Affirmative Action is defined as positive steps to enhance the diversity of some group, often to remedy the cumulative effect of subtle as well as gross expression of prejudice. It is the practice of giving preference to racial minorities or women when hiring employees, giving awards or deciding whom to admit. Affirmative action arose out of a desire to bring minority groups into institutions and professions that had traditionally been dominated by white males. It first appeared after the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s as an attempt to accompany the new legal equality gained for minorities with social and economic equality. .
There are many pros when it comes to the Affirmative Action. Krishna Tummala from K-State says that "The Affirmative action is a primary legal tool to promote minorities who have been historically discriminated against and there is a lot of evidence that minorities have been brought into the mainstream and accepted." .
Some more pros come from the website Balancedpolitics.org. Diversity is desirable and won't always occur if left to chance, meaning, part of the education process is learning to interact with other races and nationalities. Many students live very segregated lives up until the time they start college. Opinions of other races and nationalities are based on stereotypes. Interaction allows students to learn that persons of the opposite race are people too, more or less like themselves. Students starting at a disadvantage need a boost, minority students start out at a disadvantage in their college or job application process. They usually come from lower income families and have less opportunity to go to private schools as white students. Some inner city youths must also live their childhoods in high crime, drug infested areas. Sincere, hard-working minority students are every bit as capable as white students, but because of these disadvantages, they may not have the same paper qualifications.