In today's society, the problem of assuring equal opportunity is more one of economic class, rather than race. The information revolution has created a new economy with boundless opportunities — for those who have an education — regardless of race or gender. The real danger our nation faces is that of the development of a two-tiered economic society divided by the "haves and have-nots" — those who have an education and those who do not.
The Affirmative Action program was created by executive order, which prohibits discrimination in all federal contracts on the basis of race, sex, religion and national origin. It establishes the principal equal employment opportunity obligations for federal contractors to: "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin." Those who continue to press for policies of preferential treatment only detract from the original intent of the program: to remove barriers and provide programs — on a prospective basis — that would prepare women and minorities to compete on an equal basis for any opportunity this great country had and has to offer.
If we are to increase opportunities for those being relegated to a lower economic class, given the economic growth and disparity being created among our people today, that charge now becomes more critical than ever before.
The key to succeeding in today's information revolution is the ability to read, compute, communicate and to think, regardless of race or gender. For minority children the stakes are even higher. For example, Hispanics who comprise the largest minority population, are estimated to comprise one-third of the new work force, now have a 38 percent dropout rate from high school. And while we may pass more discrimination laws, if those children are not educated, no laws will help them.
The need to prepare all people to compete in today's economy, regardless of race or gender, is critical if our nation is to successfully compete in the global economy. To overcome the growing economic gap between the haves and have nots, affirmative action efforts should focus on economic status, rather than simply race or gender.
If this nation is to help minorities benefit from the opportunities offered by the new economy, our affirmative action efforts should focus on the education of our low-income students at the elementary-secondary school level, many of whom are minorities who drop out at a higher rate than the larger population. If we did so, we would not need affirmative action schemes at the college level. Minorities could make it on their own.
Those who call for "diversity" and preferential treatment for "compelling state reasons" only continue the polarization of our nation and dilute efforts at promoting policies that overcome the gap between the "haves and have-nots" (many of whom are minorities). Rather than talking about diversity, which highlights our differences, let us start talking about the things we have in common — the values that bind us together as a society.
That's the compelling state interest!
John Florez lives in Salt Lake City and is the former director of the White House Commission for Hispanic Education.