmative Action Program
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted 17-9, on a bipartisan basis, to defeat legislation aimed at dismantling federal affirmative action programs for women and minorities. Representative George Gekas (R-Pa.), who moved to table the bill, said that the bill was "useless and counterproductive I fear that forcing the issue at this time could jeopardize the daily progress being made in ensuring equality."
1997 Bill Lee Appointed Acting Assistant Attorney General
Bill Lann Lee was appointed Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights after facing opposition to his confirmation because of his support for affirmative action when he worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
1996 Texas v. Hopwood
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against the University of Texas, deciding that its law school's policy of considering race in the admissions process was a violation of the Constitution's equal-protection guarantee. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the ruling because the program at issue was no longer in use.
1996 Proposition 209
California's Proposition 209 passed by a narrow margin in the November election. Prop. 209 abolished all public-sector affirmative action programs in the state in employment, education and contracting. Clause (C) of Prop. 209 permits gender discrimination that is "reasonably necessary" to the "normal operation" of public education, employment and contracting.
1996 California Abolishes Affirmative Action Programs
5 November, in California, the controversial Proposition 209, also known as the California Civil Rights Initiative, was passed by a narrow voter margin or 55-45. The legislation of Prop. 209 effectively abolished California's affirmative action programs in hiring, contracting, and educational admissions. Other initiatives have spread to numerous cities and states across he United States. Legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate with the similar agenda of wiping out all federal affirmative action programs.
1995 Racial Classification Laws Put Under "Strict Scrutiny"
In Adarand, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote for the first time that all federal laws creating racial classifications, regardless of an intention to burden or benefit minorities, when challenged, must be tested by the same stringent standard. Federal set- aside and affirmative action programs benefitting minorities then are subject to strict scrutiny and must be narrowly tailored.
1995 University of California Bans Affirmative Action
The Regents of the University of California voted to end all affirmative action programs at all University of California campuses. Beginning in 1997 for graduate schools and 1998 for undergraduate admissions, officials at the University were no longer allowed to use race, gender, ethnicity or national origin as a factor in admissions decisions.
1995 Equal Opportunity Act
Senator Robert Dole and Representative Charles Canady introduced the so-called Equal Opportunity Act in Congress. The act would prohibit race- or gender-based affirmative action in all federal programs.
1995 Clinton Supports Affirmative Action
President Bill Clinton reviewed all affirmative action guidelines by federal agencies and declared his support for affirmative action programs by announcing the Administration's policy of "mend it, don't end it."
1995 Affirmative Action as a Tool to Ensure Equality
The bipartisan Glass Ceiling Commission released a report on the endurance of barriers that deny women and minorities access to decision-making positions and issued a recommendation "that corporate America use affirmative action as a tool ensuring that all qualified individuals have equal access and opportunity to compete based on ability and merit."
1994 Adarand Constructors v. Pena
The Supreme Court held that a federal affirmative action program remains constitutional when narrowly tailored to accomplish a compelling government interest - such as remedying discrimination.
1991 Bush Tries to End Affirmative Action Programs
After two years of debate, vetoes and threatened vetoes, Bush reverses himself and says proposed civil rights bill is not a "quota bill." On Nov. 22, he signs the legislation at a White House ceremony. But ceremony is overshadowed by reports that the president has proposed issuing a presidential order that would end all government affirmative action programs and hiring guidelines that benefit women and minorities. After sharply negative reactions from civil rights leaders and others, the administration backs down.
2000 - current | 1990-1999 | 1980-1989 | 1970-1979 | 1960-1969 | Show All
