Designed in the United States, to give classically un-qualified applicants new opportunities, this regulation became mostly based on race.
Designed initially- to integrate seniors, women, parents, those seeking new careers and foreigners as well as races with high unemployment levels; into a workplace, this designation mostly became based upon hiring minority workers.
To say that for every 60 employees 15 must be black is not what Affirmative Action was designed for. And the association to the word is not supposed to make one’s mind simply think of black people being forced into a workplace based on skin color.
Affirmative Action was to be a good concept which would help those who actually enjoy working- find jobs without discrimination.
It was not supposed to force anyone into anything ie: this Company must hire 10 Hispanic people and 8 Black people, or these 18 people must begin working here or else they lose any and all Government Assistance, which is keeping them from starving on the streets (forced integration).
It was to be closely watched, and help integrate naturally, not forcefully. Meaning- this candidate is only 19 years old but might actually be the right fit for a Mid-Management role (age discrimination) or this candidate (68 years old) might actually be the better fit. To dismiss based on age, sexual preference, religion, and race was what Affirmative Action was to combat.
Discrimination of any sort.
As with many good concepts- translation and execution is crucial. Here, with Affirmative Action- translation never made it to execution, and helped fuel an already tense racial narrative in the United States.
The International Register 