Affirmative action is not something new. ; Breaking down barriers that prevented individuals from having equal opportunities was and still remains the purpose of affirmative action. The programs were designed to open up opportunities in education and employment – ​​to level the playing field. President Lyndon Johnson expressed his beliefs in 1965: "You don't take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by shackles and set him free, take him to the starting line of a race and then say he's free to compete with everyone else, and yet you just believe you were completely right” (The Leadership Conference, 2014). It could be argued that discrimination no longer exists, therefore the need for affirmative action is no longer necessary. On the other hand, one could argue for continuing with affirmative action; , however, with modifications. Affirmative action is important to our society in the past and future; and it must continue as it currently is, without change. Affirmative action was created as a temporary policy to help African Americans and other minorities, such as women, with opportunities equal to those received by majority white males. Affirmative action policies (AAP) create diversity and provide special preferences to minorities. Courts have created “race-conscious” laws to advance minority opportunities in education, employment, and government contracts. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 provided the framework for an affirmative action policy (The Leadership Conference, 2014). Affirmative action plans administered by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs required “good faith” efforts to include women, minorities, race, and gender. As you sharpen...... half of the paper...... It is an incorrect search that distinguishes them. Retrieved from http://www2.psychology.uiowa.edu/faculty/harvey/Men_are_from_Earth.pdfCommemorative Air Force. (2013). A Brief History of the Tuskegee Airmen. Retrieved from http://www.redtail.org/the-airmen-a-brief-history/Gage, F. D. (1863). Isn't Internal Affairs a woman? Retrieved from http://www.sojournertruth.org/Library/Speeches/AintIAWoman.htmKing, Jr, M. L. (1963). Letter from Birmingham Prison. Retrieved from http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.htmlThe Leadership Conference. (2014). Civil Rights 101. Retrieved from http://www.civilrights.org/resources/civilrights101/affirmaction.htmlWoolf, V. (1929). A room of one's own. Retrieved from http://www.haverford.edu/psych/ddavis/psych214/woolf.room.htmlWoolf, V. (n.d.). Professions for women. Retrieved from http://s.spachman.tripod.com/Woolf/professions.htm