Chapter 24: Affirmative Action Attitudes of African American Community College Students: The Impact of Educational Aspirations, Self-Interest, and Racial Affect

Due to the lack of diversity that existed at higher learning institutions, Executive Order 11246 was established in an effort to combat racial discrimination and to remove barriers that restricted access to gainful educational and employment opportunities for people of color (Crosby, 1994; Fleming, Gill, & Swinton, 1978). Originally enacted to remedy racial injustice of African Americans and promote a nondiscriminatory society, affirmative action in higher education evolved into a series of policies and programs that sought to equalize opportunities among disadvantaged and underrepresented groups (Fleming et al., 1978;,Trent, 1991). Affirmative action has been met with resistance by its critics and praised by its advocates from the onset. Some scholars contend that opposition to affirmative action conveys public opinion finding fault with a moral basis for affirmative action that attempts to pay a historical debt to people previously discriminated against (Boris, 1998; Feinberg, 1996; Trent, 1991).